Innovation

Jigawa Governor Tasks Youths On Critical Thinking, As Pantami Hails State For Digital Economy Drive

Published

2 years ago

19 January 2021

Governor Muhammadu Badaru Abubukar of Jigawa State addressing participants at the 1st Jigawa Innovation Summit

Jigawa State Governor, Alhaji Muhammadu Badaru Abubukar, has urged Nigerian youths to key into the digital technologies and focus more on critical thinking in order to find solutions for Nigeria’s economic and security challenges.

Badaru, who noted that this is the only way to move the country forward, spoke at the 1st Jigawa Innovation Summit themed: ‘Creating a Viable Innovative Ecosystem for Economic Development.’

The programme was organised by the Jigawa State government in collaboration with National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Youth Coalition for Development (YCD), an NGO that canvasses youth engagement in changing the status quo for the betterment of Nigerians.

The governor said it is only through critical thinking that the minds of Nigerian youths can be opened so that they can look around their environment and see the opportunities around them that they can turn into a business and create jobs, adding that the more problems are being solved, the more income can be generated.

He stated further that the vision and focus are to bring the world of innovations to the state, noting that oil economy is almost over because of what is happening around the globe – electric cars are on the rise, solar energy is becoming cheaper, wind energy becoming supportive, and the unknown fuel energy-drive currently ongoing can surely drop the demand of oil, adding that if this happens, national income will continue to decline and that will affect all the states of the federation, including Jigawa.

L-R: NITDA DG, Kahifu Inuwa Abdullahi and Governor Badaru Abubakar of Jigawa State during the 1st Jigawa State Summit

“We have to look at the areas where we have competitiveness and see how best we can make our economy work through those areas. Like I have always said, we can achieve this largely in Agriculture. We have vast land and water for irrigation in Jigawa. We will continue to focus on how to develop Agriculture and its value chain.

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“I want to challenge this Summit to see how best we can improve in what we are doing and how best we can to create jobs around the value chains in Nigeria digitally.

“We have Informatics Kazaure that produced so many IT professionals in the country. So I expect this Summit to bring to our table advises in our educational arena so that we can do more in developing our youth by making them employers, not just employees,” he added.

While delivering his speech, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), commended Jigawa State for its drive in Digital Economy, noting that the State Government showed its willingness to support the effort of the Federal Government and collaboration in order to develop indigenous digital economy in the country.

Dr Pantami said the rate of unemployment in the country motivated the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to think outside the box by focusing more on creating potential employers rather than potential employees.

“If you enrolled people in university and they graduated without sufficient skills, they will never be self-reliant; they will always go around looking for jobs. But when you provide digital skills for your citizens, they will be employers of others, which Jigawa Innovation Summit should also focus on,” Pantami said.

The minister cited Jeff Bezos, owner of Amazon, second richest person in the world, as the perfect example of a potential employer, who millions of people are working under.

He explained how Netherland used digital technology to boost its agricultural activities despite having lesser landmass compared to some states in Nigeria, adding that if Jigawa State deploys digital innovation to agriculture, it will go a long the way in creating many jobs and generating revenue for Federal and State Governments.

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Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, while delivering a Keynote Address, recalled that the journey to Innovation Summit is more exciting than the theme of the event because the journey started in January last year when the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) commissioned Hadejia Community IT Centre.

“While delivering his Keynote Address at the commissioning, the Honourable Minister explained the potential benefit of Digital Economy in our country and Jigawa State in general. Our governor showed interest in Jigawa State’s readiness to embrace the initiative, and the Honourable Minister responded positively by directing me to engage all the stakeholders to ensure Jigawa benefit immensely from Digital Economy.

“Whatever the state government, ministry and NITDA are doing is in line with President Muhammadu Buhari’s economic diversification agenda, therefore, all the credits should go to Mr President, because he campaigned before the election and after he was voted to lead the country, he appointed my boss and mentor as a minister, who also recommended me for this position,” he said.

Mallam Abdullahi opined that with new measures being put in place in regard to innovation and also what Governor Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar is doing in the state, Jigawa is at the forefront of zero-oil revenue.

He explained that innovation has been generally defined as the processing and taking an idea from inception to impact, adding that innovation is not all about Information Technology, it is also something that has to do with the invention, in terms of commercialisation, business model, customer experience and organisational structure.

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The DG said the event organised by Jigawa State Government in collaboration with NITDA and YCD, attended by IT experts, entrepreneurs, academia, private sectors and other stakeholders is to put heads together and look for competitive advantage in Jigawa; look at what each local government has, and come up with a strategy that can help unlock opportunities and create prosperity for the citizens.

“Jigawa State has a lot of potentials in terms of agricultural resources. Jigawa is the largest producer of Dates, Hibiscus and Gum Arabic in Nigeria, and largest producer of sesame in the whole of Africa.

“The state also stands third in rice production, and we are utilising less than 10% of our arable land. Recently, His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Jigawa, Muhammadu Badaru Abubakar negotiated with stakeholders from Mexico to boost hibiscus production, which is a big plus for us as a nation.

“All these can be achieved through digital technologies; this is why we are building IT centres across the country. So far, we have established 18 IT community centres out of 27 local governments, and we will build in the remaining ones. This is to prepare our future generation and create job opportunities, not only government jobs but for youths to become self-reliant.

“We are coming with a strategy where the state government can provide an enabling environment that will unlock opportunities. In some countries, a government job is the last resort, because you will make more money in business than in government; you will have more time in your private business than the government,” he concluded.

Related Topics:#Badaru #Critical Thinking #Digital Economy Drive #Jigawa State #Youths Pantami

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Innovation

ALX Offers Software Engineering Skills To 50,000 Women Across Africa

Published

1 week ago

13 March 2023

DigitalTimesNG

Photo Credit: Alx Facebook page

ALX, a leading global provider of training in the tech industry has its first dedicated Software Engineering cohort for women in Africa.

The cohort forms part of ALX’s ‘WomXn and Tech’ initiative and is set to benefit up to 50,000 women across Africa.

The company says the initiative was inspired by the United Nations IWD theme of ‘DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.’

ALX is showing its commitment to bridging the digital gender divide in Africa, increasing the representation of women in the technology sector and driving the participation of women to innovate and create solutions for a diverse world.

This cohort will provide a launchpad for women to grow their careers in one of the most exciting and in-demand fields in the world.

Part of African Leadership International (ALI), ALX is a leading technology training provider that offers world-class programmes to thousands of young people across Africa, equipping them with both the professional and technical skills that enable them to thrive in high-growth industries.

The statistics make for grim reading. Women comprise just 5% of global software engineers.

Considering that there are an estimated 690,000 software engineers in Africa, even applying the global average means that there is a significant gender divide that must be addressed.

It is through this female cohort that ALX will take the steps necessary to reduce this considerable disparity.

Thanks to its partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, ALX is offering sponsored placements to thousands of young women who meet the eligibility requirements for this programme.

“ALX knows that our collective future depends upon a female voice, a female brain, and her perspective in devising solutions for the world of tomorrow.

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“Through ‘WomXn and Tech’, we are boldly proclaiming our call to action for women across the continent and the rest of the world to not just have a seat at the table, but to redesign the table.

“This 100% female software engineering cohort we are introducing helps to accomplish this,” says Fred Swaniker, Founder and CEO of ALI.

The programme has been made possible following the recent acquisition by ALI of a leading Silicon Valley institution, Holberton Inc.

ALX is now one of the largest software engineering trainers in the world, which aligns with the organisation’s mission to develop Africa’s human capital at scale and enable women with best-in-class digital skills and excellence.

Innovation

NITDA, UNICCON Sign MoU To Promote Indigenous Content

Published

1 week ago

11 March 2023

DigitalTimesNG

Barr. Emmanuel Edet, Head Legal and Board Matters Unit of NITDA and CEO UNICCON Group, Mr. Chuks Ekweme during the signing of the MoU at NITDA on Friday

The Federal Government has taken a significant step towards promoting indigenous content in the country, with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the UNICCON Group of Companies.

NITDA said this latest step aims to foster the development and growth of local content in the Nigerian technology industry.

Under the terms of the MoU, NITDA and UNICCON, a company that unveiled Africa’s First Humanoid Robot, Omeife, will collaborate to develop and promote local content in Nigeria through various initiatives.

The initiatives include capacity building, skills development, and the creation of an enabling environment for local content producers and developers.

The partnership will also focus on supporting local startups and SMEs in the technology industry, providing them with access to funding, mentorship, and other forms of support that will enable them to grow and compete on a global scale.

Speaking during the formal signing, the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, represented by the Head of Legal Unit of the Agency, Barrister Emmanuel Edet, recounted that during the unveiling of “Omeife” last year December by the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, the Hon. Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), had urged NITDA to work with Uniccon Group on ways to commercialise Omeife.

“We plan to have an application that everyone can use to take advantage of Omeife. At NITDA, we have had the Learning Management System (LMS) for a long time, and it can be integrated into API provided by the UNICCON group, thereby extending our elements to take advantage of it,” he said.

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Inuwa stated that leveraging on Omeife (robot) will deepen the penetration of digital literacy across the country, providing a platform for shared knowledge in Pidgin, Igbo, Hausa, and Yoruba, adding that this will provide a framework and platform for exposure of Nigeria’s indigenous content internationally.

“Our greatest dream is to nurture startups and companies that will occupy the global space and also be as competitive as possible for the growth of the economy.

“Digital Economy is a great alternative to oil, which serves as a means of income and an opportunity for us to compete because the entry-level is intellect and we have a lot of that across the country,” the DG asserted.

The Chairman/CEO of UNICCON Group of Companies, Mr. Chuks Ekweme during his remarks commended the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), and the DG of NITDA for the policies and initiatives implemented towards the digital transformation of the country.

He assured that the UNICCON Group of Companies will support the government towards the actualisation of policies and initiatives, and do their best to contribute their quota towards the implementation drive for the growth of the country.

Ekweme emphasised the importance of the AI project in Africa, stating that statistics show that no African country can boast of having 60% AI by 2030, with most countries falling below this percentage.

“Therefore, the signing of the MoU is a crucial step towards bridging this gap and positioning Nigeria as a leader in AI development,” he said.

Innovation

Pantami Inaugurates Nigeria Startup Act Implementation Committee

Published

2 weeks ago

9 March 2023

DigitalTimesNG

The Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) in a group photograph with some of the members of the Nigeria Startup Act Implementation Committee shortly after the inauguration ceremony

The Federal Government has inaugurated a 27-member committee to implement the Nigeria Startup Act 2023 (NSA).

The inauguration is part of efforts at fostering the growth of the digital innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in the country and consolidating the achievements made by the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) inaugurated the committee on behalf of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari in a hybrid event at the Digital Economy Complex, Mbora, Abuja.

Giving a historical overview of the journey so far from the conceptualization of the bill to its enactment into law by the President on 19^th October 2022, the Minister stated that the Nigeria Startup Bill was first drafted and formulated in 2021 with inputs from relevant and critical stakeholders.

He stated that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) of government, private sectors, industry players, young innovators, and stakeholders from the academia were engaged in town hall meetings organised in the six geopolitical zones of the country with the purpose of collecting their inputs, constructive criticisms and recommendations to create a robust and credible document.

Describing the inauguration of the NSA implementation committee as a milestone achievement towards the attainment of a digital Nigeria, Pantami urged the committee members to coordinate operational plans and establish the baseline for the ecosystem in terms of digital innovation and entrepreneurship.

“In this implementation committee, we have brought together relevant stakeholders, some from government, some from the private sector, some from the ecosystem, some from the academia, some from legal institutions, and many more to come together and provide the leadership that is required for the technical implementation of this very important law,” he stated.

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While noting that economies globally are driven by technology, knowledge, digital innovation, and entrepreneurship, Pantami stated that priority and preference should be given to a knowledge-based economy rather than a resource-based economy in the country.

He further stated that countries like the United States of America, China, Japan, Germany, India, and the United Kingdom which are the major contributors to the global Gross Domestic Product of 101.6 trillion US dollars are leading economically because they give preference to a knowledge-based economy.

“According to statistics as of December 2022, digital enterprises are directly and indirectly contributing a minimum of 53 trillion US dollars to the global GDP. By implication, you can safely say that more than half of the global GDP depends on technology, digital innovation and digital entrepreneurship,” he said.

“Today, digital entrepreneurship, digital innovation and knowledge-based activities are building the global economy and we need to invest in our youths that have innovative ideas,” he added.

He further stated that Nigeria is blessed with so many talents and innovators and that young Nigerians have been making the country proud by winning prizes at global ICT events in UAE, Barcelona, the USA, and Saudi Arabia.

While emphatically stating that the NSA would consolidate the achievements of startups in the country by providing legal frameworks as well as technical and financial backing to further encourage them, the Minister said that “Today in the Act, there is a provision of supporting them financially. The government will set aside a minimum of 10 billion naira annually in addition to other sources of funding that have been captured in the law.”

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Prof. Pantami also noted that it will consolidate the achievements made thus far by the Ministry in terms of broadband penetration, 4G penetration, development of policies for digitalization, digital ID in Nigeria, and government revenue generation amongst others.

Announcing the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa as the secretary of the committee, the Minister urged all the members to expend their time, energy, knowledge and experience to support the ecosystem so as to reduce importation in the country and prioritise production.

Earlier, in his welcome address, Kashifu Inuwa appreciated all members of the committee for agreeing to contribute their expertise to the national assignment of implementing the NSA.

He stated that the committee is responsible for creating an enabling and sustainable environment for young and talented people to develop more profitable and innovative-driven enterprises for national development.

While noting that startups are critical drivers for economic growth, Inuwa asserted that implementing the NSA will be a game changer that will help create a legal and institutional framework to develop the Nigerian startup ecosystem.

“I wish to sincerely appreciate your acceptance to serve on this committee and I have no doubt that our collective expertise and experience will help us implement the NSA successfully,” he concluded.