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The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has reiterated government’s commitment to supporting the tech/ innovation ecosystem to ensure their suitability and global competitiveness.
Abdullahi while speaking at the just ended e-Government Hackathon organised by Ilorin Innovation Hub in collaboration with the Kwara State Government to discover solutions that can transform governance and public sector operations, said more focus on leveraging new technologies to bridge the existing gaps in governance could help build a better society.
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According to him, the enactment of the Nigerian Startup Act (NSA), which was the outcome of the collaborative effort of the ecosystem and the Presidency, spearheaded by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, under Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, is a testament that Nigeria is on the right track to harnessing the potentials of digital economy.
Abdullahi who was represented by Babajide Ajayi, the Director of Zonal Offices Directorate (ZOD) of the agency, said the NSA is aimed at “providing a legal and institutional framework for the development of startups; providing an enabling environment for establishment and operation of startups; development and growth of tech-related talents; and positioning Nigeria’s startup ecosystem as the leading digital technology center in Africa.”
He urged the Kwara State Government and all state governments across the country to key into the implementation of the NSA to provide opportunities and resources that will empower more indigenous tech innovators to churn out solutions for local problems.
“This will provide a platform of support to young innovators to develop and commercialise their innovative ideas and be able to compete favourably in the global innovation space,” he added.
The NITDA boss commended the organisers for the initiatives which focused on; power and renewable energy; hardware (Internet of Things (IoT), drones, mobile devices); connectivity; web & mobile applications; and security & privacy.
“The Hackathon will serve as a veritable platform for our talented youths to showcase their innovative ideas and solutions which the government is prepared to adopt for improved efficiency in public service delivery and increased productivity in government administration,” he said.
Adding: “It is heartwarming to know that this hackathon is geared to support and promote indigenous talents to come up with relevant innovative solutions to our local problems, improve the way we do things, and engender prosperity in our environment. So, this is a challenge for the participants to come up with clearly defined ideas and develop solutions with an emphasis on the five specific areas of the hackathon.
“NITDA is proud to be associated with this laudable initiative. Your effort to drive the adoption of technology across the State is a demonstration of your administration’s commitment to transforming Kwara State into an economically viable and self-sustainable State where digital skills, youth empowerment, innovation, and technology thrive.
“Suffice it to say that your programmes are in alignment with several initiatives and programmes of the federal government that are being implemented by NITDA through its Special Purpose Vehicles, the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), and the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), to develop and grow Nigeria’s digital innovation ecosystem.”
The Managing Director of the Ilorin Innovation Hub, Temi Kolawole, stated that the programme was organised to address key issues in government and revolutionise the way government operates in Nigeria, and how it can become more efficient through the adoption of technology and digital transformation.
He added that the contestants were grouped into 50 teams, each focusing on a specific area of government businesses and tackling identifiable problems, including letter and memo tracking systems, data capturing systems, and medical record systems for hospitals.
