Experts have identified technology as one of the key component in the diversification of the Nigeria economy. They reached this consensus in Lagos at the Signal Alliance Customer Week Workshop organized in conjunction with Cisco.

  “We are quite satisfied with the outcome of the conversations that took place, considering the challenge the Nigeria economy is currently facing due to fall in global oil prices, exchange rate collapse, and uncertainty surrounding the elections. This is compounded by the fact that Nigeria is largely an import-based and a mono-product economy,” said Adanma Onuegbu, CEO Signal Alliance.

The experts called on all stakeholders to work together to “build an ecosystems that will support start-ups from setting up  investment  institutions from seed funding to technology backed private equity,  and promoting incubators and accelerators;

deepening government structures that supports indigenous technology  like the Federal Ministry of Communication Technology, NITDA, SMEDAN, etc, as well as encourage consumption of local technology through strict implementation of the local content law and standardization of local technology products to enable them to compete internationally.

The workshop which has the theme: ‘Diversification & Innovation: A technology roadmap to grow Nigerian economy’ has in attendance, business leaders in the public and private sectors, technology leaders and entrepreneurs, and the media. The workshop is one of the major activities of the annual Signal Alliance Customer Week that includes; customer visitation across the country, corporate social responsibility programmes in Lagos and Abuja, and customer appreciation programme.