Lagos Commissioner Urges Youths To Embrace Digital Solutions

The Honourable Commissioner for Commerce, Industry and Cooperatives, Mrs. (Dr.) Lola Akande, has urged youths in the State to embrace digital solutions as a means of ensuring productive engagement.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that Akande stated this at the Lagos State Ehingbeti Preparatory Tech Hub Activation Forum with the theme: “Facilitating Commercial Growth and Financial Inclusion with Tech”, held recently at the Workstation, Ibiyinka Olorunbe Close, Victoria Island, Lagos.

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Speaking at the event, which had in attendance tech enthusiasts, startups, team leaders and other interested individuals, the Commissioner said the forum was designed to develop the tech space and make it innovative enough to create jobs that will keep Nigerian youths in the country and discourage them from leaving in search of greener pastures.

Her words: “It is no longer news that jobs are beginning to take new forms, especially in the wake of modernisation. You will agree with me that jobs are beginning to incorporate digital solutions and, as such, employers are also seeking employees who are capable of utilising and maximising this form of solutions”.

Akande, represented by a Deputy Director in the Ministry, Dayo Shobayo, disclosed that the State Government, in collaboration with Facebook and Google, has embarked on the construction of the biggest technology cluster in West Africa, known as Knowledge, Innovation, Technology and Entrepreneurship (KITE).

The project, according to her, is designed as a free zone that would allow the growth of funding and financing for innovative ideas generated by the technology industry and fintech space entrepreneurs for the economic development of the State.

“As you are aware, the State Government has created an e-commerce platform to enhance online trading and capacity building for the MSMEs, exposing them to various market opportunities and financial linkages, through Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF). This is helping to create access to finance via online networking and providing necessary advice on business enabling policies of various government agencies, while encouraging them to embrace innovative opportunities in businesses”, she stated.

The Commissioner stressed that the impact of technology cannot be overemphasised because it is an ecosystem that is changing the industry’s prosperity, growth, longevity and innovation.

“The development of technology is not peculiar to San Francisco, London or New York City. Many cities and countries in the world, including Lagos-Nigeria, are making provisions for technology infrastructure and expanding the technology space to accommodate more startups”, she said.

Akande acknowledged the exceptional willpower of the organiser, Techuncode, a leading technology provider, participants at the event as well as various stakeholders, in the advancement of the technology innovation hub.

She charged stakeholders in the tech industry to remain committed to strengthening the industry to enable Nigeria, as a nation, meet global competitive standards, especially now that the country has signed the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AFCFTA) to enjoy the benefits of the agreement with great preparation to penetrate the expanded markets.

Noting that the hub activation would enhance the inclusion of tech communities in vital discussions and decision-making processes, Akande stated that the initiative would also shape the future economic landscape of Lagos State.

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The discussions at the forum aimed to reach a resolution that will be proposed during the Ehingbeti Summit, as a means of bringing about the advancement of tech in the mega-city of Lagos.

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