STAKEHOLDERS in the telecom industry have called on the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, TECH Research and the ICT Innovation Forum, to replicate the forum in all geopolitical zones. The stakeholders insisted that such forum across the geopolitical zones will help in developing the regions.

They said the forum would create jobs for the teeming youths across the country and the economy at large. Ephraim Nwokonneya, director, research and development of the NCC, said the forum was in line with the Strategic Eight Point Agenda of the commission, particularly to promote lCT Innovation and Investment Opportunities.

He said the tech hubs could be understood as a community, informal or otherwise, that bring together young talents to foster innovation. He said tech hubs were spaces or incubators where people with ideas solve problems through clusters and become part of the economic infrastructure of the society and in turn bring prosperity to the communities.

According to him, Nigeria’s growing economy needs to leverage on entrepreneurs’ innovations that will help create jobs for the teeming youths. He added that “responsive government bodies, therefore, need to encourage tech hubs to utilise their immense economic importance in reducing unemployment and stimulating innovations, leading to digital inclusion, social and economic development.

“This forum, therefore, targets participation by a broad spectrum of stakeholders to foster collaboration and value creation partnership among stakeholders. It is common knowledge that the world’s best known tech hub is the Silicon Valley in the United States of America. The world‘s renowned technology entities such as Apple, Facebook, Netflix, Intel, founded by creative young innovators are located in the Silicon Valley,” he said.

Nwokonneya said NCC identified Lagos State as location with a large cluster of tech hubs. He said some of the hubs recorded milestones and mentored many start-ups to launch and commercial stage.

“This therefore, informed our choice of Lagos State as the preferred location for the maiden edition of the lCT Innovation Forum, meant to attract participating tech hubs in the South West zone. It is our expectation that more start-ups would debut after this forum.”

– June 14, 2019 @ 15:45 GMT |