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| Mrs Omobola Johnson |
Lagos — Globally, Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
has being adopted as a key economic driver and this is why developing
countries are striving hard to tap into abundance of opportunities in
this sector to grow their societies and uplift their peoples' lives.
When the Ministry of Communications Technology was created in
2012, the yearning of the minister, Mrs Omobola Johnson was to see
how ICT can play a major role in raising the bar of the Nigeria
economic status, increase contribution the sector the country's gross
domestic products (GDP), bridging digital divide, using ICT to create
jobs and wealth as well as solving some of the problems facing the
country with technology.
Series of activities and projects were highlighted and embarked by
the ministry at that time to achieve these goals part of which was
the creation of ICT incubation centres in the country where young ICT
entrepreneurs could be raised.
The project title 'Information Technology Developer
Entrepreneurship Accelerator' (iDEA) provides indigenous software
developers in Nigeria opportunity to tap into the multi-million
dollar global applications development market.
In the pilot phase of the project, the federal government plans to
establish four software incubation centres in the country two of
which are set for launch this month.
Under this plan, the target is to ensure that private sector
operators invest their money in IT innovation fund, in order to fund
local software entrepreneurs.
The programme will offer support to promising ICT entrepreneurs
through ICT incubation centres established in a selected number of
cities with the first two located in Cross Rivers and Lagos states
respectively.
Speaking at a media parley in Lagos on the stage of the programme,
the project manager for iDEA, Mrs. Helen Anatogun said the initiative
will accelerate software business in Nigeria with the aim of growing
business and nurture it.
According to her, African country like Kenya has already tapped
into developing IT through in creation of various hubs and Nigeria is
set to also take full advantage of such.
The project which is funded from an IT innovation venture capital
fund had the initial seed capital provided by the federal government
with contributions from private sector to help incubates become
commercially successful.
Daily Trust Nigeria