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| Isa Ali Pantami |
By Danjuma Attah, Gombe
Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Isa Ali Pantami, has described the Start-Up Clinic of the ICT Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme as one that is aimed at pushing Nigeria from an ICT consumer to ICT producer.
Pantami stated this in Gombe over the weekend at the beginning of the programme for the North-East sub-region of the country where he re-iterated that, “The wisdom behind the programme is to build ICT eco-system to ensure that Nigeria is not ICT consumer but ICT producer.”
According to him, as long as Nigeria continues to rely on oil and gas as its main source of revenue without diversifying its economy, it will definitely have a dark future ahead of it.
He said, “Many nations have discovered ICT as an alternative for oil and gas. Even here in Nigeria, ICT is the second to oil and gas where it pushed our GDP to around 10.26 per cent, second to gas”.
Speaking to journalist on how the agency aims to achieve this for the country, Ali Pantami said, “This programme we call Start-Up Friday, we also have Start-Up Clinic and is a training ground and competition where we visit each and every zone of the country to identify young talented Nigerians that have the potentials of making the country proud of their ideas”.
All states and local governments within the zone are always encouraged to participate in the programme while the agency also contact universities and all higher institutions of learning to get those that are willing to participate to come to the event and showcase their ITC talents.
He said, “We select them through competition, we train and mentor them at the end of the event and see how we can keep in touch with them. We also take them to international events where their ideas are presented.”
This is the third event after the first was conducted in Kaduna for the North-West and Lagos for the South-West. Many people have benefited from the programme in North East through scholarship of MSC, PHD and through internship programme.
Pantami said, “Three months ago over 250 people benefited in North East alone and in this competition 12 people have participated”.
Gombe State governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, who was represented at the occasion by the Head of Civil Service of the state, Alhaji Adamu Abubakar, appreciated NITDA for their commitment in creating jobs for the teaming youths of the country.
He described information and communication technology as a tool towards achieving and ensuring sustainable growth and recovery of the nation’s economy promising that the state government will continue to support the programme for the benefit of the State.
Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Isa Ali Pantami, has described the Start-Up Clinic of the ICT Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme as one that is aimed at pushing Nigeria from an ICT consumer to ICT producer.
Pantami stated this in Gombe over the weekend at the beginning of the programme for the North-East sub-region of the country where he re-iterated that, “The wisdom behind the programme is to build ICT eco-system to ensure that Nigeria is not ICT consumer but ICT producer.”
According to him, as long as Nigeria continues to rely on oil and gas as its main source of revenue without diversifying its economy, it will definitely have a dark future ahead of it.
He said, “Many nations have discovered ICT as an alternative for oil and gas. Even here in Nigeria, ICT is the second to oil and gas where it pushed our GDP to around 10.26 per cent, second to gas”.
Speaking to journalist on how the agency aims to achieve this for the country, Ali Pantami said, “This programme we call Start-Up Friday, we also have Start-Up Clinic and is a training ground and competition where we visit each and every zone of the country to identify young talented Nigerians that have the potentials of making the country proud of their ideas”.
All states and local governments within the zone are always encouraged to participate in the programme while the agency also contact universities and all higher institutions of learning to get those that are willing to participate to come to the event and showcase their ITC talents.
He said, “We select them through competition, we train and mentor them at the end of the event and see how we can keep in touch with them. We also take them to international events where their ideas are presented.”
This is the third event after the first was conducted in Kaduna for the North-West and Lagos for the South-West. Many people have benefited from the programme in North East through scholarship of MSC, PHD and through internship programme.
Pantami said, “Three months ago over 250 people benefited in North East alone and in this competition 12 people have participated”.
Gombe State governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo, who was represented at the occasion by the Head of Civil Service of the state, Alhaji Adamu Abubakar, appreciated NITDA for their commitment in creating jobs for the teaming youths of the country.
He described information and communication technology as a tool towards achieving and ensuring sustainable growth and recovery of the nation’s economy promising that the state government will continue to support the programme for the benefit of the State.
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