The National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) have announced a significant partnership to launch BuyNigeria.ng, an e-commerce platform aimed at bringing Nigerian markets online.
The platform will serve as a digital marketplace for traders and artisans, making it easier for them to reach a wider audience. This collaboration was revealed in a joint statement by Dr. Dennis Olofu, Head of Media at NCAC, and Mrs. Hadiza Umar, Director of Corporate Communications at NITDA.
The project is part of a broader initiative to connect Nigeria’s cultural and creative industries (CCI) with the growing digital and innovation sectors. The initial rollout of BuyNigeria.ng will focus on key markets in Kano, Lagos, Aba, and Abuja, in line with NCAC’s mission to boost productivity within the cultural and creative industries. The partnership aims to increase the visibility and accessibility of these markets, offering local businesses a digital platform to showcase their products.
A pivotal meeting to formalize the partnership took place at NITDA’s headquarters in Abuja, where NCAC’s Director-General, Obi Asika, and NITDA’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, met to set the framework for collaboration. The strategic alliance between the two agencies is expected to foster growth, innovation, and digital transformation across Nigeria’s cultural and creative sectors.
Another important aspect of the partnership is the expansion of NCAC’s ICE (Innovate, Create, Empower) program, which focuses on training individuals within the cultural and creative industries. With NITDA’s support, the program will extend to 1,000 locations nationwide, targeting 2 million Nigerians by 2027. This initiative will be supported by digital labs and training facilities provided by NITDA, further strengthening the impact of the program.
This collaboration will also include the development of digital platforms for cultural inventory, fan engagement, influencer marketing, e-commerce, and capacity building. NITDA’s support will come in the form of local distribution networks and cloud services. As part of the partnership, NCAC has requested NITDA’s assistance in equipping its offices with computers, tablets, digital labs, and podcast studios to support the digital transformation of the creative industry.