The Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has unveiled its fourth edition of the Emerging Technology Research and Innovation Forum in Adamawa state.
Speaking at the event held at the American University of Nigeria (AUN) in Yola, the Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer NCC, Prof. Umaru Garba Danbatta, said the forum aims at promoting local content with emphasis on Tech ecosystem, identifying unmet needs and to facilitate Public Private Partnership (PPP) with stakeholders and investors.
Tagged “Developing Nigeria’s Tech Eco-System: Imperative for improving local content,” he added that the forum is aimed at advancing the commission’s agenda of promoting ICT innovation, tech entrepreneurship, to facilitate local content development while leveraging on the power of digital technology, thus positioning Nigeria for 21st century digital revolution.
He said that Nigeria is ripe for its own ‘Silicon WaZoBia’, a replica of America’s ‘Silicon Valley,’ renowned as the world’s best known technology hub.
He further explained that Yola was chosen as the first digital hub in the North-East geo-political zone because of its huge deposit of high skilled workforce with creative and social intelligence as well as its potentials.
In his remarks, the governor of Adamawa state, Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Bashir Ahmed, lauded NCC for choosing Yola as a digital hub.
He noted that “technology is a way of life, not only to the present youth but of the future generation” adding that Adamawa state cannot be left behind.
He expressed the state government’s readiness to support digital inclusion and appealed for the completion of the ICT centres at the federal secretariat, located in the state capital.
