Photo Caption:Caption : L- R
Dr Aminu Abdullahi, Rep, NITDA; Dr Inya Lawal, Convener, Global Tech Africa Conference;
Julie McKay, U.S. Consulate Public Affairs Officer; Ahmadu Galadima, COO, Future Map
Foundation
To address technology advancement challenges and provide a robust tech ecosystem in Nigeria on solutions to all sectors, experts have urge government to create an enabling environment for funding and investment.
US Commercial Counselor, Julie LeBlanc disclosed this at the second edition of the Global Tech Africa (GTA) Conference 2024, where she stated that Improving access to high-speed internet and other necessary infrastructure can help to support the growth of the technology sector in Nigeria.
The three-day GTA Conference was held in Landmark Lagos, with the theme: ‘Global Collaboration, Local Content’.
According to Le Blanc, Nigeria can build a strong and vibrant technology ecosystem that can provide innovative solutions to the educational sector and other sectors.
”Government can provide funding, tax incentives, and regulatory support to encourage the growth of the technology sector. This can attract more investors and entrepreneurs to the sector’ she said.
In his keynote address, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) of Nigeria, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi,
emphasised on the crucial role of continuous collaboration with tech ecosystem stakeholders in unlocking the vast potentials of Nigeria’s digital local content transformation.
“Strengthening Nigeria’s local content digital transformation would not only benefit the country’s economy but also help drive social development and bridge the digital divide. By working together, stakeholders can leverage their resources and expertise to achieve these goals and make Nigeria a leader in the digital space.
He emphasised the need for govt. to recognise the potentials of digital technology to accelerate economic growth and drive development in various sectors, such as healthcare, education, and agriculture. “By strengthening local content digital transformation, Nigeria can harness the power of technology to create jobs, improve services, and drive inclusive growth”.
Convener of GTA Conference, and President, Ascend Studios Foundation Dr. Inya Lawal, explained the collaborative nature of the conference, highlighting its role as a catalyst for driving digital transformation across Africa.
Stressing the need to transform local content into the global digital space through collaborative efforts of the public and private sectors, she emphasised the need for joint efforts to propel the tech industry forward, as a catalyst for initiating crucial conversations and united planning to steer Africa’s tech ecosystem toward sustainable growth.
On her part, Former Commissioner for Education, Lagos, Mrs Folasade Adefisayo presented a paper on “Harnessing Technology to Address the 20 million out of school children in Nigeria”, stated according to UNICEF, Nigeria has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world, with an estimated 20 million children not attending school. This is a major issue that needs to be addressed urgently in order to secure a better future for these children and for the country as a whole.
‘With the increasing availability of the internet and mobile phones in Nigeria, online learning platforms can be used to provide educational content for out-of-school children. These platforms can include interactive lessons, videos, and quizzes that children can access from their mobile phones or computers” she said.
“GTA is that platform where the government and private sectors can collaborate in impactful partnerships to foster tech ecosystem. We need to find alliances that work for us”, she added.
It’s an initiative of the Future Map Foundation and executed by Ascend Studios Foundation in Partnership with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the United States Consulate, among others.
Over 10, 000 participants and delegates from across Nigeria, Africa, Europe, and North America attended the conference.
The GTA 2024 Conference was a vibrant convergence of Africa’s brightest minds and key stakeholders in tech, facilitated by partners such as the Future Map Foundation, NITDA, the U.S. Consulate General Lagos, Ascend Studios Foundation, and Venture Garden Group. The event underscored Africa’s digital economy’s immense potential and the collective commitment to its growth and development.
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