Nigeria is to create an Innovation and Technology Advisory Council to harness and support the creativity and innovative ingenuity of young Nigerians and drive the growth of the sector in the country, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, said.
Osinbajo, said a similar council has already been created for the industry.
He said: “Already, we have an Industrial and Competitiveness Council. But what we want to look at is doing one for technology and one for innovation as well so that we bring in some of the key players and thinkers around technology, working with the government and working with government officials to develop policy and to develop all of the various ways by which we can help them to what they are doing better.”
Professor Osinbajo noted that so much innovation was going on in Nigeria and that there were many creative young Nigerians and innovators changing the way of doing things.
“I have seen for myself the sheer creativity and completely blown with what I see here and other places,” he said, pointing out that “practically every type of enterprise has been affected by technology and innovation.”
The Vice President, who chairs the Economic Management Team of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration and the National Economic Council, NEC, said government recognizes that technology is imperative to commerce and trade in contemporary society and has collaborated with a number of hubs to create a seamless environment for them to thrive.
He listed the hubs that government was working with to include the Civic Hub in Abuja; the North East Hub, which focuses on the use of technology and innovation to tackle the humanitarian challenges in North East Nigeria; and the Climate Change Hub, in collaboration with the Lagos Business School.
He added that government planned to collaborate with the Co-Creation Hub, one of the hubs he visited on Tuesday.