By Josephine Miller
An Artificial Intelligence (AI) System Builder and Automation Specialist, Ms Mary Mmoh, says Nigeria needs stronger government investment in technology education.
Mmoh said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja reflecting on Nigeria’s journey in the technology sub-sector 66 years after independence.
She said one of the most significant areas of progress in Nigeria’s technology journey was the deliberate effort to build digital skills and expand access to information and community technology.
She cited the Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) initiative as an example, saying thousands of Nigerians had gained access to training in software development and artificial intelligence.
She further said the programme also covered data science, cybersecurity and cloud computing, describing it as a step in the right direction.
“I benefited from some of these government-supported initiatives when I accessed courses on Coursera through a subsidised programme.
“I have seen first-hand how access to digital learning can change what people are able to do.
“These initiatives show that when government invests in people, real change is possible,” she said.
She also acknowledged the role of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in driving digital literacy and technology adoption across Nigeria.
Mmoh said Nigeria has made progress in building products and companies that could compete globally.
She pointed to Nigerian-founded companies such as Flutterwave, Paystack and Calendly as examples of that global reach.
She said, however, that many of those companies had been forced to expand outside Nigeria to access the infrastructure and capital required to scale.
“If we can create those same conditions within Nigeria we would see many more tech companies grow to global scale from here.
“Nigeria has shown it can put Africa on the map through music and sports. Technology is the next frontier.
“The talent is here. What we need now is the environment to match it,” she said.
She said the country’s innovation landscape had improved because of individuals and private organisations training people to become technology producers.
However, she said, stronger government support was still needed to move the ecosystem further.
Mmoh said she had observed young Nigerians with limited resources building miniature generators, cars and aircraft from discarded materials.
She described it as clear evidence of untapped potential that the country was yet to fully harness.
“It makes me wonder what these young people could achieve with the right education, mentorship and resources,” she said.
She said the biggest gap, beyond infrastructure, remained technology education from an early age.
“If Nigeria invests in tech skills early and creates pathways to commercialise ideas, we would see far more of what Nigerians can produce.
“We must move beyond training people to creating systems that allow those skills to become businesses and jobs,” she said.
Mmoh said Nigeria had the talent and population to become a global technology leader.
She said the country only needed to make technology and education much stronger national priorities.
“We have put Africa on the map through music, fashion and sports. Technology should be the next area where we build that global presence,” she said.(NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Uche Anunne
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