Inovators under the aegis of Technology Ecosystem Dialogue (TED) have canvassed funding and support for startups and hubs to promote digital job creation in the country.
TED led by its founder Young Innovators of Nigeria Social Organization Abu Andrew, said government intervention will curb the appalling level of insecurity and idleness among the teeming population of youths in the country.
Acknowledging that the federal government has been making efforts towards diversification of the economy, TED said that more still needs to be done through the encouragement of innovations, startups and SMEs.
Speaking Monday in Abuja, during an interactive session themed: “Technology Policies; A catalyst for Sustainable Job Creation” TED urged government through NITDA, USPF and CBN to prioritize support for the Innovation Hubs and ICT AND GREEN TECH Development based Advocacy organization’s as implementation partners of policies and projects that are geared towards technological development and capacity building.
The Innovators enjoined government at all levels to interface regularly through consultation with the tech ecosystem before far reaching policy decision are made and implemented.
Urging government at all levels to work with the ecosystem to ensure sustainability of projects, they called for the reduction of the Fintech license to enable startups with innovative products complete their projects.
They also demanded that Government begin to invest and set appropriate framework for the development of the green economy sub sector as there are prospects of emerging new jobs that is estimated to be over five million.
Stating that the next edition of their parley will hold in the first quarter of 2022 at Port Harcourt Rivers state, they argued that the demands when met will boost the creation of Job opportunities, crash the unemployment indices and encourage more start Ups.
TED added: “The youths of this region are reputed to be ingenious, hence the need to channel this ingenuity to productive purposes for common good. Initiatives such as this will contribute to creducing cybercrime by winning over the practitioners and turning them into innovators.
“The strategic vision of TED Series is focused on four key areas, which we call the 4A’s of technological advancement; Awareness, Access, Adoption and Application. A key strategy that a People need to be aware of the power of ICT AND GREEN TECH to transform lives, businesses and the economy at large. The most capitalized firms in the world today are playing in the ICT AND GREEN TECH space.
“The capacity of this technology to lift peoples and nations out of poverty is phenomenal. Nigeria however, has the market, the people and local innovations that can disrupt business models around the world. We are on track to making this happen.”
Among inovators at the event were Bankole Oloruntoba Founder NINE and CEO Nigeria Climate Innovation Center, Dr. Mrs Wunmi Hassan President Hightech Center for Women & Youth.
