The Minister for Communication, Mr Adebayo Shittu, says
the Federal Government is determined to support indigenous technology innovations to ensure that they attain global acceptance.
Shittu said this on Tuesday after he visited some Nigerian companies that exhibited their products at the ongoing 2016 Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX 2016) in Dubai.
The minister said that Nigerian exhibitors had impressive products for the world to see.
He said “I am proud of what is happening in Nigeria’s technology sector, especially the kind of products exhibited at GITEX 2016.
“The products are things that can be used either in the East or Western hemisphere.
“I have given a commitment that whatever it is for government to support these companies,
we will support them to competitively be at international level.”
Shittu then urged the exhibitors and other Nigerian technology-based industries to do more so that the sector could be more prominent and be among the nation’s leading revenue generating sectors.
Dr Isa Pantami, the Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), also expressed satisfaction with the Nigerian products displayed at the event.
He said “I am so proud of Nigerian exhibitors; they need limited support to start producing world class software that could be used in any part of the world.
“With more support, I believe their software could be deployed for use in countries like United Kingdom, the U.S. and many more.
“We are here to display, support and exhibit the products; with collaboration from other parts of the world, we can even begin to export them.”
Mr Mohammed Onawo, the Chairman, Committee on Information Communication Technology (ICT), House of Representatives, urged Nigerian innovators to do more in order to become global giants in ICT.
He said “What I have seen at the Nigerian stand at GITEX 2016 is quite impressive.
“But looking at what other nations have done, it is as if we have not started. It is the responsibility of the legislature and the executive to use this avenue to move the nation forward.
“For those of us that have come here, we will go back and feel touched, because we have everything to develop in this sector.”
Onawo said that some nations were already earning huge money from ICT, stressing that it was the path for Nigeria to follow.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that ICT applications and products exhibited by Nigerian companies at the event include e-government, e-payment and Cheque verifying machine.
NAN also reports that the annual exhibition provides the opportunity for start-ups to meet investors, apart from being a platform for technology giants to sell their products to visitors.
A total of 16 Nigerian start-ups, among the 400 competing start-ups are attending the exhibition. (NAN)
Leave a Reply