The Federal Government in collaboration with the Japanese government are working on an initiative that will enable Japanese tech companies to assist Nigeria startups, the Japanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Matsunaga Kazuyoshi has said.
He made this announcement in Abuja during the Northeast Startups training program’s inaugural ceremony, which was held to support startups in the north-eastern region.
Nigeria Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) organized the training, with support from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JAICA).
According to Kazuyoshi, the Japanese government will encourage its homegrown ICT startups to collaborate with entrepreneurs and innovators in Nigeria to address socioeconomic problems.
“There are many companies in Japan that have excellent technology and are eager to work with you to solve social problems in the North States and throughout Nigeria. The Government of Japan, like other governments and international organisations, that are providing humanitarian assistance to the northeast through emergency grants and aids. The government of Japan shared the same aspiration at the start of entrepreneurs operating in the Northfield, “he said.
In his introductory remarks, the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Abdullahi, stated that the government will collaborate with all pertinent stakeholders to develop an environment that would encourage the growth of innovations and startups.
Represented by Yakubu Musa, the national coordinator of the Office of the National Digital Information Centre (ONDI), the workshop was designed to support market-driven digital firms and make Nigeria a viable market for the international ICT sector.
According to him, “This we shall do by working with relevant stakeholders to create the enabling environment for the youth, because teaching about 60% of our population to continuously innovate and achieve their dreams of turning their innovative ideas into thriving enterprises.”
