…As agency engages Lagos tech innovators
By Seun Adams
The challenge has been thrown to the youths from the South-south geopolitical region to be spirited in utilizing their God-given talents through digital innovations to become entrepreneurs and job creators.
The Director-General of NITDA, Mr. Kashifu Inuwa, represented by Mr. Salihu Abdulkareem of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (AIR), made this remark during the south-south Hackathon challenge for young and innovative minds from the region which held at the Senate Chambers of the University of Calabar.
He explained that driving digital innovation and entrepreneurship by challenging Nigeria’s youth to create and develop solutions from inception to commercialization will, no doubt, boost the country’s economy.”
The challenge’s theme is: “Innovation-Driven Ideas for addressing local challenges in Health, Government, Transportation, Financial Services and Smart city in Nigeria for Social and Economic Development.”
The DG asserted that digital innovation and entrepreneurship would help fast-track the recovery of other traditional economic sectors by supporting the provision and adoption of indigenous and tailor-made solutions for nationwide implementation of the policy through automation, intelligent processes, and ICT solutions.
He further revealed that NITDA Hackathon 2022 aims to find solutions towards building a digital Nigeria, adding that talented Nigerians are challenged to come up with clearly defined ideas and prototypes of solutions around agriculture, logistics, and security for the swift growth and development of the country.
According to Kashifu: “African continent is full of problems waiting to be solved, this presents the next biggest market worldwide. Nigeria, in particular, has a rapidly growing youthful population by which taking advantage of the market will lead to the creation of jobs, solutions, and revenue flow for the country”, he added.
The DG maintained that collective responsibility is needed to achieve the positive impacts, for which the nation yearns for solutions. He encouraged the young innovators not to relent in their various efforts towards tackling the problems bedeviling the country, saying that such solutions will go a long way in addressing development issues.
He appeals to teeming youths from the region to always showcase their talents which will serve as channels for solutions to some of the problems that require immediate panacea.
He revealed that the program also provides an avenue for young Nigerians to contribute their quota in the solution-finding and provides opportunities for creating jobs both directly and indirectly, keying into the Digital Economy policy that will facilitate the swift growth and development of the country.
The Vice-Chancellor, University of Calabar, Prof. Florence Banji Obi, represented by Prof. Idingesit Akpabio, Chairman, Committee of Deans, in her remarks, appreciated NITDA for the program. She commended the initiatives and the manner of their implementation across the country for the growth of our nation.
She said technology is changing how we do things and has fast-tracked operations processes. “Programs like this are needed to keep the young people busy solving the problems faced by the country, more so that such programs give an avenue for teeming youth to showcase their talents which will help solve those challenges,” she added.
Obi, encouraged participants not to stop at solution finding after this program but to go further in actualizing what they have started, which she believes will bring about solutions to the problems faced in the country.
Winners from the pitching context received cash prizes ranging from N1.5 million for the overall winner, N1 million for the first runner ups, and N500,000 to the second runner ups as the 3-day event came to a close with fanfare and beautiful memories.
Meanwhile, in an effort to strengthening the country’s digital economy by increasing contributions of ICT to GDP, as well as promoting indigenous content through patronizing indigenous IT products and services, NITDA met with the Lagos State Software and Innovation ecosystem stakeholders.
The event aimed at proffering solutions to challenges faced in the ecosystem had various critical players from multiple industries at the Bon Hotel in Lagos.
The DG, who was also represented by the agency’s Digital Economy Department Acting Director, Mr. Salisu Kaka expressed his pleasure at the turnout of all the innovators.
The DG, stated that a symbiotic relationship between the government and the players in the ecosystem was essential to achieve a collective desired result.
“Whatever the government is out to achieve, the private sector should help the government achieve it, and whatever the private sector is set to achieve, the government should help and support,” he stated.
Inuwa, disclosed that the engagement was geared at interacting with the stakeholders to identify challenges faced by the ecosystem and proffering solutions to them.
He emphasized the need to map out a partnership framework between the agency and the ecosystem in addressing these identified challenges.
Speaking on the vast amount of human and natural resources amassed by the nation, the NITDA DG urged stakeholders in the software and innovation ecosystem to harness and utilize these resources for optimal productivity.
He emphatically admonished all participants to freely critique constructively, challenge what needs to be challenged, and also give recommendations on how the challenges faced can be surmounted.
“We are here to listen to you, and I am positive that today will be a historical day where we co-create and re-identify our routes in bridging identified gaps and creating a bright future,” he concluded.
The Acting Coordinator of the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), Mr. Yakubu Musa, while intimating the ecosystem stakeholders on the realignment of the former specially purpose vehicles (SPVs), introduced the strategic intents of the ONDI as well as initiatives.
“The ONDI has been mandated to work with the ecosystem to design and implement strategic programs and initiatives that will drive and foster the ecosystem’s growth through interventions and addressing some of the issues being faced in the ecosystem,” he averred.
Musa, stated that ‘strategic human capital development, ‘funding and support to the ecosystem, ‘research and insights,’ ‘monitoring and compliance,’ ‘partnerships’ and ‘implementation of guidelines’ are the focus areas in which the Agency is willing to collaborate with the stakeholders in creating a formidable and enviable ecosystem.
The President of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), Mr. Chinenye Mba-Uzoukwu, while giving a recap of contributions made by Heads of Industries, Groups, and Associations thanked the agency for the event but clamoured for a more effective communication and transparency.
