Abstract
This study adds insight to technology-based national development by analysing Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development model at the institutional and portfolio levels. The study examines deterministic viewpoints that regard digital investment as directly linked to developmental progress – within the context of institutional theory, National Innovation Systems, and development economics – to understand how technology policy can be translated into developmental outcomes in an emerging economy. The theoretical basis of this research is that technology-driven development is mediated by systemic factors. Although these technology investments in Nigeria work well and are widely used, their future development relies on good governance, credible enforcement of regulations, and better coordination across the innovation system. This finding improves institutional theory by demonstrating the coexistence of policy ambition and implementation fragility, which leads to partial and disproportionate developmental outcomes. It also broadens NIS studies by highlighting the limitations of project-based innovation methods and the importance of nodal institutions, network connectivity, and learning processes in facilitating system-level impacts. The study provides unique portfolio-based data from one of Africa’s major economies, an underexplored gap in the literature, as most studies focus on individual projects or sectors. This paper demonstrates and clarifies implementation mechanisms and preliminary results. From a policy perspective, the study indicates that institutional consolidation, rather than adoption, is the primary constraint on technology-driven development. Therefore, technology investments should be aimed at enhancing sustainability planning, outcome measurement, and system coordination to support inclusive and sustainable national development.