By Emma Okonji
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) will be co-managing the Africa Investment Forum (AIF) with the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) as part of major conference highlights around the major themes of this year’s Gitex Technology Show scheduled to hold in Dubai 17th October 2016.
The Africa Investment Forum will focus on technology investments and how the continent could leverage on increasing value to GDP of ICT in most developing economies. Speakers across different verticals will be speaking on ICT diffusion across different sectors that include education, cybersecurity, startups, retail, energy, healthcare, and finance.
More than 20 African countries are expected to participate and provide groundwork for driving further investments in the ICT sector of the participating countries.
Announcing the new development, the acting Director-General of NITDA, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, said: “It is with great pleasure, we announce co-managing ‘Africa Investment Forum’ on 17th October 2016 in Dubai, UAE. The Africa Investment Forum will be strategically located in Dubai World Trade Centre during the second day of GITEX Technology Week.”
“The ICT sector is no longer marginal in Nigeria and many African countries. Investment in ICT has in the last decade become profound in both social and economic terms. In the context of the ‘information economy,’ Africa has gained significantly as ICT virtually drives a huge portion of national economies “he said.
According to him, “The Africa Investment Forum will be bringing together major economic and technology influencers from across the continent; business leaders and political decision makers to help put in achievable context, what’s next for the continent in terms of more investments for ICT sector. In Nigeria, this sector is already deemed the most viable non-oil sector and the Nigerian government is further energizing this sector to bring more benefits.”
GITEX Technology Week is the fastest growing Information and Communications Technology (ICT) show in the world this year and the largest, most specialised digital event across Middle East, Africa, and South-East Asia. GITEX Tech Week this year will focus even more attention on entrepreneurship and immersive tech theme of ‘Reimagining Realities’, which will be featuring GITEX Startup programme – the most global startup movement with startups from over 35 countries.
NITDA is facilitating Nigeria’s participation at the GITEX Startup Movement. About 16 startups from the country will join over 400 startups and more than 1,000 entrepreneurs, investors and mentors from the global startup ecosystem.
Touted as the “exclusive set-up that will highlight the most innovative startups around the world and provide them a platform to sell, form partnerships and attract investors, the GITEX Startup Movement will allow participants to pitch for prizes, attend an interactive conference to address challenges faced by entrepreneurs and meet leading industry figures.
