By Michael Peter, The Sight News
Abuja: Nigerian Industrialists have been charged to invest in young ICT savvy Nigerians for the development of their innovative ideas.
The Minister of Communications, Dr. Adebayo Shittu gave the charge when the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) Committee on Specialized Exhibition led by its Chairman, Engr. Leye Kupoloye on the forthcoming ICT Expo in Lagos, paid him a visit in Abuja.
The Minister maintained, that supporting the youths that possess innovative ideas on ICT, will ultimately lead to the growth and development of the country.
Shittu said, “We should not only expect investment from foreigners, rather, our local industrialists and entrepreneurs should also be ready to invest in the youths that have innovative ideas to develop. Enough of being on the sideline in the area of innovation, research and development. That is the message I want you to take to your members”.
According to him, “Private sector have a lot of money wasting away in the banks and to bring them out and take business risks is what our people would not do. This is one area I believed we have to do a rethink”.
A statement by the Ministry’s Deputy Director of Press, Henshaw Ogubike, quoted the Minister as pointing out that young Nigerians sponsored by the government through National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to overseas Expos have proved their mettle in ICT innovations and they need to be supported by local industrialists.
Shittu advised LCCI to have syndicated group that would be committed to discovering new talent. He noted that it is very important to have a unit to discover new talent and mentor them to grow.
The Minister assured LCCI of the Ministry’s participation and support for the ICT Expo in Lagos and urged members of the chamber to key into the ICT park initiative of the Ministry, adding that his Ministry was willing to partner any good initiatives that would deepen ICT penetration in the country.
Earlier, the Chairman, Specialized Exhibition Committee of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Engr. Leye Kupoloye, said that they were in the Ministry to seek for the participation and support of the Ministry in the forthcoming ICT Expo in Lagos.
He said Ministry of Communications has been doing a good job and urged the Minister to continue, adding that ICT is a creator of happiness to people and a lot of inflow of money going into the sector where knowledge and technology meet to create wealth.
