The Technology Innovation and Entrepreneurship Support Scheme (TIES) is being launched by Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to provide opportunity and build capacity of Hub Managers and Technology startups to ensure massive creation of entrepreneurs and jobs within the ecosystem.
In keeping with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, this moves the nation closer to being a knowledge-based and IT-driven economy (NDEPS).
During a webinar session with stakeholders and TIES Scheme participants, NITDA Director-General Kashifu Inuwa revealed this.
Inuwa stated that the concept was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic to help business partners in the sector who had already set up IT hubs to upskill their hubs and support their operations.
Because of the epidemic, he claimed, many economies are currently battling to survive, which makes it clear that adopting the new normal—encouraging the development of innovative technologies to improve the economy—is the way to go.
The program will serve as a platform to invest in creative people who can create jobs for themselves and others, the NITDA CEO claims. This will allow partners to bring their ideas to life as products and services.
“NITDA, as a Federal Government Agency, was established to, among other things, develop and regulate Information Technology (IT) in Nigeria,” he claimed. “NITDA is assiduously working to develop the innovation process through the creation of enabling platforms and opportunities propelling creative ideas from inception to actualization, resulting into impact in the society.”
He stated that “new solutions are needed to handle the problems in the country, which NITDA is helping by building the channel that would give a balance between the innovators and the markets,” while stressing that the majority of young, brilliant people with ideas lack mentorship.
He added that NITDA is working to meet the target of achieving 95% digital literacy by 2030, which is feasible if the Agency and its partners collaborate. This goal would help to speed the country’s progress toward prosperity.
Getting people to comprehend and use technology and digital services, as well as developing the capacity to establish digital services locally, are two viewpoints that might be used to attain the aim, according to him.
“There is a goal to train 1 million developers in the next 18 months, and we will be looking forward to getting better ideas from you on how to deliver this initiative,” he continued. “As a government organization, we believe the only way to achieve success is to work together and establish stronger partnerships between ourselves.
