• Thursday, March 28, 2024
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Techplus repositions to deepen Nigeria’s digital ecosystem

digital ecosystem

Popular technology conference and exhibition, Techplus is switching up its annual activities and programs to focus more on creating an inclusive pedestal that will help build a stronger digital economy in Nigeria and foster development through technology.

Eniola Edun, general manager, Techplus, who spoke to journalists at a pre-event breakfast meeting that brought together technology experts, government executives and business leaders in Lagos at the weekend, said that the organization has decided to take an assessment of their position in the ecosystem and re-invent themselves to further deepen the county’s digital ecosystem.

“We started a journey early this year that is evolving our organization into a platform for tech inclusion, positioning, connecting and enabling innovators in the ecosystem for social change” Edun said.

“We believe we can function as a voice that can project commendable social innovators so that they can attract quality partners and assistance that can get them to the next level. We have been leveraging on the goodwill that was built by the brand in the last four years and this journey has led us into discovering a lot of talents outside the concentrated areas of Lagos and Abuja that we will gladly share at this meeting,” he said.

One of the newly discovered talents, allowed to showcase his invention at the Techplus event is Ahmad Moddibo of the North-East Humanitarian Innovation Hub (NEHIH) where the players are making a difference and finding home-grown tech solutions to humanitarian challenges in the North-East.

Moddibo presented a documentary on how he and his team used 3D printing machines and 3D Labs installed by the North-East Humanitarian Hub, to create prosthetic limbs for many disadvantaged persons who have lost their legs in Nigeria’s war-torn North-East region.

Also speaking, Silas Adekunle, a young Nigerian engineer, inventor and technology entrepreneur known for creating the world’s first intelligent gaming robot, said there are huge benefits in AI and robotics, and advised strongly on the need for all stakeholders to contribute to the growth of this aspect of learning to avoid Nigeria lagging in this area.

“There is need to create an educational scheme that will expose young Nigerians to this relatively new field in the country so that we can have a generation of Nigerians that will be inspired to grow their skills in this very strategic area,” he said.

Hakeem Popoola Fahm, Lagos State Commissioner for Science and Technology, commented on the presentations and other plans highlighted by Techplus.

He said that state programs like the establishment of the e-Learning Centre designed to improve the quality of  digital education in our institutions, the establishment of Ikeja Digital Village, The Lagos Smart City project as well as the Code Lagos  initiative that is aimed at training 1 million coding experts in Lagos  will all find a platform like Techplus very relevant in the effort of the state to build a world-class digital economy.

“This event is an eye-opener for everyone, it shows what our youths can do with technology and when you look at Tech plus they are doing a great service, not only for their business but for the nation. They have shown how technology is being applied to solve a host of issues,” Fahm said.