NITDA restates commitment to creating enabling environment for IT entrepreneurship, innovation, others | Daily Nigerian

The National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, has reiterated its resolve in create an enabling environment for the development, sustenance of technology innovation and entrepreneurship in the Information Technology ecosystem.

The Director-General of NITDA, Kashif Abdullahi, said this on Monday in Abuja at the prize giving and closing of Aiivon Innovation Hub’s Tech Coding Camp for kids in collaboration with the agency.

News Agency of Nigeria reports that the coding camp was facilitated by the Office for ICT Innovation and Entrepreneurship, OIIE, a subsidiary of NITDA.

OIIE was established to foster the growth of technology start-ups and create an enabling environment for the ecosystem to thrive.

The coding camp was aimed at encouraging young minds from ages nine to 16 towards adopting career path in ICT.

Mr Abdullahi said: “At NITDA, we are pursuing initiatives and policies that will drive the growth of the Nigerian digital economy and ensure we are not only technology consumers but technology producers.

“NITDA partnered with Aiivon Hub on this project because we identify the importance of building skills and giving the right guidance to young children.

“I encourage you children to pursue your academics and start thinking of business opportunities in this vast sector as the Federal Government is poised to transit quickly to a knowledge-based economy as obtained in other countries.

“NITDA will continue to lead the effort in creating an enabling environment for technology innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

“Let me therefore, encourage you to take on this opportunity as a step to prepare for the future of work and global economic growth.”

The director-general further said that children were already creating innovations that are solving real life problems all over the world.

He, however, expressed hope that the two weeks skill acquisition programme had elicited the interest that would equip them with foundation in ideation, design thinking, critical analysis, innovation and entrepreneurship skills.

He advised the children to leverage on the many free learning platforms such as Coursera, edX, Udemy, Codecademy to further improve their technology innovation and entrepreneurship skills.

Mr Abdullahi also invited other public institutions to key into the many NITDA initiatives for the country to achieve a common goal of building a knowledge-based economy.

The programme started on Aug. 19 while 34 children participated in the coding camp.