The Ogun State government on Thursday launched an Information Communication Technology (ICT) hub in Abeokuta with a vision to develop and export technological solutions to meet challenges.
Gov. Dapo Abiodun, during the launch, said recent events had shown that the people of the state possess high technological capacity toward solving some challenges.
“Although latent, Ogun has long had a great capacity to be a leading driver of innovation and technology in Nigeria.
“This Ogun Tech Hub, therefore, is a demonstration of our commitment to position Ogun as a key center for innovation in the country.
“We intend to make Ogun the One-Stop-Shop for Innovation in Africa, thereby making our dear state one of the most conducive places to build a start-up company on the continent.
“Our administration is committed to further drive our dream of being a globally recognised technology base by investing heavily in research and development.
“This is with the aim of identifying and developing local talents and indigenous social innovations to solve our local and national challenges,” he said.
Abiodun said, by this, Ogun would stop being importers and consumers of foreign technologies.
He said the state would become solution creators by harnessing the combined power of technology, high concentration of academia and a youthful population.
The governor said one of the long term goals for the hub was that technology solutions developed there would be a source of foreign exchange earnings from export of the solutions and services.
Abiodun said Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) centre was primarily designed to provide infrastructural support for local innovators and incubation opportunities for technology-based start-ups.
He gave an assurance that the centre would be equipped with state-of-the-art facilities, adding that it would serve as the state’s local technological solution to improve security apparatus, agriculture, education and heath among other challenges.
The governor also gave an assurance that his administration, through the Bureau for ICT, had plans to build two more innovation hubs in two other senatorial districts of the state.
He urged the people, particularly the youth, to take the maximum advantage that the Technological Hubs provide for their individual prosperity and development of Ogun.
Abiodun, however, explained that the government could not solely fund the project.
He commended partners and called on other well meaning individuals and corporate bodies to support the state.
