The Ondo State government has received a resounding call to equip its citizens with digital skills and provide essential digital infrastructure to foster innovation-driven enterprises within the state.
The plea was made by the director-general of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi during his keynote address titled “Tech-Forward Ondo” at the ‘Develop Ondo 2.1’ virtual summit organised by the state’s Ministry of Regional Integration and Diaspora Relations.
Abdullahi, represented by the acting director, corporate planning and strategy department, Dr. Aristotle Onumo emphasised the critical need for Ondo State to prepare its people for the evolving job landscape in the digital economy. He stressed, “To compete in the digital economy, the state government needs to prioritise education and build the digital skills of its workforce by creating efficient safety nets to support those transactions”.
Acknowledging the state’s abundance of human capital, Abdullahi highlighted that digital transformation can only have a meaningful impact if the citizens are adequately prepared and ready to participate in the global digital economy. He emphasised the importance of adapting to technological changes and urged the state government to continually evolve its processes to leverage new technologies for efficient service delivery.
Abdullahi outlined several strategic recommendations for Ondo State to harness the opportunities presented by digitalisation:
Establish a Technological Hub: Encourage the development of a technological hub, akin to “Yaba” in Akure, to serve as a focal point for tech innovation within the state.
Digital Talent Development: Foster public-private partnerships to create digital talent development programs that can export talent from the state in identified areas.
Adopt National Digital Literacy Framework: Incorporate the National Digital Literacy Framework into the state’s education curriculum to ensure that citizens are digitally literate.
Innovation Challenges: Organise innovation challenges among startups to address local problems and stimulate creativity within the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Engage the Diaspora: Encourage engagement with the diaspora to mentor startups and contribute to the growth of the digital infrastructure within the state.
Abdullahi also encouraged the state to explore collaboration with NITDA to drive digital innovation and entrepreneurship, aiming to increase the number of innovation-driven enterprises and contribute to the national pool of talented innovators. He stated, “Ondo State provides a friendly base for nurturing these talented innovators whose ingenuity can be exported to impact the global digital economy and create wealth and job opportunities within the domestic economy”.
The director-general applauded the state and the organisers of the summit for their initiative, describing the event as a “momentous occasion to deliberate on ways to harness the abundant opportunities that digitisation and technological innovation offer”. This call to action emphasises the vital role of digital inclusion and innovation in propelling Ondo State into a dynamic and competitive position within the evolving digital landscape.
