Communication Minister seeks Digital Innovation and Creativity To End Unemployment

The Nigerian Government says the best way to end unemployment and unemployability is to create digital entrepreneurs who will be employers and wealth creators.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami stated this in Abuja at the World Creativity and Innovation organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, with the theme: “Creativity and Innovation: Powering Collaboration for a Sustainable Digital Economy”

On the importance of creativity and innovations, Pantami said, “Today in the world, skills are more important than paper qualifications that are empty. Higher institutions in some developed countries and even the developing countries; priority and preference is no more given to your class of degree but on the innovative ideas that you will be able to graduate with.”

According to the Minister, “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. And that is the best way of managing the challenges of unemployment particularly in Nigeria where we have the challenges of unemployment and unemployability” the Minister stressed.

Pantami revealed that President Muhammudu led administration has discovered that innovation and entrepreneurship are the two prerequisites in developing an indigenous digital economy. According to him “No country can develop its digital economy without priotising digital innovation“.

National digital economy policy

The Director General NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa noted that in order for the Agency to help the Nigerian government achieve its national digital economy policy, it has put in place necessary initiatives and framework towards its actualisation.

“We came up with two major initiatives: The Bridgesmart challenge and Ihash challenge. The Bridgesmart challenge is to develop a framework for innovation challenge in our country. We normally use the frame work to challenge to our innovative youths to solve a problem in Nigeria. We are targeting; Security, Agric, Health, Education, and FinTech.

He said most of the startup are here to showcase what they have done in collaboration with the agency to solve problems in the economy.

“We have many of them here showcasing what they have done in collaboration with the centre. This is in line with the national policy and strategy for a digital Nigeria, that will help Nigeria create and capture value from innovation”.

According to Inuwa “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” he emphasised.

Earlier, the Coordinator of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics, NCAIR, Yau Garba, in his remarks highlighted the headway the Ministry and NITDA are making in transforming Nigeria digitally.

Prize winners

Meanwhile at the end of the World Creativity and Innovation event, winners emerged.

The first prize winner, founder of GreenAI, Mr Bryon Neji, an agriculture tech firm said he is delighted at the Innovation Pitch Competition.

He stated that the first prize award of N2,000,000 will hugely boost his business.

Other winners, FUELINTELLISENSE got N1,500,000, Bridging Space(N1,000,000), Fascinate technologies(N500,000) and XCMED(N500,000) respectively.

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 highlight the importance of creativity and innovation for utmost efficiency with respect to advancing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.

Emmanuel Ukoh