The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has enjoined stakeholders within the technology ecosystem to collaborate with government in creating
By Stellamaris Ashinze
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has enjoined stakeholders within the technology ecosystem to collaborate with government in creating regulations that will advance human and infrastructural development
NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa said on Friday in Lagos that the collaboration with government would also unlock Africa’s great potential.
Making this call at the second edition of the annual Moonshot Tech Conference, Inuwa highlighted the importance of balancing innovation and regulation, noting that innovation involved turning ideas into impactful solutions.
He spoke on “Building Digital Economies for the World: How African Countries are Shaping their Tech Economies to Compete Across the Continent and Globally”.
According to him, while innovation thrives on creativity, regulation must act as a guardrail to ensure stability.
Inuwa’s argument touched on the vital role of collaboration between governments and the private sector to unlock patient local capital in the continent.
“Africa’s greatest asset in the tech ecosystem is its human capital, at NITDA, we develop an intelligent regulatory framework that will help us to understand the terrain before placing regulations.
“A regulation that will make us intelligent, understand what you are trying to build, understand the value you are bringing to the market and dynamic because we need to create that room for people to navigate.
“The World Bank report says by 2030, there would be 85 million talent deficits globally which if left unharnessed that could lead to 8.5 trillion dollars in unrealised annual value,’’ he said.
According to him, in Africa can harness that population and position itself to become the global talent factory to bridge this gap deficit.
Inuwa also said that governments should enlighten people on the potential of the technology ecosystem not just for solving local problems but global challenges.
He said that the Nigeria Startup Act was co-created with the tech ecosystem with a focus to encourage venture capital, registration of innovation hubs and forming a council to promote local capital investments.
While calling for a collective action to strengthen Africa’s digital economy, Inuwa noted “we need to build the digital infrastructure that will allow us to share content within Africa and foster data flow across borders”.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the event was its second edition that bring together Africa’s technology stakeholders and enthusiasts to shape the future of technology in Africa.(NAN)
