The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has commended Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State for his developmental strides in the state saying that the organisation will sell the state’s innovation and digital prowess to other southwest states and Nigeria in general.
UNDP’s Country Senior Innovation Adviser, Dr William Tsuma, who stated this in Ado Ekiti on Monday during a working visit to the governor’s office, said the various efforts of the government in agriculture, education, arts and culture as well as digital economy have placed the state in the front burner of states in a hurry to develop.
The visit came barely a week after Governor Oyebanji inaugurated the first Innovation Hub (Startup Garage) in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital.
Dr. Tsuma said: “We are looking to borrow your brain and see how we leverage some of the expertise, the knowledge, the good work that you’ve done here and export some of these ideas to this great nation.
“Sometimes, we are only as strong as our neighbours. Everyone wants to understand what is going on in Ekiti; how can we learn from Ekiti.
“Mr. Governor, one of the discussions we are having is “Ekiti to Nigeria” because I know that the state is busy and you have a lot you have to offer the region and the sub-region.
“It is a lot of expertise and experience and work that you do which our immediate neighbours and beyond could benefit from. We are also looking at how we amplify some of the great work that you do around arts and culture.”
Dr. Tsuma stressed the need to innovate around the public sector to ensure an integrated portfolio to achieve deliverables that the sector can offer as the programme was ready to work with the state to achieve the human development agenda for the people by increasing the employability index of the youths.
The UNDP top official also commended the governor for launching a Maker Space in addition to being an Innovation Hub, adding that the UNDP will work to support the crystallisation of the idea behind such a noble move.
He also hailed Oyebanji for creating an enabling environment for the citizens of the state, especially the youths to gain practical experience in the public sector of the economy.
This, he said, will enhance the nurturing of a new generation of well-equipped young people which will give them an easy transition into the workplace with more wisdom and skill.
In his remarks, Governor Biodun Oyebanji said that the establishment of Ekiti Knowledge Zone has provided a veritable platform towards taking the state out of the woods of poverty by creating an ecosystem to address and drive innovations and technology and as well increase the employability index of the people.
Governor Oyebanji affirmed the need for effective collaboration between the state’s Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Innovation, Science and Digital Economy to address the curriculum deficiency in the educational system right from the elementary school to the university in furtherance to his administration’s determination to produce global citizens who will live in the shores of the state and still be relevant and useful all over the world.
The governor stressed the need for the government to ensure that knowledge of the citizens is translated to prosperity in order to enable the state to move forward to become the economic hub of the nation.
While affirming that youths cover more than 75 percent of the population who have practically helped to educate themselves in certain areas of their lives, the governor also stressed the importance of building bridges and platforms for them that will allow them to do better and achieve greater heights in their chosen careers and aspirations.
The governor at the meeting also revealed plans by his administration to replicate the innovation hub (startup garage) across all the 16 local government areas of the state.
He thanked the UNDP for showing interest in what is going on in Ekiti, adding that his government will continue to leverage on the capacity of its citizens to provide veritable leadership in the area of education, innovation and digital economy.
“A people, so educated and so informed should not be poor. So, our knowledge must translate to something, if we are still knowledgeable and we are still the poverty capital of the country, then there is question mark on that knowledge and that is why we are making so much efforts to change the narratives.
The Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Digital Economy, Mr. Seun Fakuade, in his remarks, said the state is set to partner UNDP in the areas of innovation and capacity development, adding that the Ministry intends to drive development and growth through innovation. He added that the youths are at the centre of the vision.
Gbenga Sodeinde
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