The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Kashifu Abdullahi, has charged young Nigerian ICT innovators to learn global technology ideas and domesticate the same in the country.
Mr Abdullahi made the charge while making remarks during the opening ceremony of the Nigerian Pavilion at the ongoing 39th Gulf Information Technology Exhibition, GITEX, in Dubai – United Arab Emirates.
According to him, coming to GITEX is an eye-opener for Nigerian Information Technology start-ups.
He said: “The idea behind coming to GITEX is to give us an opportunity to learn what other countries are doing in the ICT sector and try to domesticate these innovations in our country.
“Therefore, as far as ICT is concerned, we need to think globally and act locally. The journey, so far, has started yielding results.
“It is no longer news that from last year, the ICT sector has taken over oil and gas in terms of contribution to our GDP.
“So, our participation in this kind of forum can do more in terms of moving our country forward to the next level,” Mr Abdullahi stressed.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that Nigeria’s delegation at the GITEX was led by the Minister of Communications, Dr. Isa Ali-Pantami, alongside chief executives of the agencies under his ministry.
Over 145 countries of the world are attending the global exhibition with a view to sharing trends in technology and look into the future of the ICT industry.
The NITDA’s D-G would also be co-hosting the GITEX Africa Investment Forum, AIF, on October 9, where the continent’s inspiring growth curves and challenges would be discussed.
