Co-CEO of global Tech/ICT firm, Alluvium HQ, Otunba Taiwo Ojo, has iterated his company’s continued support for Ekiti State’s dynamic push toward technological and innovation advancement.
Speaking to a cross section of tech, IT, finance and human capital development leaders who converged on Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, Southwest Nigeria, for the inaugural Ekiti Innovation Summit, Otunba Taiwo, highlighted Alluvium‘s efforts to spur ICT development among the youths in the state right from primary schools, to the more advanced levels and straight up the ladder to the teachers.
The audience were taken through processes initiated through the foundation which include an eight-year program to spark tech interest among secondary school students, evident through the distribution of a “Learn HTML” textbook distributed across all government schools across the state, and the “Train the Teacher” program in collaboration with the State Ministry of Education.
L-R Otunba Taiwo Ojo, Otunba Taiwo Ojo and Dr William Tsuma, Country Director UNDP
Expressing enthusiasm for Ekiti’s commitment to leveraging technology in addressing prevalent challenges across Africa, Otunba Olayisade highlighted his company’s potential to tackle educational and economic hurdles especially through the Jaytee Ojo Foundation, the philanthropy arm of Alluvium HQ.
Highlighting a significant achievement, Ojo unveiled Master Favour Adebayo, an SS2 student from the State Government College Ado Ekiti, an active member of the Tech Club established by the Jaytee Ojo Foundation, who was lauded for being skilled at programming, and building a website, during an unexpected visit by the Commissioner, earning recognition from the state government.
Underlining the urgency of aligning Nigeria’s education curriculum with 21st-century needs, Otunba Olayisade advocated for practical tech training in robotics, artificial intelligence, and other crucial areas. This, he emphasized, could uplift the African and Nigerian populace from poverty and unemployment.
“We deliver today, and continue to deliver Innovative Technology that is consumed across the world. We build, enhance and support those technology here in Ekiti and deploy them as part of solutions to big problems for big tech. For example, there is a niche migration technology on a particular cloud enterprise marketplace that is offered as a SaaS plugin only by Alluvium and Microsoft. if anyone one of the 15 million people and 250,000 companies that use this tool decide they want a SaaS application to deliver this particular solution, they have to choose between Microsoft’s offering or a technological innovation that is built and supported by African young people, some of whom are Ekiti indigenes, all trained here in Ekiti”.
Alluvium, recognized for collaborations with industry giants like Atlassian and AWS, was lauded for it’s pivotal role in the inaugural Ekiti Innovation Summit as a sponsor partner.
Representing Governor Biodun Oyebanji, Secretary to the State Government, Dr. Habibat Adubiaro reiterated the government’s commitment to seizing digital transformation opportunities. She said the aim is to position Ekiti State as a hub for technological innovation and a benchmark for Nigeria’s progress.
Mr. Seun Fakuade, State Commissioner for Innovation and Digital Economy, highlighted ongoing efforts to equip young individuals with vital tech skills starting from secondary school. He outlined policies and infrastructure development aimed at boosting enterprise and addressing unemployment, envisioning a transformative impact on governance.
Dr. William Suma, Director of UNDP Lagos, emphasized the urgency of practical innovation, stressing the need for Nigeria to rise in global digital rankings. Toyosi Akerele Ogunsiji, Founder of Rise Network, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the pivotal role of leveraging human resources in tech to propel Nigeria into a leading position in the tech-driven global economy
The event, sponsored by the State Ministry of Innovation and Digital Economy, garnered admiration for its theme, “Unlocking Innovation for Shared Prosperity”, showcased a collective commitment toward propelling Ekiti State and Nigeria into a technologically advanced future, fostering innovation, and nurturing a skilled workforce ready to excel in the digital era.
Philips Babatunde