NCC Promotes Indigenous Content development through ICT Innovations.

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Professor Umar Danbatta says the annual ICT Innovation Exhibition and competition would promote Indigenous Content development, Its adoption and funding in Nigeria.
Speaking at a 3-day annual ICT Innovation Exhibition and competition in Lagos with the theme ‘Promoting Sustainable Digital Service Development in Nigeria”” organized by the NCC, Professor Danbatta noted that this year’s edition would also Promote digital skills innovation in Nigeria.

Professor Danbatta who was represented by the Head Research and Development in NCC Mr Kelechi Nwankwo said that through the competition ICT innovations will be promoted and improve the country’s ability to compete in the global economy, increase investment in youth and promotion of Tech Hubs and Startups for new business break throughs.
The EVC said it would also enhance digital economy, in line with the Commission’s Strategic Vision Implementation Plan SVIP (2021-2025).
He added that it would foster business innovation and entrepreneurship; encourage increased investment and indigenous innovative services; stimulating the commercialization of indigenous innovative Solutions and responding to national challenges, using ICT.

He said that the Commission has successfully mainstreamed ICTs to revolutionize the innovation ecosystem in Nigeria through its innovation focused and friendly policies and programmes.
In a remark the Executive Commissioner, Technical Services, NCC, Mr Ubale Maska said that in today’s Digital economy ICT industry stands at the center of the activities underpinning the digital economy, serving as enablers of efficiency and productivity to other vertical industries while standing as a reliable yardstick of economies’ performance.
According to him, developing home-grown innovative products and services in ICT would provide abundant benefits for sustainable development of the sector with huge multiplier effect on job and wealth creation across industries.
He said that there would be improvement of balance of trade, stimulation of investment opportunities and increased domestic revenue.

Mr Maska highlighting on the proposal said that 44 valid proposals were received from 42 contestants each with unique digital product/ service for meeting industry and societal needs.
He however, said that at the end of the two stage assessments by the Judges, the top three Startups that emerge winners would be rewarded with cash prizes ranging from N2.5m, for the overall winner, N1.5M for the first runner-up and N1.0M for the second runner-up respectively.
For Professor Olalekan Busra, Professor of Entrepreneurship and E-Business, Federal University of Technology, Minna in his presentation titled ‘National Strategy For Promotion of Indigenous Content in Telecoms Sector said that there was need for technology transfer and technology confidence
Professor Busra said as the country was benefiting foreigners technology they should be able to benefit from Nigeriia as well which he tagged “Technology confidence. ‘
Twenty Startups were shortlisted for the exhibition of which 10 would move to the next stage after the participants make their presentation.