Six geo-political zones to get AI, blockchain, other research centres

National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has announced plans for the establishment of research centres for emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT) and blockchain, among others across the six geo-political zones of the country.

The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Abdullai, disclosed this, yesterday, at the ongoing IoT West Africa Conference in Lagos. Abdullai, who keynoted the four-day conference, said this was in line with one of the focus areas of the agency in building a robust technology research ecosystem.

Represented by the Director of Corporate Planning and Strategy, Aristole Onumo, the DG added that the research focus areas for NITDA include IoT, blockchain, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), additive manufacturing, AI and robotics.

“We are establishing a special-purpose vehicle that is going to look into these key areas and establish research centres across the six geo-political zones of Nigeria that will target these six key areas of emerging technologies,” he stated.

As part of its developmental roles and to fund research in those emerging technology areas, the DG said NITDA would also support Nigerian startups developing products on emerging technologies.

On other initiatives of the agency, the DG said it is also playing a key role in talent building by supporting the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme of the Federal Government.

According to him, the goal is to ensure that by 2027, three million Nigerians will have been technically trained and empowered. While noting that some trainees may leave the country, he said this would contribute to Nigeria’s talent exports and boost the country’s foreign exchange through increased remittances.

The Managing Director of Vertex Next, organisers of the conference, Shitij Taneja, said Nigeria was chosen to host the event because of its pedigree as ‘Africa’s next Silicon Valley’.

According to him, Nigeria’s vast youth population and the vibrant start-up ecosystem make it a powerhouse for technology development in Africa.