TECHDIGEST – Nigeria joined the rest of the world this week to mark the United Nations (UN) World Creativity and Innovation Day (WCID) with commemorative activities by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.

While keynoting the WCID activities by the NITDA, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, said paper, degree qualifications are no longer the yardstick for skills or development but innovative ideas.

Education becomes more relevant if it offers critical skills to solve problems, said Pantami warning against over-valuing ‘paper qualifications.’

WCID is dedicated to raise awareness on the role of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development as well as highlight the importance of creativity and innovation for utmost efficiency with respect to advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

“The approach today is that when a student gets admitted into a higher institution he would be directed to come up with his startup within a year, he will be working on this till he graduates with his own company and becomes a potential employer. That is the best way of managing the challenge of unemployment, particularly in Nigeria where we have the challenge of unemployment and un-employability”.

The minister who noted that no country can develop its digital economy without prioritizing digital innovation said, the increased attention turned to the sector by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration is yielding the desired results as innovation and entrepreneurship remain the two prerequisites currently being explored by the country in developing its indigenous digital economy.

Pantami commended the Director General of the NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi and his team as well as the two subsidiaries, including the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) and the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), for helping to advance Nigeria’s agenda for digital innovation and entrepreneurship.

READ ALSO: NITDA’s ONDI Organises Capacity Training Programme For Startups

Describing the theme: “Creativity and Innovation; Powering Collaboration for a Sustainable Digital Economy” as an integral part of more than five out of the seven pillars of the National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy which are directly associated with Creativity and innovation, the Minister urged everyone at the event not to make the commemoration just a one off thing. He encouraged them to identify the challenges Nigerians are being confronted with and collectively or individually proffer solutions that would address the myriads of issues in different sectors of the economy, including health, education, finance, security, agriculture, governance and many more.

“You cannot innovate without creativity and you cannot be creative without critical and analytical thinking. The wisdom behind this celebration is to create awareness where people globally will understand how important it is to be creative and innovative, particularly towards problems solving”.

According to Prof. Pantami, the Buhari administration has done a lot in supporting the Ministry and the sector in general, especially by coming up with several policies; some of which brought about the creation of subsidiaries (NCAIR and ONDI), and the startup bill seeking to address the setbacks being experienced by young Nigerian innovators.

Speaking earlier, the Director General of NITDA, Abdullahi, said the agency keyed into the transformative initiative to make strategic realignments to consolidate the gains and globally position Nigeria as a leading digital innovation and entrepreneurship hub.

While maintaining that the initiative aligns with the national policy and strategy for a Digital Nigeria, the NITDA boss added that this will help Nigeria to create value from innovation.

His words: “We are targeting security, agric, health, education, and fintech. Thankfully, we have many of them here showcasing what they have done in collaboration with the Centre; because innovation is the wealth of the 21st century economy and it’s only through innovation that we can solve problems, create wealth and prosperity for our country. Therefore, NITDA and the Centre are doing what is going to transform Nigeria into a leading digital economy.”

The stressed that NITDA has continuously supported young innovators and startups with not just grants, but also mentorships and promotion of their different innovative solutions at local and international fora, noting that since the NCAIR was inaugurated, it has organized multiple innovation competition, including two major ones; Bridge to Mass and iHatch Challenge.

Also speaking, the National Coordinator, NCAIR, Y’au Garba expressed confidence that the centre will help to foster more indigenous innovations that would solve both local and global problems.

The event also featured a brief tour of exhibitors’ booth by the minister. Five startups winners of the Innovation Pitch Competition were rewarded with cash prizes.

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TECHDIGEST – The Nigerian Startup Bill (NSB), when it becomes a law, would help address more than 90% challenges confronting technology innovators in the country, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has said.

Pantami while speaking this week in Abuja to mark the United Nations (UN) World Creativity and Innovation Day (WCID) with commemorative activities organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), said young innovators should get succor from setbacks they were currently experiencing whether funding, adoption or other such policy support.

READ ALSO: Nigeria Startup Bill Passes Second Reading At Senate

The Nigeria Startup Bill project is a joint initiative by Nigeria’s tech startup ecosystem and the Presidency to harness the potential of our digital economy through co-created regulations. “The Bill will ensure that Nigeria’s laws and regulations are clear, planned and work for the tech ecosystem. This, we believe, will contribute to the creation of an enabling environment for growth, attraction and protection of investment in tech startups.”

According to the promoters of the bill, it will provide for the creation and development of an enabling environment for technology-enabled startups in Nigeria

While touring the young innovators exhibitors’ booth during the WCID ceremony, the minister assured that his ministry was firmly committed to ensuring the startup bill becomes law.

The Nigeria Startup Bill is already at the National Assembly. It is expected to address the twin challenges of low funding and absence of regulatory support. Once it becomes law, there will be a Startup Investment Seed Fund to be managed by the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority. The Startup Investment Seed Fund is designed to provide early-stage finance for startups, as well as support technology laboratories, accelerators, incubators, and hubs.

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TECHDIGEST – The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has extended invitation to the general public to be part of the United Nations’ World Creativity and Innovation Day/Expo 2022.

The United Nations (UN) World Creativity and Innovation Day (WCID) is a day dedicated to raise awareness on the role of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development as well as to also highlight the importance of creativity and innovation for utmost efficiency with respect to advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

READ ALSO: NITDA’s ONDI Organises Capacity Training Programme For Startups

The UN urges its member countries to make cultural and creative industries part of their economic growth strategies. It is for this reason and more that the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has keyed into this transformative initiative, and is making strategic realignments to consolidate the gains and globally position Nigeria as a leading digital innovation and entrepreneurship hub.

It is against this backdrop, and in alignment with the global theme “Collaboration”, that the two NITDA offices NCAIR and ONDI have been given the responsibility of driving the successful execution of the Annual WCID 2022, scheduled to take place on Thursday, April 21, 2022.

In line with the above, NITDA will be hosting the WCID 2022 Celebration that will also feature an Exposition (Expo), according to a statement signed by Mrs. Hadiza Umar, the Head, Corporate Affairs and External Relations, at NITDA.

Activities lined up for the day are;

An innovation challenge and pitch session

Panel discussion on the theme of the day “Creativity and Innovation: Powering Collaboration for a Sustainable Digital Economy’’

Announcement of the innovation competition winners and presentation of Prizes

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By Inyene Ibanga

TECHDIGEST – Creativity and innovation constitute the core of the sustainable technological transformation of any society. These twin elements are major determinants of the prosperity of nations and the well-being of citizens.

Globally, it is acknowledged that creativity and innovation play critical roles in all human activities, whether for work or recreation. Technological innovation is transforming the economies of nations from traditional to digital.

Creativity and innovation have the capacity for problem-solving that impacts diverse sectors of the global economy. Apart from improving our world, they enable the economy to generate income and create new jobs thereby stimulating economic growth.

In recognition of the important change that creativity and innovation can bring to local communities, nations, and people, the United Nations designated 21 April every year as World Creativity and Innovation Day (WCID), which was first commemorated on 21 April 2018.

On this Day, the UN invites member states, regional and international organisations, civil society groups, and individuals to observe the day following national priorities to raise awareness of the importance of creativity and innovation in problem-solving toward the achievement of economic, social, and sustainable development.

READ ALSO: NITDA’s ONDI Organises Capacity Training Programme For Startups

In continuation of Nigeria’s determined transition into a stable digital economy, the federal government through the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and its subsidiaries, is joining the rest of the global community to commemorate the 2022 WCID in line with country’s commitment to key into this transformative initiative.

Through the policy guidance and support of the Minister, Prof. Isa Pantami, NITDA, and its subsidiary organisations, NITDA has continued to deliver an optimum implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) to grow Nigeria’s digital economy.

Accordingly, the Agency has keyed into this transformative initiative by making strategic realignments to consolidate the gains and globally position Nigeria as a leading digital innovation and entrepreneurship hub.

Having identified innovation as a critical tool for implementing the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), NITDA created an office dedicated to promoting Nigerian technology innovations through the creation of Innovation-Driven Enterprises (IDEs), and the protection of such enterprises.

The Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI) is one of the critical Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) created by NITDA to promote, grow and protect the Nigerian technology ecosystem through the proliferation of Innovation-Driven Enterprises (IDEs) to produce more job providers and sustainable prosperity for Nigeria.

It coordinates and supports activities on policy implementation, enforcement, and interventions to ensure the protection of IDEs, and compliances with local content guidelines to enhance their success.

Also, NITDA established the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), as the digital laboratory for advancing creativity, innovation, and skills development to exploit the power of Discovery, Incubation, and Acceleration.

The Centre promotes research and development on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics and Drones, the Internet of Things (IoT), and other emerging technologies, aimed at transforming the Nigerian digital economy.

The global theme for the 2022 UN World Creativity and Innovation Day celebration is “Collaboration”. To highlight the importance of collaboration for growing Nigeria’s economy, NITDA has invited indigenous innovators and key players in the public and private sectors to an event commemorating this year’s World Creativity and Innovation Day.

Startups pitching session with various prizes to be awarded to eventual winners, an Exposition (Expo) for indigenous startups to showcase their innovative solutions, and a fireside chat on Creativity and Innovation: Powering Collaboration for a Sustainable Digital Economy, are among the activities lined up to add color to the day.

Meanwhile, in the face of existing challenges confronting different areas of our lives as individuals and as a nation, creative and innovative technology remain a critical route to solving our pressing economic, political, and socio-cultural problems.

The United Nations World Creativity Day 2022 celebration is a further call for intensification of creative and innovative action on the part of the tech-related related government agencies to cultivate new beneficial partnerships, while also sustaining ongoing engagements for a successful implementation of the digital economy.

To resolve the problems bludgeoning the country, the focused and unrelenting implementation of Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda by NITDA and its subsidiaries for the multiplication of Innovation-Driven Enterprises in all sectors of the economy is imperative.

Inyene Ibanga, writes from Corporate Communications Unit, Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), Wuye District, Abuja

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TECH DIGEST – The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has called on Nigerians to submit entries for a challenge to commemorate the 2021 World Creativity and Innovation Day (WCID).

Mrs Hadiza Umar, NITDA’s Head, Corporate Affairs and External Relations, made the call in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

The United Nations designated April 21 of every year as World Creativity and Innovation Day, to raise awareness on the role of creativity and innovation in all aspects of human development.

Umar noted that the WCID was established by the United Nations to honour creative and innovative activities of people worldwide.

She said that the theme of the 2021 WCID Challenge, “Inspiring Creativity and Innovation in the Nigerian Digital Economy’’, was targeted to harness innovative and impactful solutions for the development of a vibrant digital economy.

“The WCID is a global UN day celebrated to raise awareness around the importance of creativity and innovation in problem-solving with respect to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“The agency is therefore calling on all Nigerians with innovative and impactful working solutions to make entries for the innovation challenge.

“Solutions will be evaluated based on job and wealth creation potential, originality, marketability, scalability and inclusiveness,’’ Umar said.

She said that participants with successful entries would have an opportunity to present their solutions to technology industry stakeholders on the day.

Umar said that interested persons should to submit their entries via http://bit.ly/NITDA21WCID, adding that the portal would be opened from April 12 to April 17.

According to her, entries will be evaluated and assessed by April 19 and successful ones will be required to do a five-minute live pitch on April 21.

She advised interested persons to seek more information from Adaora Uzochukwu on auzochukwu@nitda.gov.ng. (NAN)

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