In pursuit of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, focusing on Accelerating Diversification through Industrialisation and Digitisation, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) teams up with the Entrepreneurship Village (eVillage) to foster technology innovations and inclusivity in Nigeria.
During the visit of the eVillage CEO, Sunil Santanam, and his team to the NITDA headquarters in Abuja, DG NITDA Kashifu Inuwa CCIE shared plans for the partnership.
He remarked, “I see this as a potential technology development zone because when you talk about the technology development zone, it’s not about bringing big hardware or manufacturing equipment and so on, but bringing people together, creating the ecosystem that can ignite and spark conversation about technology on solving real-life problems.”
This collaboration aligns with the “Infrastructure” pillar of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy’s strategic blueprint, aimed at accelerating the nation’s collective prosperity through technical efficiency.
Inuwa expressed excitement about the collaboration, citing its alignment with the Agency’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2024-2027) pillars, focusing on building a robust technology research ecosystem, promoting inclusive access to digital infrastructure and services, and nurturing an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Santanam expressed gratitude for the partnership opportunity, stating, “It is a step forward for Nigeria, a step forward for the youth of Nigeria, a step forward for the entrepreneurs of Nigeria and as far as infrastructure and the facilities that eVillage will be offering, we will be second to none in Africa.”
The proposed technology development zone aims to accelerate transformative change across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. All arrangements between the two organizations will be formalized through a memorandum of understanding.
In her remarks, Joy Francis, the village’s Director of Initiatives and Partnerships, shared insights on the upcoming Global Entrepreneurship Festival scheduled for November. She emphasized its potential to bring the global community together and build a lasting entrepreneurial platform for current and future generations.
