The Lagos State governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu has said that the state government has attracted over 1billion dollars in data session investment in the last one year.
Sanwolu said this during the Art Of Technology event, tagged ‘Talent Acceleration and A Smarter Lagos’ held on Thursday in Lagos.
The governor was represented by his deputy Dr Babafemi Hamzat.
According to Sanwo-Olu, “In the past one year, Lagos has attracted over a billion dollars in data session investment.
“Our smart city implementation has deployed over six hundred smart intelligence video cameras as well as intelligent transport cameras.
” Over the past years through our initial ITs deployment which is the intelligence traffic system, we now have automatic plate number recognition cameras”.
He said that Lagos has become the number one startup ecosystem in Africa in terms of performance and share numbers in start up creating value between 2019 and 2021.
“With over 12 percent increase resulting to 1.5billion dollars in venture capital funding, in 2022 alone we recorded over two thousands start ups, creating and contributing value across agriculture construction and health.
“We have enabled a better collaborating technology in the ecosystem with 25 thousands online and offline registration”.
He point out that the continued progress is a testimony provided to both private, public sector and stakeholders to procreate and drive value in this ecosystem which the state is particularly happy for the growth.
“Lagos has provided the central core of business and technological development in Nigeria for decades.
“Our administration’s contribution is evident in different implementation and initiatives of our organization.
“Through the first Art of Technology we were able to identify the need to access talent development inclusion of both male and female.
“In this start up, there are initial funding of activities in deepening internet Penetration, we have included over 2900 kms of fiber optic deployment across the state which has connected about 100 Schools.
“Also we have partnered with telecoms industries and using our optics dusk to power their 5G distinction”,he added.
“We also reinstating our identity management programmes through our Lagos agency that will seek to identify all inhabitant of Lagos for this project.
Hakeem Fahn, the Commissioner, Ministry of science and technology, in his welcome address, said the event brought together the commercial and public stakeholders to explore policy and strategy that will help Lagos become efficient, and digitally competitive.
Fahn urged stakeholders to work together to speed up ideas and adoption of effective techniques which is the only way they can gain success in the digital world.
“With our tireless efforts this program will assist the youth in achieving their objective, he added
Victor Afolabi, the founder of Eko Innovative Centre noted that there is a gap between technology and policy making which need to be bridged.
Afolabi said that the conversation should be about talent and that has become the new goal of Eko Inovative Centre.
“There is no other way in getting them but rather catching them young and that is what we are trying to do.
“Before these youths get into university we have to expose them to experiences in the technical system so that they can be well skilled and equipped”.
Another speakerOlatunbosun Alake th Special Adviser on Innovation and Technology to the Lagos State governor, highlighted that the talent challenges is part of issue that we have .
According to him,a speaker said he does not see relocating as an issue but exploiting and we are also preparing a ground work for more talent to be exploited like if you have a talent and Nigerian’s in UK use Nigeria product which will serve as more revenue to our status
Finally ,he stated that today was an opportunity to discuss the strategies we have and create more value for Nigeria
Art of Technology (AOT) 4.0, Lagos is an annual tech conference curated by Eko Innovation Centre, one of the largest and leading tech hubs in Nigeria.