from Benjamin Babine, Abuja
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has sponsored five Nigerian startups to participate at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2021 in the United States.
While featuring live on Business – a Deutsche Welle’s TV Programme, the Director General of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, disclosed this and stressed that Nigeria will exhibit some of its outstanding innovative startups to the world.
This will be the first time Nigerian Startups will be exhibiting at CES and will showcase to the world what Nigeria has achieved in the technology sector and also have the opportunity to woo potential investors and attract Foreign Direct Investments.
The technology event which provides ground for breakthrough technologies and global innovators, usually holds annually every January in Las Vegas, Nevada, however, due to the COVID19 pandemic, the 2021 edition of the CES is holding virtually starting from 11th – 14 January.
The DG said: “Everything has a beginning, and this is the first time Nigeria is showcasing its talents at the CES, though it is not the first the country sponsored startups that featured in technology event and displayed their innovations and groundbreaking initiatives.
“We have taken our startups to different fora around the globe, we have taken them to Silicon Valley Roadshow, we have been participating at Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) and our Startups have been doing fantastically during competition at different IT events,” he said.
Abdullahi added that with current condition of COVID19 pandemic that is accelerating digitisation, Nigeria sees it as an opportunity to expose its Startups to the world so that they can start thinking global.
Speaking on the CES happening virtual, Abdullahi opined that with the current trends accelerating Fourth Industrial Revolution, having virtual event is not a hindrance, according to him, it is an opportunity to look at what are the silver lines and how people can benefit from it.
“Virtual events have eased so many activities, you can conveniently and easily join a programme wherever you are in the world. It cuts travelling cost and other things,” he added.
Abdullahi further stated that Nigeria is looking at one of its flagship programmes to make it a hybrid that will give people who are connecting remotely a chance to have a look-and-field of in-person.
He therefore call for the organisers of CES to expand the programme and give room for more participants from different parts of the world.
The sponsored startups are Vinsighte, VNTS, Traceroot, LexChain, and Powerstove.