The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is on the verge of signing a partnership deal with the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA) that will be promoting Start-ups in Nigeria and ultimately, create more jobs and wealth.
The partnership formed part of a discussion when the Director-General of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa accompanied by his management team paid a courtesy visit to the NSIA management recently.
Available information indicates that the two Federal agencies discussed areas of collaboration that will culminate in the provision of digital infrastructure to boost the digital economy policy of the Federal Government.
According to the NITDA Boss, Information and Communications Technology has already taken over the world’s economies; hence there is a need for massive investment that will bring IT infrastructural development to the country.
“There is a need to stimulate the IT industry through content localization, rather than importation from other countries, especially that the large population of Nigeria consists of young and brilliant innovators. We need to invest in our tech startups, particularly in the areas of investment on local content development,” he said.
He highlighted the COVID-19 Innovation Challenge and National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA) as some of the ways NITDA has invested in startups in the country.
Meanwhile, the Managing Director of NSIA, Mr. Uche Orji, has assured that the two agencies will henceforth work together towards developing economic activities in the country, especially now that ICT is contributing huge figures to Nigeria’s Growth Domestic Product (GDP).
“Our mission is to play a leading role in driving sustained economic development for the benefit of all Nigerians. We want to create economic stability in the country and IT is a great way to achieve that,” he said.