Collaboration, key to growth of digital economy

The Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency, Kashifu Abdullahi, has described partnership with an organisation such as the Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA) as imperative to the growth of the information technology economy.

He said it would aid President Muhammadu Buhari’s resolve to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years.

Mr Abdullahi expressed this view on Monday while playing host to the Management of AEA at the NITDA headquarters in Abuja.

The NITDA Director-General noted that the support AEA is giving to over 100,000 entrepreneurs in providing finances, workplace and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) support will help in driving the vision of the government.

“Partnering with an organisation like yours will help in creating job opportunities for Nigerians that will aid economic growth and development of the country”
He stated further that capacity building is one of the key pillars of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and NITDA, stressing that it is necessary to build capacity of Nigerians in order to prepare them to participate in the digital economy.

“Our doors are always open for collaborations that will move the country forward. The AEA management and staff are free to come to the Agency’s IT Lab (Hub) and use the facilities for researches and contents development.

“The Agency is building ICT Innovation Hubs where ideas and innovations are to be nurtured with the objective of bringing out solutions that will impact on the economy and also create either direct or indirect jobs.”

Earlier in his remarks, the AEA Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Arabi Tukur, solicited for collaboration with NITDA in revamping the AEA’s ICT Hub with networking and computing devices for it to operate fully in IT value chain, create jobs and meet demand for IT goods and services in Federal Capital Territory.

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Other areas of collaborations identified by Mr Tukur include upgrading of the One-Stop-Shop to accommodate virtual interface, capacity building on ICT for staff and clients of the Agency, support for trainees of the creative industry with start-up kits and inclusion of AEA in the NITDA Digital Economy intervention and also to include the AEA in the membership of Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Programme (REAP) being promote by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, (MIT.)

Mr Tukur said the agency has been supporting thousands of entrepreneurs with access to finances and working space, market linkage, mentorship, capacity building, continuous excellent support services covering Entrepreneurship and ICT training, Business Advisory, policy advocacy, microcredit and business expansion support and Information Technology support adding that the agency is confident that the support will greatly assist in achieving the deliverables of the MIT- REAP which will promote the Agency’s goal for facilitating business growth and eradicating poverty in Nigeria.

While commending DG of NITDA for gracing the closing ceremony of AEA skill acquisition training on photography and cinematography, Mr Tukur noted that the participation of NITDA boss provided insight into opportunities that abound in ICT sector. The MD of AEA also presented an Award of Appreciation to DG of NITDA for his contribution in harnessing the growth and development of IT in Niger.