By 
By Nwakaego Alajemba
President Muhammadu Buhari will today speak on Nigeria’s digital future as he declares open the eNigeria conference, exhibitions and awards. The president will officially unveil the National Digital Economy for Digital Nigeria.
The eNigeria event is the flagship conference of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA). The chief host and convener for eNigeria 2019 is the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami while the event’s host and convener is NITDA’s Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi.
This year, eNigeria is preceded by two-day master classes on AI and related vertical industry themes anchored by NITDA’s partners including Huawei. The master classed ended yesterday.
Also, preceding today’s formal opening was an intensive one day boot camp for 20 startups that will be exhibiting at eNigeria. They include the global winner startups that participated at this year’s Global Future Stars (GFS) Supernova Challenge at the GITEX that held in Dubai in October. They include Chiniki Guard that emerged top in the AI category and 247 Medic that made it to the list as one of the global finalists.
Presentation of GITEX Award to GFS Finalists by President Buhari
Highlights of the event today are the presentation of GITEX Award by President Buhari to the GFS Finalist: 247 Medics and the overall Global Winner for the AI category at GITEX: Chiniki Guard. The president will be assisted by the Minister of Communications & Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami. The president will then embark on a tour of exhibition hall.
With its main theme: ‘National Digital Economy,’ Founder/CEO of MainOne, Ms Funke Opeke, is expected to kick-start discussions with a keynote presentation.
Other sub themes include ‘Developing infrastructure for the digital economy in the fourth industrial revolution; Creating digital job opportunities through developmental regulation; and Experts review of Nigeria’s draft digital economy policy and strategy.’
The conference will also feature discussions on:
- Creating New Job Opportunities and Economic Development Through Technological Innovation;
- Harnessing Indigenous Innovation and Creativity for Poverty Reduction in Nigeria;
- Leveraging Disruptive Innovation for Achieving Good Health, National Security, Anticorruption, and Sustainable Energy Systems; and
- Implications of Data Protection Regulation for Open Data, Big Data Analytics, and Smart Initiatives in Building a Productive National Economy.
All heads and CEOs of agencies under the ministry are co-hosts and co-conveners. They include the EVC of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Umar Danbatta; CEO of Nigocmsat, Ms Abimbola Alale; CEO of Galaxy Backbone Limited, Mr. Yusuf Kazaure; and Post Master General/CEO of NIPOST, Barrister Bisi Adegbuyi.
Some of the Panels and speakers
Panels include Challenges and Opportunities for Infrastructure and Human Capital Development. This panel feature Prof Umar Dambatta, Mr Yusuf Kazaure; Dr Abimbola Alale; MD, Layer 3,Mr Oyaje Idoko; Director CPS, NITDA, Dr Agu Collins Agu; and COO (Solutions and Services),Huawei, Nigeria, Ashwani Mishra.
The panel on Creating an Innovation Ecosystem for Sustainable Digital Economy is featuring Prof Aminu Ahmad of ATBU, Bauchi; Founder, Ventures Platform, Mr Kola Aina; and Mr. Chris Abhulimen, of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group.
The panel on Creating New Job Opportunities Through Developmental Regulation has Chief Executive Officer, FinTrak Software Company LLC, Lagos, Mr Bimbo Abioye; Postmaster General and CEO, NIPOST, Barr Bisi Adegbuyi;
DG, NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa; Director, International Labour Organization, ECOWAS Region, Dennis Zulu; Director General/CEO, Plateau State ICT Development Agency, Daser David; and : Barr Ibrahim Atahir of Attaufeeq Chambers.
eNigeria is Nigeria’s annual IT summit by the NITDA in collaboration with relevant stakeholders from the private and public sector as well as non-governmental organizations. It serves as a platform for ICT awareness creation, developing appropriate framework and setting goals for best practices in order to encourage appropriate positioning of Nigeria in the global Information Society.
This year’s event is supported by the NCC, NIPOST, Galaxy Backbone Limited, Nigcomsat Limited, NiRA, Huawei, Microsoft and Zinox.
