The Federal Government has presented N10 million to five startups who emerged winners at the creativity and innovation challenge organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Presenting the cheques of N2 million each to the winners at an event to mark the World Creativity and Innovation Day organised by NITDA in Abuja, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, said the winners, who emerged the best five out of over 800 contestants, would also be presented a commendation letter from the federal government signed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
Pantami further said the winners would also be part of NITDA’s innovations and entrepreneurship scheme, adding government would continue to monitor their progress even as he urged them to be steadfast and consistent in challenging themselves by making their innovation their own ideas.
“It is indeed really encouraging that in Nigeria our future in digital creativity and innovation is very bright. There is no doubt about this, if you look at the ideas that are coming up from the discussion; our young innovators that pitch today, the quality of the presentation before originality of the presentation and many more. It is indeed very clear that our future in digital innovation is very bright,” he added.
In his remarks, the director-general of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi, emphasized the role of innovations in the growth and development of a nation’s economy, saying market-creating innovations have the potential to transform nations and lift them out of poverty.
He added that market-creating innovations pull infrastructure and investments that can transform the economy and create prosperity, saying the agency had identified innovations as a great tool to enhance the implementation of the nation’s national digital economic policy.
“At NITDA, we have identified innovation as a critical tool for implementing National Digital Economic Policy and Strategy. We have taken bold steps to drive our nation’s prosperity by boosting digital innovation and entrepreneurship.
“Some of our key initiatives specifically designed to support the innovation ecosystem are Technology Entrepreneurship and Innovation Support (TIES) Scheme, Bridge Mass Challenge Nigeria and MIT-REAP Abuja. Another laudable project we initiated is the Entrepreneurship Mentoring Initiative (EMI), designed to provide mentorship services to Nigerian innovators and entrepreneurs.
“Our drive towards building a robust framework and infrastructure to bolster technology innovation for all Nigerians has the firm and usual support of the minister of communications and digital economy, Dr Isa Pantami,” he added.
