NITDA, Nigerian Delegation, Start-Ups Get Deals, Praises as GITEX 2022 Ends

NITDA, Nigerian Delegation, Start-Ups Get Deals, Praises as GITEX 2022 Ends

TECHDIGEST – The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), together with other government agencies under the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, and Nigerian start-ups that participated in this year’s edition of the ‘Gulf Information Technology Exhibition’ (GITEX 2022), are counting their successes in the global tech exhibition.

They spoke about their outstanding individual performances at a ceremony to end Nigeria’s participation in the event, which ran from October 10 to 14, at the Dubai World Trade Centre, in United Arab Emirates, UAE.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General of NITDA, noted that GITEX 2022 has so far been the best for agencies supervised by the Communications and Digital Economy Ministry.

At the GITEX event, he said NITDA and other Nigerian agencies in attendance, shared valuable experience and transferred requisite ICT knowledge among other world tech agencies, and governments.

“Most of our start-ups got lucrative investment deals, and partnerships. A Nigerian tech start-up, ShapShap won the award for ‘Mobility and Smart Cities Innovator’ in the final of the Supernova Challenge Pitch Competition.

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“Another Nigerian start-up, FLOEWS, emerged second in another category. These are no mean feats by any standard,” he said.

While maintaining that Nigeria is above other African countries, in terms of digital eco-system transformation, Kashifu Inuwa, however said that Nigeria has the potential to become a global power in ICT development, in no distant time.

His words: “What is needed is an enabling environment, which the government is doing through the formulation of viable policies and programmes for young Nigerian tech innovators and start-ups”.

On his part, the Director General of Galaxy Backbone Nigeria, Professor Muhammad Bello Abubakar Bello, said Nigeria’s performance has continuously improved with each edition of GITEX.

According to him, Nigeria’s digital economy sector has truly come of age, with the amazing inventions its start-ups and government agencies, showcased at GITEX.

“So far, GITEX2022 has been a great event. And one person who made this year’s edition a remarkable success is Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy,” he said.

Prof. Bello Abubakar, disclosed that their agency was able to establish new partnerships with international ICT firms, while also strengthening their existing bilateral relationships with others.

The Director General of the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, Engr. Aliyu Abubakar Abdulaziz, said their agency saw many world-class tech inventions, and also showcased their own spectacular ICT innovations too, at the GITEX event.

“Many people were mesmerized by how we have digitalized the process of the National Identity Number, NIN, registration in Nigeria. In fact, the organizers of this GITEX are proud of what Nigeria showcased in their global exhibition,” he said.

Khalil Halilu, who is the young Chief Executive Officer, CEO, of ShapShap, the Nigerian start-up which won the award for ‘Mobility and Smart Cities Innovator’ in the final of the Supernova Challenge Pitch Competition, also spoke to PRNigeria.

Appreciating the support of Prof. Pantami, who attended the award ceremony where he was honoured, Bello, emphasized the need for government and the private sector to support other innovative Nigerian start-ups, whose activities are boosting the country’s ICT sector.

Chairman of the Governing Board of the Nigerian Postal Service, NIPOST, Hajiya Maimuna Yahaya, congratulated Nigeria’s entire delegation to GITEX2022.

She said: “There is no denying that an ICT revolution is taking place in Nigeria. The appointment of Prof Ali Isa Pantami as the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy and the coming of Mallam Kashifu Inuwa as NITDA’s Director General are game changers.

“All the CEOs of NCC, Galaxy Backbone, NIMC among others have done a lot in promoting the growth of indigenous ICT technology, through supporting Nigerian start-ups. On the other hand, we at NIPOST too, by participating in this year’s GITEX, have gained insight on the development of new technologies for enhancing its servicing”.

PRNigeria reports that GITEX which stands for “Gulf Information Technology Exhibition”) is the annual enterprise technology and global digital transformation event taking place in Dubai, United Arab Emirates at Dubai World Trade Centre. The event underpins the rapid technology-driven transformations, investments and projects shaping the economies of the Middle East, Africa and Asia.