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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has urged youths in the south-south zone to leverage technology and innovation to become entrepreneurs and job creators.The Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi during the recent south-south Hackathon Challenge in Calabar for young and innovators from that region, said youths must depend on their talent and be opened to training.
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“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,” said Abdullahi who was represented by Dr. Salihu Abdulkareem of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.
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 NITDA’s boss 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 said 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 Abdullahi, “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.“
The Vice Chancellor, University of Calabar, Professor Florence Banji Obi, thanked the NITDA for choosing the University of Calabar for the program. She commended the initiatives and the manner of their implementation across the country. She was represented by Professor Idingesit Akpabio, Chairman, Committee of Deans, the University of Calabar,
According to the vice chancellor, technology is changing how we do things and has fast-tracked processes.
Her words: “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.”
Winners from the pitching contest received cash prizes ranging from N1.5million for the overall Winners, 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.
