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National Regulatory Sandbox Gains Momentum as NITDA, ONDI Inaugurate Technical Working Group

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 A landmark step toward a clearer, safer path for innovation, regulators, and ecosystem builders align to accelerate Nigeria's digital future.

National Regulatory Sandbox Gains Momentum as NITDA, ONDI Inaugurate Technical Working Group


Nigeria's innovation landscape reached a defining milestone: on the 21st of May 2026, the Director General of NITDA, represented by Ag. Director of Regulation and Compliance - Barrister Emmanuel Edet, officially inaugurated the Technical Working Group (TWG) established to support the implementation of the National Regulatory Sandbox.

The National Regulatory Sandbox is a structured, multi-agency, and sector-agnostic framework designed to enable the controlled testing of innovative products, services, and business models within a supervised regulatory environment.

Led by the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI) under NITDA, the Sandbox seeks to strengthen inter-agency coordination, reduce regulatory fragmentation, support evidence-based policy development, and create safer pathways for responsible innovation across sectors including AI, digital health, agritech, mobility, energy, and other emerging technologies.

The inauguration marks the beginning of a more coordinated and deliberate approach to innovation governance, one that places collaboration between regulators and innovators at its very core.

The TWG brings together key organisations, regulators, and ecosystem stakeholders with a shared mandate: to create clearer, safer, and more scalable pathways for innovation to thrive across Nigeria.

Speaking at the event, Victoria Fabunmi, National Coordinator of ONDI, underscored the significance of the National Regulatory Sandbox as a coordinated framework built to help innovators test bold ideas, navigate regulation, and grow with greater clarity and confidence.

She reaffirmed ONDI and NITDA's steadfast commitment to strengthening hubs as engines of grassroots innovation, venture growth, and nationwide digital transformation.

"Innovation cannot thrive where the regulatory path is unclear. This sandbox gives innovators the clarity, the confidence, and the coordinated support to test bold ideas and scale them safely."

VICTORIA FABUNMI, NATIONAL COORDINATOR, ONDI  

WHAT THE TECHNICAL WORKING GROUP (TWG) SETS OUT TO ACHIEVE:

 - Provide structured governance support for the implementation of Nigeria's National Regulatory Sandbox

- Offer strategic guidance on Sandbox design and operations

- Provide expert input on sector-specific regulatory considerations

- Shape the Sandbox's overall direction and policy impact

- Foster sustained collaboration between regulatory bodies and the innovation ecosystem.

- Support coordinated decision-making across sectors

A Shift Toward Collaboration

The successful inauguration of the TWG represents more than an institutional milestone. It signals a fundamental shift in how Nigeria approaches the relationship between regulation and innovation, moving from ambiguity toward structured, collaborative governance.

With the Sandbox framework now backed by a dedicated Working Group, innovators across the country can look forward to a regulatory environment that supports experimentation rather than stifling it. The path ahead is one built on collaboration, clarity, and real opportunity.

As the National Coordinator of ONDI, Victoria Fabunmi affirmed, this is only the start. The work of the TWG will help lay the foundation for a more innovation-ready Nigeria, one where bold ideas have the support, clarity, and coordinated pathways needed to grow safely and scale confidently.

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