Professor Umar Danbatta, executive vice chairman and chief executive officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); Yves Nicolet, Consul General Switzerland in Lagos, Nigeria; Davis Cook, CEO, Research Institute for Innovation and Sustainability (RIIS), South Africa, are part of the high-powered delegations headlining this year’s Nigeria Innovation Summit (www.innovationsummit.ng).
Others include Dr Daniel Folukoya, CEO & Founder of OneDokita Healthcare Limited, Dr Tunde Adekola, Senior Education Specialist at World Bank and Prof Charles Uwadia, Head of Computer Sciences Department, University of Lagos.
Nigeria Innovation Summit, a leading annual event in Nigeria that focuses on the need for the country, businesses, organisations, entrepreneurs to become more innovative and apply innovation to drive economic growth and sustainable development will hold on November 3-4, 2016 at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos on the theme: ‘Innovation: A-key Driver of Economic Growth and Sustainable Development’.
This summit which is proudly sponsored and supported by Nigeria Communications Commission, OneDokita Healthcare Limited and Society for Family Health is geared towards helping Nigeria embrace innovation like never before through the use of Emerging Technologies and Trends, Research, Development, Entrepreneurship and Investments as key drivers of an innovation ecosystem. It is a platform that creates awareness on the need for Open Innovation in Nigeria.
It challenges Nigeria to leverage Innovation and become competitive and join other countries that are using innovation to drive their economies.
The summit, through the Nigeria Innovation Awards promotes leading innovations from Nigeria and recognizes innovators who are pacesetters.
Other speakers expected at the Summit, according to Mr. Kenneth Omeruo, Founder/CEO, Emerging Media, include, Prof Wellington Oyibo, Director Innovation and Research Centre, University of Lagos; Lexi Novitske, Principal Investment Officer Singularity Investments; Dr. Victor Odumuyiwa, Lecturer in Computer Science at the University of Lagos; Dr Oyedokun Oyewole, President / Chairman Governing Council, Institute of Information Management (IIM) – Africa; Dr. Mohammed Ndaliman Abubakar, Researcher, Entrepreneur and Lecturer at The Federal Polytechnic, Bida, Niger State;
Also, Dr. Bongo Adi, Senior Lecturer, Lagos Business School; Hemant Nitturkar; Project Coordinator, CGIAR Research Program on Roots, Tubers and Bananas (RTB) at IITA, Ibadan, Nigeria; Dr. Bayero Agabi, President Transatlantic Media Company, publishers/producers of AIT Infotech Network and host of others are expected at the event.
Speaking on the motivation for the Summit, Omeruo said that it was regrettable the inability of Government at different levels to really embrace and leverage ICTs despite Nigeria’s present economic situation.
On the way forward, he said “For ways to overcome the impending unemployment and economic recession engulfing the country, there is urgent need to explore non-oil sectors towards achieving sustainable development in Nigeria. Therefore, Technology innovation, Research and Entrepreneurship are key elements we need to embrace and time is really running out!
“These are some of the reasons we are putting our passion and investment working on a pan-Nigerian Innovation Summit. We are partnering with the world’s leading innovation providers from academia, government and industry to connect Nigerian businesses and Innovators to global innovation ecosystems; no doubt, this will help Nigeria embrace innovation and move in the direction of digital transformation through the use of Emerging Technologies and Trends, Research, Development, Commercialization, Entrepreneurship and Investments as the key drivers of an innovation ecosystem and sustainable development. There is no better time to promote innovation in Nigeria than now.
“Unfortunately, in the latest Global Innovation Index which ranks the innovation performance of 128 countries and economies around the world, based on 82 indicators, Nigeria appeared on that index as a country far away from innovation because Nigeria does not invest in Innovation”.
Omeruo said that innovation for any country or people does not come by mere wishing it, rather driven by huge investments in research and development, promoting greater entrepreneurship spirit. These are the bedrocks on which prosperous economies are built.
This year’s Summit will focus on issues related to Telecommunication and mobile innovations; Health innovations; Research and innovation in higher education; Agric innovation and startup/entrepreneurship innovation.
A group of University of Lagos (UNILAG) Engineering students who designed a zero emission car, which they named DOVE P1, will showcase their innovation at the Summit which will also be attended by several -government agencies and representatives, international organizations, investors, business leaders, top companies, organisations and Industries, CEOs, academics, entrepreneurs, key decision makers, start-ups, among others. – Nigeria Comms Week.
