NITDA, LEAP Africa To Harness Youths’ Talents For Economic Growth

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has partnered LEAP Africa to harness potentials of young Nigerians in the field of technology and entrepreneurship.

LEAP Africa is a non-profit organisation that focuses on leadership development.

The director general, NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, who disclosed this during a visit by a team from LEAP Africa led by its executive director, Kehinde Ayeni, to the corporate headquarters of the agency, averred that, the partnership will equip youths with the necessary skills to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the tech industry.

Inuwa lamented that the surge of migration of Nigerian youths to other countries which is largely attributed to the quest for a better life is gradually depleting the nation’s talent resources and consequently made it imperative for the federal government to create enabling opportunities through implementation of developmental guidelines, mentorship programmes, establishment of social infrastructures and funding that will enable innovation and entrepreneurship thrive in the country.

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The DG stated that, it is necessary to harness the talents of Nigerian youth and exploit potential for their individual benefits and that of the country, adding that, Nigeria has a global competitive advantage due to its large population of young people.

While stating that technology is the major driver of economy globally with people as its critical component, he opined that, enormous attention should be given to the needs of innovators in order to create a flourishing and innovative ecosystem in the country.

Speaking on possible areas of collaboration with LEAP Africa, the NITDA boss said, the newly enacted Nigeria Startup Act is an instrument both organisations can leverage to unlock and ignite activities in the innovative and entrepreneurship ecosystem.

He said: “the Act has been signed into law, the Council has been inaugurated, we have developed the implementation framework and we need partners to work together to implement it. We believe in collaboration because we cannot succeed in isolation. So, we need to work together as an ecosystem to achieve that.”

Giving further insight into the ingenuity and prospects of the Act, the DG revealed that the implementation committee has been further broken down into sub-committees to identify thematic areas in catalysing the process.

While highlighting Ecosystem Development, Capacity Building, Funding, Tax and Fiscal Incentives as some of the thematic areas identified, he assumed that the federal government is committed to giving infrastructural support to boost the ecosystem, engages in massive programmes to build capacities in soft skills, provides adequate funding into the ecosystem and influences policies that will act as an enabler to the ecosystem.