The Minister of Communication, Adebayo Shittu, has lauded the Nigerian information technology, IT, market, saying that the sector is increasingly becoming the mainstay of Nigerian economy capable of doing better than crude oil.
The minister, who stated this when the Technology Market team paid him a courtesy visit at his office in Abuja, added that ICT would further boost the country’s ecosystem.
Mr Shittu expresses his happiness on how young Nigerians have found something to do with their time by leveraging on the ICT to better their lives.
According to him, such initiative is the first of its kind.
He, therefore, reiterated his commitment to giving young minds a platform for development in the country, especially through ICT.
“Nigeria harnesses lots of opportunities and it is only appropriate that ICT becomes a mainstay of the country’s economy.
“This kind of initiative goes a long way in ensuring we have a better society in the Information Communication Technology industry.
“My tenure believes that Technology and Information Technology is a mainstay of Nigerian economy. I believe that ICT can give us better than what crude oil is giving,” he stressed.
Earlier in his remarks, the Creative Director of the Nigerian Technology Market, Olanrewaju Oyedeji, commended the policy direction of the communication ministry under Mr Shittu.
“The communication ministry under you, made it possible for us to pull off this project,” Mr Olanrewaju noted.
Speaking on the focus of the Nigerian technology market, Mr Olanrewaju emphasized that the need to spread knowledge though modern technology informed the need to have the project in place.
“We have the first ever free E-institute for Technology and Information Technology Courses in Nigeria. We have the first-ever portal for Job Bank.
“We also have the first E-market for Technology and Information Gadgets which we believe remains essential for us as a country,” he added.
DAILY NIGERIAN reports that Technology Market is an online platform that exposes Nigerians to social and digital media markets and influencers.
Those in attendance during the visit include a Former British Broadcasting Corporation Reporter, the Executive Director of youth platform in Nigeria (Youths Digest), Gidado Yushau Shuaib, the organizer of Chief Executive Officers Awards in Nigeria, Alli-Bob Cinwon and Barrister Nelson Nnamdi.
Others are the Executive Director of Centre for Hunger and Poverty Alleviation and Research, Alabidun Abdulrahman, Daily Nigerian’s Senior Correspondent, Rayyan Alhassan and a team of the Nigerian Technology Market.
Also, the team presented a letter of Grand Patron-ship to the minister who promised to serve and support the Initiative.
According to the team, an inauguration ceremony for the project had been fixed for the first Saturday of May.
