‘Innovation Hubs Will Drive Technology Devt’

Emma Okonji

The need for state governments and the private sector to build and equip technology hubs has been described as a great initiative that will boost technology development across various states of the federation.

Director General, Delta State Innovation Hub (DS-IHUB), Chris Uwaje, who made the remark, while presenting a paper on DS-IHUB recently, said a well-equipped innovation hub would among others things, enhance the building of high-technology innovation capacities; encourage disruptive technology processes; retool the workforce and develop a creative capacity of new-thinkers and skillful doers. He said it would also empower leadership with critical knowledge for impactful governance; providing go-to-business innovation mentoring to support start-ups and entrepreneurial aspiration in the commercialisation of new ideas and products, while creating standards to improve confidence and trust in stakeholders, and ensure effectiveness and job security.

According to Uwaje, many of the new business opportunities for Nigerian firms would depend on their capacity to develop innovative IT-based solutions, products and services which respond to the expanding role of Science and Technology across the economic development ecosystem and sustainable society, hence the need for several innovation hubs in the country.

“In both government and the business world, the organisations, which benefit most from the transformative role of information technology (IT), are those that treat IT as a key strategic resource for achieving organisational goals rather than as a purely technical input, Uwaje said.

Speaking about the DS-Innovation Hub, Uwaje said: “The DS-Innovation Hub is the ultimate experience and world class destination for new knowledge-centered innovation and adventure in creativity. It is desirous to be positioned and acclaimed as a professionally designed architecture and technology focused platform. The hub is a Private-Public Partnership (PPP) platform for the promotion of technology innovation.”

“The Hub is accredited through peer review, as the first knowledge-Innovation and Science and Technology Park in the South-south of Nigeria, and aims to positively disrupt the existing status quo. It is located in Asaba, the capital city of Delta State. This innovation hub is classified as the metropolis of smarter ideas, creativity and a distinct catalyst for new thinking, values, renewable entrepreneurial leadership and constructive governance,” Uwaje said.
Explaining why the DS-IHUB was established, Uwaje said the vision is to make DS Innovation Hub a smarter platform, international

destination and national centre of ICT innovation and knowledge creation, with a mission to strategically harness all knowledge attributes, potentials and ICT processes in and beyond the Delta State region as the core accelerator for leadership, public policy, inclusive governance, state security, entrepreneurship, youth and women empowerment, creativity, innovation and wealth creation.

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