The Young Innovators of Nigeria (YIN) has urged stakeholders in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector to ensure Information Technology (IT) inclusion to drive the country toward achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The President of YIN, Mr Andrew Abu made the call in Abuja on Wednesday while evaluating the performance of the IT sector in 2018.
Abu said that the set target for the SDGs was 2030 and time was already ticking out.
He added that trends in technology were advancing and the people as well needed to align themselves to the changes.
“In 2019, if the ICT sector will move forward, stakeholders need to ensure IT inclusion in their programmes which would be directed toward achieving the SDGs.
“Our programmes should engage more women and children so that nobody will be left out as technology is advancing,” Abu said.
He said technology skills acquisition should be included in schools’ curriculum to enable students complement their course of study with relevant requirements in the society. Abu also recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved Executive Orders Three and Five which encourages the Ease of Doing Business and boosting local content production, adding that it had been impacting on the ICT sector in 2018.
Abu called on the government to consider and adopt trends in technology, including Artificial Intelligence, Block Chain, and Crypto currency, among others.
He said YIN will continue to engage more ICT start-up entrepreneurs, guiding them on career path as well as scaling up their career, while ensuring consistency in advocating for cheaper internet accessibility for Nigerians. (NAN)
