A Kano-based digital commerce company, Kwari E-Market, has won the ₦3 million top prize at the maiden Builders Festival organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). Galaxy Television reported that the award was presented on November 12 at the closing ceremony of the Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition (DNICE) in Abuja.
Lagos-based VarsityScape came second with ₦2.5 million, while Chekkit placed third with ₦2 million. About 30 startups participated after more than 1,388 applications, according to the report. Kwari’s win puts a Kano business at the top of a national technology showcase. The question is whether digital tools can improve traditional trade.
Turning a textile market into an online storefront
Founded in 2022 by Kassim Muhammad Atiku, Kwari E-Market focuses on Kantin Kwari. Its website displays fabric listings and prices. Merchants can register, upload catalogues, set prices and manage inventory through a vendor dashboard.
The company also advertises payment processing, delivery through logistics partners and order-management features. The platform is designed to take customers from product discovery to payment and fulfilment. These are company-described services; public information reviewed for this article does not establish the number of active vendors or completed orders.
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Trust and delivery will determine its value
Digitising a market requires more than uploading product photographs. Textile buyers need to assess quality and quantity before paying. Online transactions must establish whether products match their descriptions, sellers are genuine, and orders arrive as agreed.
Kwari says logistics agents physically inspect fabrics before they are cleared for delivery. That could bridge the gap between online buyers and physical stock, but the claim has not been independently audited.
Success will depend on affordable vendor onboarding, accurate stock records, reliable payments and reasonable delivery costs. The prize may support development, but active merchants and repeat customer orders will be stronger measures of progress.
What NITDA wants the festival to achieve
NITDA’s official DNICE website describes the Builders Festival as a programme connecting organisations with operational challenges to startups whose products may address them. Its process includes challenge submission, startup matching and deal-room discussions about possible pilot projects or memoranda of understanding.
NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi has urged founders to solve identifiable problems and deliver measurable benefits instead of building technology without clear customer demand. Voice of Nigeria reported that more than 1,388 startups applied and about 30 were selected. The festival ran from November 10 to 12 in Abuja.
Back Story: From market stalls to digital trade
Kwari E-Market’s company profile lists 2022 as its founding year and Kano as its headquarters. Its website displays a product catalogue and vendor registration. This confirms an online presence, but does not prove the platform has transformed trading at Kantin Kwari.
The award gives the company recognition and a financial boost. Its next milestone is to show that more merchants can sell through the service, buyers receive what they order, and transactions remain dependable. That will determine whether a digital marketplace can become useful infrastructure for Nigerian trade.
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