Jack, NITDA DG @DemoAfrica2015 Lauds Techpreneurs

Peter Jack, director-general, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) said that Agency is delighted by the resilience of African technology entrepreneurs (techpreneurs) to support the cause to have Africa generated solutions.

Jack made the remark at this year’s DEMO Africa, saying, “our pride is particularly in the large numbers of entrepreneurs that continue to support the cause to have Africa generated solutions.

The NITDA chief also urged DEMO Africa on value creation as 30 startups were given opportunity to launch their businesses in front of an audience of investors.

Nigeria and Kenya are best represented with eight startups each. South Africa has three representatives, while Ghana, Egypt, Cameroon and Zimbabwe each have two. Uganda, Tanzania and Ivory Coast are represented by one startup each.

There was a record number of applications for this year’s event, which is sponsored by Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) Legatum Centre for Development and Entrepreneurship and Microsoft.

Jack congratulated the startups and welcomed them to Nigeria for the event.

“We are excited at the opportunities that technology has presented to our African youths in creating jobs and wealth. This is a great moment in the history of Africa, steadily rising to establish its digital footprint in the world,” he said.

On his part, Harry hare, executive director, Demo Africa, said that since the journey started in 2012, the event has witnessed significant strides in the quality of technology startups emerging across the Continent.

Hare said that a growing number of startup founders are building world-class products, introducing important innovations, and tapping new market opportunities.

Aside from the startup launches, there are plenty more happening at DEMO Africa. There were investor summit, while a number of top industry players, including Africa’s richest man Aliko Dangote, Jorn Lyseggen, founder of Ghana’s Meltwater Entrepreneurial School of Technology (MEST), Tomi Davies, president of the African Business Angels Network (ABAN), and iROKO TV chief executive officer (CEO) Jason Njoku, led the discussions.

(L-r): Ayotunde Coker, managing director, Rack Centre Ltd; Sunday Folayan, president, Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA); Pius Okigbo (jr.), president, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON); Peter Jack, DG of NITDA and Prof Sola Adewumi, president, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), at DEMO Africa 2015.