…As NITDA commissions ICT innovation hub
By Dele Ogbodo
Google, a global software company and 21st Century, a Nigerian Information Technology (IT) firm are concluding arrangement to provide free Wifi access in several public places and markets across different locations in Nigeria, SHARPEDGENEWS Online learnt on Thursday.
Mr. Olaolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity Office of the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, made the disclosure in a statement quoting his boss at the launch of Google station in Lagos.
Osinbajo, in the statement, acknowledged that every step that is taken to democratize technology in the country is a quantum leap in the African development story and a major contribution to global stability and growth, adding that that is why the launch of Google station here is enormously significant.
The VP said: “This partnership is particularly important to us, because we have in the past one year, in our energizing markets project, been providing solar power to markets and economic clusters across the country. We have done extensive work in Ariaria market in Aba, Sabongari in Kano, Gbagi market in Ibadan, Sura here in Lagos, and we are starting out in Iponri, and Balogun markets.
“But the most profound implication is that internet access is becoming available to some of the poorest in society. What access to information, tools of education, business or commerce means is that gaps of inequality and exclusion are bridged. Jobs are created and in many important respects, there is a real chance of better quality of life for large numbers of our people.
“Millions of Nigerians have personal stories of how the Internet has transformed their lives, their hustle, as today’s theme alludes to, in positive ways. And Juliet Ehimuan, Google’s Country Director Nigeria, has showed us, with stories of real people like Adaobi, how Google has featured prominently in many of these stories.”
Osinbajo also added that in 2016, he launched the Google digital skills training programme with the target to train 400,000 Nigerians on basic Digital Skills, working with Google and local Nigerian tech training companies.
According to him, government has since surpassed those numbers and trained over a million Nigerians in basic digital skills in the last 24 months.
“To scale up our support to private sector players in the technology space, I recently inaugurated the Technology and Creative Advisory Group, a subset of our National Industrial Policy and Competitiveness Advisory Council.
“This group brings together, young private sector players in the technology and creative sectors and relevant government agencies, working jointly to formulate policies, programmes and projects for the Technology and Creative sectors of our economy.
“Some private sector members of the Advisory Group and relevant government agencies like NITDA, NEPC and the Bank of Industry, went with me on the trip to Silicon Valley. Also on that trip, I met with the creative sector in Los Angeles and showcased Nigeria’s readiness and preparedness for investment, and the work we are doing with our Ease of Doing Business Secretariat, to provide an enabling environment for business in Nigeria, and which helped Nigeria rise 24 places on the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business Index in 2017.”
Through the GEM Project of the World Bank, government has given out over $2 million to 79 startups across the country. Apart from this, our National Social Investments Programme is working with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to support the private sector to establish technology and innovation centers across the country.
We have established and launched these innovation hub projects across the nation. From the Ventures Platform in Abuja (Ventures Park), to the Marydel Hubs and the Edo State Government’s Edo Innovate project in Benin, Edo State, and the Humanitarian Innovation Center in collaboration with the North