Bello Matawalle, governor of Zamfara State, has said that championing digital innovation will give young undergraduates the space they need to succeed.
The Governor who spoke through Muhammad Yahaya Tambura, his senior special assistant on ICT at the 2021 Innovationbed Africa Campus Tech-Talent Workshops, emphasized pressing need to provide teeming youths with a platform to reskill and learn new skills to remain relevant in the present economic dispensation.
Governor Matawalle and Muhammad Yahaya Tambura, his senior special assistant on ICT
He said that ‘digital Zamfara’ is fully geared towards new knowledge and technology offers in three key ways: promoting economic growth, creating jobs and finding solutions to major challenges like banditry, cyber-crimes and general insecurity.
Matawalle said: “…modern economy is all about creativity, ambition, smart use of new technology and the power of online and social media. It’s also about having an international outlook.
“Every story, every product, idea and application is unique. But together today we underline how essential it is that we create space for innovation at every level and in Zamfara, undergraduates in particular.
“We all understand why this is so important. Although the economy is recovering from Covid-19 pandemic, unemployment is still high; alarmingly high, especially among young people. Reason enough to seek out new prospects for growth and development. And it’s great to see that the spending programmes are far more focused on that goal than in the past. Hence, Programos Foundation organized this meeting to harness the latent talents of undergraduates in commemoration of the 10 years anniversary of the leader. This is indeed a sagacious decision.
“But that is not enough. The world is changing. We are at crossroads; this may pose a bigger challenge to us. Because while we have a strong force of youth, we are a little too conservative when it comes to entrepreneurship and personal risk.
“Today’s economy demands dynamic growth. We can’t allow our economic place in the global village to become a neighbourhood of grand but crumbling mansions, without funds for maintenance and new developments.
Matawalle said that under Digital Zamfara agenda the State is working towards boisterous economy driven by digital innovation.
“Real innovation; we need to give young undergraduates the space they need to succeed. Or a helping hand, if they need one. We have to create a climate for innovation that encourages innovation especially in the ICT sector. One that helps them get the best out of themselves.
“That is why this conference is so important. That is why the ‘Innovation Bed’ is such an exciting prospect. Because a ‘digital Zamfara’ that is fully geared to new knowledge and technology offers enormous potential in three key ways: promoting economic growth, creating jobs and finding solutions to major challenges like banditry, cyber-crimes and general insecurity.
“First, we should concentrate on areas where we already excel. We call these our ‘top sectors’. So we should make a conscious choice to promote excellence in fields like water, agri-food and life sciences. These are the areas where we want to compete globally. In fact, we want to be the world number one”.
He however said that it is not the government alone that decides the innovation agenda.
“We work with relevant companies and the research community. That’s why we need our intellectual undergraduates here. So the government’s main role is not as a grant office, but as a network partner and enabling force hence the creation of Zamfara Investment Company by His Excellency and DIPP”.
Earlier, Emmanuel Amos, the founder/President, InnovationBed Africa said that the workshop was part Innovationbed Smart Cities & Connected Communities youth tech-talent development programme (#SVC4Nigeria).
Emmanuel Amos
“Innovationbed #SVC4Nigeria is a UN ICT4SIDS partnership #8005 to help governments that exhibit both political will and great care for local tech knowledge in manners that drive connectivity and core infrastructure in under-served and un-served communities as social amenities that promise an eNablement for high-impact social innovation production among youths and decent quality of life to citizens”, he explained.
Amos who doubles as the Chief Software Architect, Programos Software Group added that Programos Foundation is partnering States to build this human capital pipeline of creative youths who are up-skilled (irrespective of background professions) to produce ‘Smart’ Solutions that close digital gaps of their state administration and make them become more purposefully connected and competitive communities, through a trusted Mentor-ship Council of the Innovationbed Africa ecosystem.