from EMEKA OKONKWO in Abuja, Nigeria
Nigeria Bureau
ABUJA, (CAJ News) – NIGERIA and Japan have committed to expanding a partnership aimed at developing the startups ecosystem in the West African country.
This commitment follows the President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), Akihiko Tanaka, paying a visit to the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR) in the capital, Abuja.
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), received the official.
Abdullahi said the purpose of the high-level visit is to further cement the solid collaboration between NITDA and JICA.
“It focuses on fostering innovation and knowledge sharing in driving the Nigeria startup ecosystem in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration’s priority area of accelerating diversification through industrialisation, digitisation, creative arts, manufacturing and innovation,” Abdullahi said.
Tanaka commended NITDA’s initiatives of training youth, providing them with digital and emerging technologies skills to innovate.
He hailed the agency’s commitment to building the capacity of young Nigerians and equipping them with the requisite tools.
NITDA is tasked with implementing the Nigerian information technology policy and coordinating general IT development in the West African nation.
JICA is a Japanese governmental agency chartered with assisting economic and social growth in developing countries and promoting international cooperation.
– CAJ News