NITDA, AEA to Establish Abuja ICT Hub

In an effort to improve the technological advancement of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, the National InformationTechnology Development Agency (NITDA) and Abuja Enterprise Agency (AEA) are planning to establish Information Technology Hub in the Capital Territory.

This decision was agreed upon when Mallam Arabi Tukur, executive chairman of Abuja Enterprise Agency, paid a courtesy visit to NITDA headquarter.

The said hub which would be a replica of the IT hub in Lagos when completed would serve as the northern zone hub for IT and innovation hub.

Tukur, while appreciating the efforts NITDA has put in place in transforming Lagos to smart city, he said such stride could also be replicated in Abuja, adding that, " it is high time the Agency and NITDA come together to consider the establishment of the hub."

‎He said there are available facilities in FCT that could be leverage upon to provide the hub for IT innovation adding that his Agency could availed the parties the office complex that could be used for the take off of the hub.

While enumerating some of the achievement Abuja Enterprise Agency, the Chairman, reiterated the need for collaboration with Agency like NITDA to give it impetus to achieve more and add credibility to its programmes.

He said the Agency has trained Nigerians on Business Proposal Development Plan and organized a completion among youth in the area of ICT, Agriculture and fashion. He added that they intend cash in on the Central Bank of Nigeria N250billion Small and Medium enterprise loan to assist some of the training.

In his response, Mr. Peter Jack, director general of NITDA, said the agency would partner with the AEA to explore some of the opportunities it presented.

While acknowledging the investment of ICT in entrepreneurship, the DG said the relationship between NITDA and AEA has been nurtured over time and it high time it became beneficial to the country at large.

He assured the Agency of NITDA’s contribution to some of its programme like capacity building development and Abuja business plan competition.