The Nigerian government has unveiled plans to establish research centres dedicated to artificial intelligence (AI), the Internet of Things (IoT), and blockchain technology technologies.
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA)’s Director-General, Kashifu Inuwa, represented by NITDA’s Director of Corporate Planning and Strategy, Aristotle Onumo, announced this initiative during the IoT West Africa Conference in Lagos.
The proposed research centres will also focus on critical areas such as uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), additive manufacturing, and robotics.
According to Inuwa, these plans showcase the unwavering commitment of the Nigerian government to nurturing a thriving technology research ecosystem.
He emphasized the creation of a special-purpose vehicle that will oversee the establishment of these centres across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, strategically targeting the aforementioned emerging technologies.
Beyond research funding, NITDA aims to support Nigerian startups in developing innovative products that utilize these emerging technologies. To facilitate this, the agency plans to create innovation sandboxes, providing startups with the resources to develop use cases, establish businesses, and bring their products to market.
“We want to encourage development and also have innovation sandboxes where we can support and encourage those who have ideas to come up with use cases and through that, we can help them to stand, help them to create businesses, and also take them to market,”
Onumo reportedly stated in his speech.
Shitij Taneja, the Managing Director of Vertex Next and organizer of the IoT West Africa conference, also highlighted Nigeria’s potential as “Africa’s next Silicon Valley.” He pointed to the country’s vibrant startup ecosystem and large youth population as key factors. The conference, held alongside Africa Data Center and Cloud Expo Africa, aims to attract investors interested in supporting Nigerian startups focused on emerging technologies, underscoring the potential of these startups to shape the future of Nigeria’s tech landscape.
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