FG Inaugurates Advisory Group on Technology, Creativity

As part of efforts to reduce youths’ unemployment, the federal government has on Monday unveiled an Advisory Group on Technology and Creativity. The new advisory body is part of the Industrial and Competitiveness Advisory Council established by President Muhammadu Buhariin 2017.It will be recalled that the Industrial Competitiveness Advisory Council was created to help the government in formulating policies and strategies that would enhance the performance of the industrial sector.While inaugurating the Advisory Group on Technology and Creativity on Tuesday, 12 June, 2018, the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo said the body will add value tothe existing policies by coming up with an inclusive and all-embracing roadmap for promoting technology and creative sector so that they can create jobs, contribute to growth and improve the well-being of citizens.The group is expected to collaborate with relevant ministers and heads of agencies andleading business people to boost public-private partnership.“With regard to the creative industry, the federal government recently took action to include the sector among those that will benefit from pioneer status,” Osinbajo said. “Efforts are also underway to tackle piracy in terms of intellectual property and copyright and to secure financial resources to support the sector.”The group membership cut across ministers of communications technology; trade and investment; information and culture; science and technology; governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN); Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Nigerian Communications Commission(NCC); director general National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); managing director Bank of Industry (BOI); director general National Export Promotion Council (NEPC); executive secretary, Nigerian Investment Promotion Council (NIPC).Representing the private sector include Kola Aina, Ventures Platform; Funbi Falayi, Leadspace; Oloho Omame, Endeavor; Kola Oyeneyin, Venia Hub; Ismaila Sanusi, Colab Kaduna; Daser David, Nhub Jos; and Adeyinka Adekeye, Founders Hub among others.