Nigeria Has Potential of Becoming West Africa’s Tech Hub, Tech-Savvy Youth Can Pioneer IT-Driven Economy, Says HP Executive

The Managing Director for HP in Southern Africa, Yesh Surjoodeen, has said Nigeria’s burgeoning tech-savviness and entrepreneurial spirit uniquely can position it to pioneer an IT-driven economy across various sectors.

In a statement on Monday, Surjoodeen noted that with the right investment in training and technology, Nigeria could emulate and surpass the success seen in other tech hubs like Kenya, often dubbed the Silicon Savannah.

He reckoned that the technology landscape of Nigeria features a plethora of thriving start-ups, tech development and innovation centres that showcase a rapidly growing industry.

“With its huge population of over 230 million and a culture deeply rooted in determination and resilience, the country is well positioned to be the West African tech hub.

“Quite significantly, most of these start-ups and tech hubs are located in Lagos, the only African city ranked in the Global Top 100 Start-up Ecosystems by Startup Link in 2024.

“The city is also home to five of the seven tech unicorns in Africa, evidenced by companies, such as HP, who are committed to advancing digital equity and driving the economy forward using technology,” he said.

He applauded the Nigerian tech industry for making a significant contribution to the country’s economic growth in terms of innovation, entrepreneurship, job creation, and the overall GDP in the light of ongoing efforts by federal governments and sub-nationals to encourage skills acquisition using digital platforms, that will enhance an economy that is technologically driven.

 “It is gratifying to note that despite the inclement economic climate in the country, there is a growing number of tech companies that are regularly innovating to be able to deliver quality services using cutting edge technology in a country that is getting more and more sophisticated in demands.

“We see digital innovations in areas such as commerce, agriculture, education, health, finance, banking, insurance, and payment systems. Service providers are using digital platforms to deliver services in these sectors in a manner that was previously considered far-fetched,” Surjoodeen said.

The HP boss equally lauded the National Digital Economy Bill currently before the National Assembly to thrust the economy towards digital transactions and service delivery, alongside enhancing governance.

He said the bill was going to be the game changer that would positively impact Nigeria’s digital eco-system by encouraging local innovation and greater participation in all sectors of the Nigerian economy, and lifestyles in general with the potential to foster an environment that enables participation from the public, ultimately shaping the future of Nigeria’s economy, through a plethora of digital opportunities.

He also urged Nigerian technology companies to amplify their innovation by investing more in research to be able to compete in a world that was getting digitally dynamic by the day, stressing the country’s youth are poised to drive the highly anticipated economic growth using technology and are the key to unlocking Nigeria’s digitally driven future.

Olawale Ajimotokan

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