By Rukayat Moisemhe

Sen. George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, has urged organisations to harness emerging technologies to drive Nigeria’s national aspirations.

He made the call on Monday at the Nigerian Institute of Management Chartered (NIM) annual conference, with the theme ‘Leveraging Emerging Technologies to Drive Innovation, Creativity and Productivity.’

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) monitored the conference online from Lagos.

Represented by Mr Francis Ikyenge, Director at the Office of the Secretary to the Federation, Akume described technology as the foundation of national competitiveness and institutional relevance.

He told organisations that adopting emerging technologies would help transform challenges into opportunities and accelerate sustainable development across various sectors of the economy.

Akume said Nigeria’s youthful population and growing digital economy made the conversation on emerging technologies especially critical for the nation’s future progress.

He noted that Nigeria had a unique opportunity to adopt and adapt technologies to drive productivity in governance, agriculture, industry, education, health and services.

“Innovation and creativity, powered by technology, can unlock efficiency, reduce costs, enhance transparency, and ultimately improve citizens’ quality of life,” Akume stated.

He stressed that President Bola Tinubu’s administration had consistently demonstrated commitment to harnessing emerging technologies as catalysts for transformation, innovation and productivity.

Akume added that by prioritising artificial intelligence, digital finance, renewable energy and youth-focused innovation hubs, President Tinubu was ensuring Nigeria remained aligned with global technological trends.

He commended the NIM for convening the conference, describing it as a platform shaping Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global knowledge economy.

“The Federal Government remains committed to creating an enabling environment for innovation, including investments in digital infrastructure, capacity building, research support and partnerships with the private sector and academia,” he said.

He added that collective efforts were vital to harness emerging technologies in achieving Nigeria’s national aspirations.

NIM President, Commodore Abimbola Ayuba (rtd), said forward-looking nations and organisations must leverage technologies to drive innovation, creativity and productivity.

Ayuba described the annual management conference as the flagship of the institute’s programmes and an important contribution to nation building.

He said the conference’s outcomes would form strategies and recommendations which NIM would present to government and stakeholders to foster a technologically viable nation.

Ayuba also stressed the need for a peaceful environment, saying meaningful development could not thrive in chaos or insecurity.

“The Institute urges all Nigerians to join hands with the present administration to move the country forward,” he said.

He charged professional colleagues to uphold discipline, efficiency, integrity, accountability, equity and transparency in their lives, workplaces and the nation at large.

“It is only when we give our best that we can drive the aggregates of national development,” Ayuba added. (NAN)

Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo

By Rukayat Moisemhe/Funmilola Gboteku

International Finance Corporation (IFC) says Africa possessed demographic competitive advantage for digital economy expansion with Nigeria positioned as the ground zero base for activity.

Dr Dahlia Khalifa, Regional Director, Central Africa and Anglophone West Africa, IFC Nigeria, said this on Wednesday in Lagos at the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) Nigeria 2025 conference.

Khalifa noted that across Africa, the digital economy was expanding at remarkable speed powered by internet adoption, mobile penetration, and a generation of young innovators rewriting its future.

She added that the demographic realities in Africa meant that its total population would grow from 1.5 billion to 2.5 billion over the next 25 years.

She also said that the population increase would bring 600 million youths, possibly entering the job market, charting the future leading to the fastest growth in the world.

“With more than 60 per cent of Africans under the age of 25, and smartphone adoption rising steadily, Africa is home to one of the largest pools of digital natives in the world.

“Over the past decade, Africa’s digital economy has been one of the fastest growing in the world and is quickly becoming a centre of attraction.

“By 2030, it is projected to contribute to about $180 billion to Africa’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” she said.

The IFC regional director further said that in Africa, Artificial Intelligence (AI) was not just about efficiency but about transformation.

According to her, AI holds extraordinary promise that can enable Africa scale traditional barriers to growth, and accelerate progress across sectors such as health, education, agriculture, finance and business.

Khalifa however, warned that unless Africa invested in infrastructure, including energy, broadband, digital connectivity and skills, the benefits of AI could bypass the continent.

She quoted IFC’s recent report titled “Digital Opportunities in African Businesses” that stated that the digital transformation could benefit over 600,000 formal businesses and 40 million micro-enterprises.

This development, she said, would boost productivity, raise wages, and create better quality jobs and livelihoods for all.

“This is why the role of the private sector and public-private dialogue is decisive.

“Infrastructure is the foundation, but entrepreneurship is the engine and to seize this opportunity, we need reliable broadband, robust data centres, modern digital infrastructure, and more energy, particularly clean energy that is sustainable.

“We need investment in skills and training programmes that prepare Africa’s youth for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

“We need partnerships between governments, the private sector, and international institutions to create the right policies, foster trust, and mobilise capital at scale,” she said.

She revealed that the IFC was committed to helping to unlock the future of Africa’s digitalisation.

Khalifa noted that over the last decade, IFC had financed over $6 billion in Africa’s digital infrastructure, from data centres to fibre networks to affordable broadband.

“By harnessing AI and digital technology responsibly and building the right partnerships, Africa can shape a digital economy that is inclusive, innovative, and globally competitive,” she said.

Trixie Lohmirmand, Executive Vice President, Dubai World Trade Center, lauded the zeal and resilience of Lagos startup innovators, saying they thrived in spite of power issues and developing infrastructure.

She described start-ups in the country as the fastest rising, fastest growing emerging stars in the world, beating Mumbai, Sao Paulo, Turkey among other nations.

“Nigeria scales with resilience and there is mega high speed space for technology to thrive in Lagos and Nigeria.

“In Lagos where the unicorns are coming out from, they build new infrastructure and industry all together, nothing ever before and we would not deny Nigeria access to thrive,” she said.

Mrs Olu Olufemi-White, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Alami Capital, also speaking said that great things happened when visionary leaders create space.

She described GITEX as a great space for innovation and ideas and a launchpad for new generation to forge digital frontiers.

She said that Nigeria was embracing the challenge and boldly trying to forge forward adding that the next stage of innovation could built on local demands.

“The future of technology would be shaped by the drive of Nigerian people to solve problem with the support of institutions,” she said. (NAN)

Edited by Deborah Coker

By Vivian Emoni

The Federal Government and stakeholders at both local and international levels have agreed to collaborate effectively to strengthen and promote the livestock sector across the country.

The commitment was made at a Stakeholders’ Engagement Meeting on Wednesday in Abuja, ahead of the upcoming Trade Fair and Exhibition and the Annual Livestock Development Summit.

The meeting was organised by the Abuja Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) in partnership with the Nigerian Association of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Mines and Agriculture (NACCIMA).

Mr Agabaidu Jideani, Director-General of ACCI, said the essence of the meeting was to consolidate partnerships with stakeholders to advance livestock development.

Jideani added that President Bola Tinubu had given assurance that all bottlenecks hindering the agricultural sector’s potential, including livestock production, would be removed.

He said that the collaboration would strengthen and promote the sector, adding that they would help to achieve the mandate and objective of the administration.

According to him, we are committed to ensure that we work with various stakeholders both local and international to ensure that we achieve this goal.

“Our reason for today’s meeting is to discuss how we can promote the sector by gathering the stakeholders, hear from them, exchange our ideas and knowledge and put them into practice

“This effort will support us to move the sector to a greater level. That is our reason for gathering people from different countries,  government bodies and other relevant stakeholders from our country to share our views,” he said.

Jideani also emphasised on the Trade Fair and Exhibition, adding that it was an opportunities where investors from both states and other countries would showcase their talents and products to boost trading.

Amb. Sidi Ladan, Presidential Livestock Reforms Implementation  Committee, said that Tinubu inaugurated the Presidential Committee on Implementation of Livestock Reforms in 2024.

Ladan said that the essence was to address obstacles to agricultural productivity and open up new opportunities which benefit farmers, herders, processors and distributors in the livestock-farming value chain.

He said that the committee was drawn from the public and private sectors, state governors, and all Nigerians, to ensure that the sector was strengthen as well as achieving the sectors” mandate.

Also, Senior Special  Assistant to the President on Livestock Development, Mr Idris Abiola-Ajimobi, said that the collaboration with relevant stakeholders would support in achieving the mandate in the sector.

Abiola-Ajimobi said that the president was committed in ensuring that the sector was reform and improved effectively.

According to him, the president wants to ensure that the sector is strengthen, that is why he decided to inaugurate the committee.

“Livestock farming is a significant part of Nigeria’s agricultural sector and contributes notably to the country’s economy.

“The sector will boost agricultural productivity, enhance export opportunities and stimulate economic growth by fostering a robust value-chain that benefits farmers, processors, herders, distributors and consumers alike,’’ he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN),  reports that the stakeholders at the meeting involved delegates from  Republic of Cuba, Kenya, Republic of Indonesia, Mexico, China, including ABIS Group, among others.

The stakeholders demonstrated interests to work with the government to ensure that the mandates and objectives of the sector were achieve effectively.

The stakeholders also commended the President, ACCI  and others on their efforts to ensure that the sector was strengthened.

On the Abuja Trade Fair and Exhibition which would be coming up on Sept. 25 to Oct 6, 2025, the stakeholders expressed their supports and promised that the event would achieve positive result.(NAN)

Edited by Francis Onyeukwu