Business
NITDA To Establish ICT Innovation Hub In Zones—DG
The National Information Technology and Development Agency (NITDA), is to establish ‘ICT Innovation Hub’ in each of the six geo-political zones of the country.
The Director-General of the agency, Dr Isa Aliyu Pantami, disclosed this at the inauguration of one of the ‘ICT Innovation Hubs’ in Katsina.
He said establishing the facility was necessary so as to encourage digital innovation as well as to reduce unemployment especially among the youth for the development of the country.
‘’Our role is to ensure Information Technology enables every sector of our economy, creates jobs through ICT innovations, develop techno-entrepreneurship and eventually brings about the kind of digital transformation as in developed nations.
‘’Therefore, we must encourage and empower our talented youths to take advantage of the digital era having lost the opportunity of the industrial age.
‘’Africa, with 15 per cent of the world population, cannot afford to miss the opportunities of the digital age,’’ he said.
He said that ICT Hub would also assist to enhance Small scale and Medium Enterprises which serve as engine of economic growth of the country.
‘’It is these realities that informed our decision to establish ICT Innovation Hub in each of the six geo-political zones of the country as pilot scheme.
‘’It is also a strategic move to support the federal government’s commitments to addressing unemployment by making ICT tools available for the youths to encourage and promote digital innovation and job creation in Nigeria,’’ he said.
He said NITDA established the Innovation Hub in Katsina State to serve the entire North West because of the commitments the state had shown in ICT development and for the fact that Katsina is among the states with high number of productive youths.
Pantami said the centre would serve all tertiary institutions within the zone as well as other sectors of the economy.
He urged all stakeholders to continue to join hands with the agency in its efforts of evolving Africa and Global digital transformation.
In his remarks, Governor Aminu Masari, said that the agency in collaboration with the state government had trained 34 youths on basic certificate in ICT.
Masari, represented by the Secretary to the Secretary to the State Government, Dr Mustapha Inuwa, said that government would continue to partner with similar agencies for technological advancement of the state.
“Payment of tuition fees for undergraduate/postgraduate studies shall be subject to a maximum limit of $25,000.00 per semester,” the Manual states.
The expansion of international card limits also reflects growing confidence among lenders that foreign exchange liquidity has improved enough to support retail dollar transactions.
Speaking recently at the BusinessDay 14th Annual CEO Forum in Lagos, CBN Olayemi Cardoso, governor of the CBN said buying and selling activities now increasingly determine outcomes in the foreign exchange market, unlike in the past when market participants relied heavily on routine Central Bank interventions.
According to Cardoso, Nigeria’s net foreign exchange reserves have risen from just over $3 billion at the start of the reform programme to more than $40 billion, while gross reserves have climbed to about $52 billion, providing stronger confidence for investors and enabling the Central Bank to reserve interventions for periods of market stress rather than day-to-day liquidity management.
The restoration and expansion of international naira card spending limits are increasingly being seen as one of the clearest signs that the benefits of the CBN’s foreign exchange reforms are beginning to reach households, students and businesses making legitimate cross-border payments.
The Secretary-General and Chief Executive Officer, WEC, Dr Angela Wilkinson, disclosed this in a statement, last Thursday.
“Nigeria’s participation comes at a pivotal time as the country seeks to expand energy access, strengthen energy security, accelerate gas development and mobilise the capital required for industrialisation and sustainable economic growth.
“WEC Nigeria will convene leaders from across the energy ecosystem, apply the WEC’s globally recognised Energy Trilemma framework to Nigeria’s unique context, and promote evidence-based dialogue, practical collaboration and informed policymaking.
“It will also ensure that Nigerian and broader African perspectives contribute meaningfully to global energy conversations,” she said.
Wilkinson expressed confidence that Nigeria would play a significant leadership role at the World Energy Congress scheduled for Riyadh in April 2027 and beyond.
The statement also quoted the Chairman of WEC Nigeria, Isa, as describing the country’s participation as an opportunity to deepen national and African leadership within the global energy community through practical solutions tailored to regional development priorities.
He said the platform would promote collaboration across sectors and attract sustainable investments into Nigeria’s energy sector.
The Chief Executive Officer of WEC Nigeria, Wunti, was quoted in the statement as saying that the council would connect leadership, evidence and investment to build a secure, affordable and sustainable energy system.
“This system will be capable of driving economic growth and shared prosperity.”
According to him, the platform will also connect Nigerian institutions and businesses with international knowledge, technology, partnerships and investment opportunities through the World Energy Council’s global network.
Recall that WEC, founded in 1923, is the world’s oldest independent and impartial community of energy leaders and practitioners, advancing informed, collaborative and practical action across the global energy system.