The Federal Government has said plans are underway to establish emerging technology centres across the country.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, stated this in his keynote address as the special guest of honour at the Digital Africa Annual Conference which started today (June 22).
Pantami who addressed the conference virtually stated that this year’s theme – ‘Building a new Africa with AI and blockchain’ could not have come at a better time considering the efforts of the government to boost emerging technologies in the country.
“The seventh pillar of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) focuses exclusively on developing emerging technologies among the populace. One of the ways of achieving this has been through the establishment of the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) and two virtual institutions currently building capacities in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Blockchain technology, Internet of Things (IoT), Cloud Computing, Robotics and various other related fields,” he said.
He disclosed that the development of a national policy on emerging technologies, as part of NDEPS, which would further support the establishment of emerging technology centres in Nigeria was underway.
A statement by his spokesperson, Mrs. Uwa Suleiman, said Pantami, who commended the chairman of Digital Africa, Dr. Evans Woherem for his consistency, commitment and support for a Digital Nigeria also noted that emerging technologies have the potential for world domination, adding Nigeria aimed to take advantage of its vast potential to become a leading nation in Africa.
