The Director-General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami have revealed that Nigerians are among leading tech innovators in the world.
The DG who said this at the ongoing 11th edition of the E-Nigeria Conference, Exhibition and Awards holding at the International Conference Centre, Abuja on Monday, stressed that Federal Government now has deliberate policies to wean the economy off oil but rather focus on human resources.
He said: “Innovation is second nature to Nigerians and there are several stories of innovation across the globe that has the imprint of Nigerians.
“HopStop, an online city transit App acquired by Apple for a whopping $1billion, was owned by a Nigerian-born Entrepreneur.
“Also, in August 2018, a team of Nigerian teenagers won the first place in the junior division of the Technovation World Pitch Summit that took place in Silicon Valley.
He added that: “Nigeria is the 6th largest producer of crude oil as well as the 7th most populous country in the world. For years we have depended on our natural resources for wealth but the Federal Government now has deliberate policies to wean our economy off oil and rather focus us on human resources.
According to him, “This is why the Economic Growth and Recovery Plan of the government prioritize human capital development. We are confident that with a critical mass of ICT savvy Nigerians we develop the type of digital economy that can rival oil as the main stay of our economy.
He added that: “Nigeria is also endowed with a ready pool of young “digital natives” that can support the process.
According to him, NITDA’s Office for ICT Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIIE) identifies and promotes innovation.
He explained that the activities of the OIIE have enabled the ICT startup innovation ecosystem in Nigeria to grow at a remarkable pace.
He noted that: “The Nigerian tech ecosystem has produced companies valued for more than $100million, including the only African “unicorn” (Jumia), valued at over $1billion. Furthermore, of the $560million raised by African startups in 2017, Nigerian startups accounted for $114.6million of this amount.
“These investments and stories of innovation underscore the viability of the Nigerian startups and the capacity of Nigerians to conceive creative ideas.”
He explained that E-Nigeria provides a platform for all the stakeholders to brainstorm on germane issues on the front burner of the country’s ICT sector in order to proffer ingenious solutions.
The e-Nigeria 2018 theme, “Promoting a Digital Economy in an Era of Disruptive Technologies through Effective Regulations” is a response to the complex mix of digital opportunities, challenges and burdens, driven by the increasing influence of emerging technologies on commerce and society.
“The major goal of e-Nigeria 2018 is to accelerate the development and access to digital products and services to millions of Nigerian citizens, ultimately creating Africa’s largest single digital market by 2020.
“In the last 2 years we have redoubled our efforts in regulating and developing the ICT sector as we seek to be the prime catalyst for transforming Nigeria into an Information Technology (IT) driven economy,” he said.
