ITAN Holds Its First Regional Workshop In Abuja, Other States To Hold Soon
Maryam Aminu
An association of over 350 Information Technology driven companies in Nigeria, the Information Technology (industry) Association of Nigeria (ITAN), has on Monday 14th of August, 2023 has organised it’s first regional workshop in Abuja today with the theme: “Nurturing the growth of internet enabled startups and techpreneurs of new technologies.”
Delivering his opening address, the President, Information Technology (industry) Association of Nigeria, Engr. Olutayo Adeniyi, said the association was founded in March 1991 to promote IT literacy and penetration in Nigeria; and to promote members’ interest in the area of trade, public policy formulation and negotiations with government on IT policy matters. Adding that the vision is to engender a new Nigeria powered by Information Technology; while their mission is to pursue with vigor and accomplish an Information Society in Nigeria using diverse and cutting-edge tools and means
He noted that to reduce cost and risk of people traveling from one state to another, the association has to stop its usual conferences and adopt regional conferences.
The President disclosed that the conference will hold in the following states before the year runs out Lagos, Port Harcourt, Kano and Kaduna
Adeniyi added that the association is working with relevant agencies to accelerate the growth indigenous ICT industries.
In his words, ” Our aim is to accelerate the growth of digital transformation programs and inclusion as well as deepening internet penetration use, and adoption through guided technology-enabled investments and entrepreneurship advocacy for emerging technologies in the Nigerian ICT market space.
“The conference is inspired by the need for ITAN to put behind us the recent internal challenges that threatened the unity of members and return to our glorious leadership position as the nation’s leading IT industry association and a global player.”
Speaking earlier, the Convener, Chairman of ITAN international events and conferences, Mr Mattias Ifesieh noted that the aim of the workshop was to bring MDAs, regulatory agencies in the ICT industry as well as private sector to understand government policies and how the government is helping them to grow.
We are here to brainstorm, share ideas and present our problems and proffer solutions. Said Ifesieh
Ifesieh lamented on the challenges the association is faced with.
According to the Chairman ITAN,
“After COVID -19, there are a lot of set back including retrenchment of staff, closing down of some offices etc but the good news is the IT industries are picking up and getting back to their feet. The government is doing a lot trying to encourage the Small and Medium Enterprises to grow especially in the technology sector.”
In his keynote address, the Acting National Coordinator Office of the Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI) Yakubu Musa, said that regulation has been a major issue for the industries, as there has been a problem of inter agency collaboration.
He said, “There is a gap between government and industries. Some see the regulations as a move to slow the industries. We have a leadership that is visionary and innovative
Musa reiterated that the regulations of ONDI and NITDA are developmental
“We have introduced developmental regulations. All the regulations are enabling. By doing that we make sure challenges facing the industries are solved. They are more of an intervention. We have come up with a regulatory intelligence framework. What it does is to sensitize the industries whether there is a need for regulation, because sometimes what is needed is intervention rather than regulation.”
The workshop which includes panel discussion, questions and answers, presentation, pseudo pitching, plenary session attracted the presence of
the Executive Director of CITAD Dr Yinusa Yau, representatives of office of SSG, FCTA,NITDA, SMEDAN, IT Hub Directors, ministry of Education etc.
