On Monday 14, during the 44th edition of GITEX Dubai, a global technology showcase, three representatives from Baltimore USA, India, and Nigeria participated in a panel discussion. They were invited to explain, in 60 seconds, why innovators should consider expanding into their respective countries.
Kashifu Abdullahi, the director general of Nigerias National Information Technology Development Agency NITDA and the only African speaker on the panel pitched three things a predictable regulatory environment and access to human capital.
We have identified our strength and it is human capital and not the resources beneath our feet, he said to a room of founders and operators from all over the world, inviting foreign businesses to consider setting shop in Nigeria.
Abdullahi said with this realization, the government is training the population with in-demand tech skills to diversify the economy. The countrys goal is to become the destination for high-quality skills by 2030 when it is predicted there will be an 8.5 trillion talent shortage.
NITDA, under Abdullahis leadership for over a decade, has intensified efforts to increase digital literacy to 90 by 2030. It does this through its training initiatives such as the National Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics NCAIR , which promotes research and skill acquisition in artificial intelligence.
