The collaboration, announced following a meeting in Abuja between Kingsley Udeh, Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, and Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman of Zinox Group, will focus on strengthening innovation, digital inclusion, research commercialisation and youth-led enterprise development through public-private collaboration.
The ministry said the initiative underscores the Federal Government’s strategy of working more closely with indigenous technology companies to build local capacity, accelerate technology adoption and position Nigeria as a knowledge-driven economy.
Speaking after the meeting, Udeh said strategic partnerships between government and the private sector are critical to unlocking Nigeria’s technological potential, creating sustainable employment opportunities for young people and enhancing the country’s competitiveness in the global digital economy.
Minister to Zinox: Govt-private sector partnership critical to unlocking Nigeria’s tech
According to the minister, the ministry is exploring collaboration with Zinox under its Youth and Students Innovation (YSI) initiative, a flagship programme designed to equip young Nigerians with digital skills, mentorship and innovation support to become entrepreneurs, innovators and job creators.
He said the programme aims to help young innovators transform promising ideas into commercially viable businesses that contribute to economic growth and national productivity.
Udeh described Zinox Group as one of Nigeria’s leading indigenous technology companies, commending the organisation for its longstanding contribution to the country’s ICT sector and its continued investment in locally developed technology solutions.
He noted that partnerships with established Nigerian technology firms would strengthen the country’s innovation ecosystem, expand digital inclusion and accelerate the commercialisation of research outputs into products and services capable of addressing national development challenges.
According to the minister, Nigeria’s youthful population remains one of its greatest strategic assets, stressing that with the right investment, mentorship and access to opportunities, young innovators can develop globally competitive solutions to local challenges.
He reaffirmed the ministry’s commitment to creating an enabling environment that promotes scientific research, technological advancement, indigenous innovation and the commercialisation of research outcomes in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“The meeting,” Udeh added, “reflects the shared commitment of the Federal Government and leading indigenous technology companies to accelerate Nigeria’s digital transformation through innovation, technological advancement, indigenous capacity building and strategic partnerships that will strengthen economic diversification and national productivity.”
Responding, Ekeh welcomed the proposed collaboration, describing the ministry’s reforms and the Youth and Students Innovation initiative as timely interventions capable of nurturing Nigeria’s next generation of innovators, technology entrepreneurs and digital leaders.
He said sustained investment in young people would deliver long-term economic benefits by unlocking their creativity, talent and entrepreneurial potential.
According to Ekeh, Nigeria’s future depends on deliberately identifying, nurturing and empowering its young innovators to develop solutions that can compete in regional and global markets.
He reaffirmed Zinox Group’s readiness to partner with the Federal Government in advancing digital literacy, strengthening indigenous technology development, supporting innovation-driven enterprises and implementing programmes that empower Nigerian youths while contributing to the country’s socio-economic transformation.
The proposed partnership comes as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to leverage indigenous technology companies as strategic partners in building a resilient innovation ecosystem, reducing reliance on imported technologies and accelerating Nigeria’s transition to a digitally enabled economy.
Author
Technology Times Reporter
oladapo.rilwan@technologytimes.ng
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