The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has promised to provide small businesses (start-ups) in Lagos with the operational support as part of its efforts to grow the nation’s economy.
The agency’s Director, Public Affairs, Hajia Hadizar Uma, in a statement quoted the Director-General, Mr Kashifu Inuwa, as making the promise at a meeting with stakeholders, including representatives of global firms such as Microsoft, MasterCard and Norebase, held in Lagos.
Inuwa hinged the planned support for the startups on the fact that Lagos State had maintain itself as a viable location with the strongest unicorn of innovation in the nation, adding that the meeting is one of the ways to engender trust between the government and the ecosystem.
The Director General explained: “We cannot succeed in isolation; we need each other to succeed. Innovation is not distributed evenly across the world. Innovation and digital economy is about humans.
“A company is as good as its next product and its products are as good as the person or people who make them. This underscores the relevance of talents. If you do not have the requisite skills and talents, then it is no deal”, Inuwa added.
While sharing his thoughts on different issues bordering on investments, partnerships, commercialisation of innovations, enabling policies and acquisition of relevant skills through trainings, the technology expert pointed out that the ICT sector was dynamic and broad enough to accommodate productive initiatives by all.
Inuwa said that in order to tap from the sector’s enormous opportunities “we must disrupt the way we do things and bring to bear professionalism and innovations that will solve indigenous problems and have global impact.”
He promised the participants at the workshop, which organized as part of NITDA’s stride towards making Nigeria a talent hub for Africa and possibly the digital world, that the agency would address most of the issues deliberated upon during the meeting.
The industry expert also spoke on the recently passed Start-Up Bill, saying that most of the concerns raised would soon be addressed when enacted into law.
