The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mal. Kashifu Inuwa has reiterated that he will continue to give the necessary support to the Lagos tech startup ecosystem in a way that will enable the ecosystem to grow and contribute meaningfully to Nigeria’s economy.
The NITDA DG, who stated this during a dinner meeting with some key stakeholders of Lagos Ecosystem, including representatives from Microsoft, MasterCard, Norebase, among others, noted that this is important in view of the fact that Lagos State has continued to maintain itself as a viable community with the strongest unicorn of innovation in the Nation.
“We want to ensure you of NITDA’s commitment towards giving the Lagos startups ecosystem to boost the sector’s contribution to the economy and strengthen the value chain,” he said.
He noted that strengthening the value chain deliberated on the best way to accelerate growth and support startups in the country, maintaining that maintained would be his return base upon retirement from government service.
“There is a need for collaborations across the board to achieve a faster and more sustainable digital economy. We cannot succeed in isolation; we need each other to succeed. Innovation is not distributed evenly across the world. Innovation and the digital economy are 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 don’t have the requisite skills and talents, then it is no deal”, he explained.
The engagement with the Lagos ecosystem ended with a resolve by all parties to forge ahead against all odds but not just as an ecosystem but as more united and prepared for future tasks.
The meeting was part of NITDA’s stride towards making Nigeria a talent hub for Africa and possibly the digital world, especially as there are several reports indicating a global talent shortage.