The Ogun Tech Community on Thursday hosted the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, at a roundtable session in Abeokuta, aimed at deepening collaboration between government, the tech ecosystem and local innovators to drive inclusive digital growth.
The event, themed Ogun Tech Forward Innovation & Startups Roundtable, brought together startup founders, tech leaders, and policymakers in Abeokuta to explore ways of leveraging technology to boost agriculture, create jobs, and build a resilient digital economy in Ogun State.
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The minister, who addressed participants at the session, stressed the urgent need to adopt technology in key sectors, particularly agriculture, to tackle rising food prices and reduce Nigeria’s dependence on food imports.
He said that without technological intervention, traditional farming practices would remain inefficient and costly, posing risks to national food security.
“Technology innovation has already contributed 16 to 18 per cent, but we are aiming for 21 per cent. We need to introduce our technology into agriculture to produce enough food to feed ourselves,” Tijani said.
He maintained that deploying modern tools such as drones, sensors, data analytics and mobile apps could enable precision agriculture and enhance productivity across the country’s vast arable land.
According to him, the federal government is committed to supporting grassroots innovation hubs outside of major cities to ensure equitable access to digital opportunities.
“We can’t leave innovation in the hands of just a few cities. Every part of Nigeria, including towns and rural areas, must be part of the digital journey. The more people we carry along, the stronger we become as a country,” he said.
As part of this commitment, the minister revealed that the federal government would back the Ogun Tech Hub’s initiative aimed at creating 300 jobs through business process outsourcing, describing it as part of a broader strategy to transform states into “talent cities.”
“If we don’t invest in our own people, we’ll keep depending on others for solutions,” he said. “We must create space for local ideas to grow and become real businesses.”
Tijani also advocated the integration of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and drones into agriculture and education.
He emphasised the role of generative AI in enhancing personalised learning and digital literacy in underserved communities.
Earlier in his remarks, the President of the Ogun Tech Community, Mr Adekunle Durosinmi, appealed to the federal government for strategic support to accelerate the state’s growing tech ecosystem.
He called for the establishment of a fully equipped innovation hub and a permanent secretariat to support startups, nurture talent, and deepen digital engagement at the grassroots.
“Ogun State is uniquely positioned to become a national leader in technology and entrepreneurship.
“We have more than 29 tertiary institutions—more than any other state in Nigeria—which makes us a natural home for innovation,” Durosinmi said.
He noted that the Ogun Tech Community, since its formal registration in 2022, has launched several initiatives promoting digital literacy, cybersecurity, and inclusive technology development.
According to him, the group has created 19 active clusters, including developers, mentors, women in tech, and agritech innovators.
Durosinmi reaffirmed the group’s alignment with the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill 2024, stating that its programmes and advocacy efforts are geared toward fostering responsible innovation and inclusive digital growth.
“We want to see such solutions replicated across the country. To accelerate this, we need your support. Ogun urgently needs a fully functioning physical secretariat and, importantly, a dedicated innovation hub to nurture and grow even more startups,” he told the minister.
The roundtable concluded with a renewed commitment from both the federal government and the Ogun Tech Community to deepen collaboration and build a more inclusive, innovation-driven economy across the state and beyond.
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