Silicon Valley veteran and co-founder of Apple Computers, Steve Wozniak, has charged Nigerian youths to develop a mentality of building new things as a way of innovating and accelerating the country’s technological growth.
Wozniak gave the advice while speaking at the 2014 edition of the annual leadership seminar organized by Nigeria’s leading Technology Company, MTN.
Wozniak addressed a select and diverse group of chief executive officers and enterprising young people drawn from both the public and private sectors in Lagos and Port Harcourt.
“Companies tend to want to hire people who already have a lot of experience on the exact products they are working on. But I say it is much better to find very smart people that are able to look at a new thing they have never worked with before and write the book themselves rather than reading the book on how it is done,” said Wozniak, who has been credited with revolutionizing the personal computing space.
Wozniak, described as one of “Silicon Valley’s most creative engineers,” advised the government to find the formulae to getting rid of poverty and engender equality for the citizenry whilst getting rid of corruption.
He also added that, for the nation to replicate the American Silicon Valley experience, there was need to have strong, tactical universities which had to be well funded and research driven.
On the future of technology he said: “Get into technology, the devices of the day, be a part of the future. Don’t hold back and say, ‘I’m just going to live life the old way because it worked in the past’. You’ve got to be a part of the future, if you are going to change it and affect other people’s lives positively.”
Speaking on the choice of Steve Wozniak, Mr. Larry Annetts, chief marketing officer, MTN Nigeria, said this was informed by the need to tap into his global insights and counsel in the areas of innovation and creativity. “Steve is the first ever technology inventor and innovator to take a place on the leadership podium,” said Annetts: adding, “Nigeria is a country bustling with raw talent, talent which needs to be systematically harnessed in order to unleash true economic value and we have no doubts that his visit would help propel our youth into action”.
Wozniak’s pedigree as an inventor has been recognized by the technology industry.
In 1985, he was awarded the National Medal of Technology by the United States President – the highest honour that the US bestows on the country’s leading innovators.
And in 2000, he was inducted into the Inventors Hall of Fame and awarded the Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment for “single handedly designing the first personal computer and directing his lifelong passion for mathematics and electronics toward lighting the fires of excitement for education in students and their teachers.”
He has received many honorary degrees from different leading universities across the world.
Under the MTN Leadership Forum, the company has previously sponsored seminars which featured globally renowned personalities such as Les Brown, Chris Gardner, David Plouffe, Farrah Gray and most recently, Dr. Ram Charan in a bid to inspire Nigerians and help build local capacity for economic growth and development.