By Clifford Agugoesi, Editor-in-Chief
A mini workshop for Tech Journalists in Nigeria, under the aegis of the Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association(NITRA), was held yesterday at The British Residence on 3, Oyinkan Abayomi Street, Ikoyi, formerly Queen’s Drive, south west, Nigeria, essentially to discuss the length and breadth of the United Kingdom(UK’s) digital, tech and innovation work in Nigeria.
The workshop, which had the backing of The British Deputy High Commissioner in Lagos, Jonny Baxter , was moderated by Head of Communications, Nigeria, Network at the UK International Development, Aseosa Uwagboe, who introduced other department focal heads, to speak from their department’s point of view.
In his intervention, UK’s Head of Prosperity in Nigeria, Kris Camponi, said digital mattered to both the UK and Nigeria because it facilitated the attainment of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals(SDGs). Citing a report that put 2.6 billion people literally offline globally, Mr. Camponi said closing the access gap was critical. Among other interventions, he mentioned the critical impact that the Digital Access Programme(DAP) was unleashing on the Nigerian Digital Economy.
Speaking during the Workshop Sessions, Digital Access Programme Adviser & Country Lead, Idongesit Udoh threw light on what the programme was doing and why? He stated that the DAP had three interconnected pillars with sub models and enablers to achieve the programme objectives in- country.
According to Udoh, the strategic objectives of the UK Digital Development Strategy had four interrelated and four priority areas namely:
- Lastmile Connectivity
- Women & Girls in Tech
- Artificial Intelligence(AI)
- Digital Public Infrastructure
UK-Nigeria Tech Hub Director, Oyinkan Akintola-Bello stated that her team was primarily focused on stimulating local digital economy and fostering/driving connectivity between tech hubs. According to Akintola-Bello, her team basically prioritized skills which was perceived more or less as a spectrum. She mentioned that the UK-NG Hub had supported 168 tech-enabled SMEs, while focusing on strengthening capacity of the tech ecosystem to self-regulate in addition to promoting ecosystem coordination.
In her intervention, Chisom Udemezue of the West Africa Research and Innovation Hub said the Hub was a Central FCDO Resource and basically facilitated equitable STEM partnerships in Nigeria, from both a qualitative and quantitative perspective. Among other interventions, she mentioned their involvement in emplacing the Ekiti State Innovation Map. She stated also that they were focused on bridging the gap between innovators and the academia in the country as well as linking tech centres to industry and strengthening their research capacity in- country.
Regional Head of Marketing, Cultural Engagement , Sub-Saharan Africa at the British Council, Edemekong Udoh, hinted that the British Council was marking its 80th Anniversary in the country. She summed up her agency’s intervention under SIDPs. According to her, the British Council, among other interventions, had trained over 20,000 teachers in public schools in the country, while hinting on an imminent collaboration with the Teachers Registration Council of Nigeria, while intervening in commercialization and monetisation of the work of creative entrepreneurs as well as promotion of innovation in African universities.
The workshop sessions was rounded off with a presentation on UK-Nigeria Bilateral Engagement on Technology given by Country Director, Department for Business and Trade (DBT) Morayo Adekunle with assist from Nankling Danfulani of the same department. “We are commercial; we make money for businesses. Tech is a priority sector for us,” began Ms. Adekunle. “We facilitate interaction between Nigerian Tech companies and their UK counterparts and our work aims at improving ease of doing business in-country; we make the deals happen,” Adekunle added. Contributing, Ms. Nankling stated that “ we facilitate enhanced business and trade partnerships between Nigerian and UK companies. She put the combined value of export trade between Nigeria and the UK in 2023 at British Pounds 7billion(Naira12.3trillion).
She gave some stats to situate the UK state of play in tech, from the European and global perspectives. “ The UK is number 1 in Europe and number 3 globally,” she offered.
During the questions and answers session, tech hounds raised questions on the input of the UK on Nigeria’s Broadband Plan, the current status vis-a-vis the impact of the UK intervention, the interest of UK investors and entrepreneurs in the Nigerian tech space, the role of tech in humanitarian activities of the government of Nigeria, the UK’s value proposition and value expectation, the challenges encountered, the scope of intervention and how well covered or not the entire country is? Trust journalists. They wanted to know with the UK aspiration to be a global tech leader and why the UK exited the European Union, the alleged UK government’s apparent empathy deficit concerning alumni of UK universities and the virtual exclusion of the South East of Nigeria from the UK telecommunications scheme of things, among others?
The bulk of answers to the journalists questions was full of diplomatese. Expectedly, so. Digital was underlined as being critical to humanitarian work. There were challenges, of course. Like exiting of the Nigerian marketplace by some UK companies as a result of unfavourable business environment. There was also the angle of bureaucracy. But, there was an admission the current government listens. Baxter’s foot soldiers would not agree that any section of Nigeria was excluded but that interventions were done based on funding available and efforts were being made to achieve a national spread. Fintech, Logistics, health tech and climate lead focus areas from the UK entities. Journalists were told that Alumni UK has launched and would address the allegations of poor policy support to UK universities alumni from Nigeria.
As far as some of the journalists are concerned, the facilitators of this workshop were driven more by the hunger to promote the expertise of the UK companies than developing the marketplace. Trust newshounds. They cannot forge a consensus on issues of this nature.
At the workshop were the Senior Press & Public Affairs Officer, Comms Lead, Prosperity and Economic Development, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, British Deputy High Commission Ndidiamaka Eze, her other colleagues and National Officers and members of NITRA.
