CWG Harps on Technology Innovation for Digital Transformation

The 2023 TeXcellence conference organised by CWG Plc in Lagos last week, has stressed the need for organisations, including startups to invest in technology innovation that will drive digital transformation in Nigeria and across Africa.

Speaking about the theme of the conference: ‘Innovating For The Future’ the Group CEO, CWG Plc, Adewale Adeyipo, in his welcome address, emphasised the need for more technology companies to drive technology innovation that will address Nigerian specific challenges.

According to him, “The private sector and the government must come together to drive technology innovation in Nigeria. There is need to navigate and collaborate in order to leverage technology to scale faster. Our greatest challenge to innovation is dearth of digital skills and there is need for capacity building to address that challenge.”

The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, who delivered the keynote at the conference, highlighted the importance of technology innovation for economic growth.

“Digital technology has transformed our lives and it is shaping the competitive dynamics in various industries. The future needs to be designed and created, and technology is inspiring us to do more and better. Three capabilities of digital technology that are disrupting and inspiring businesses are ubiquitous data, unlimited connectivity, and massive processing power. These capabilities are lowering the barriers to entry and allowing new players to dominate traditional industries. Uber is an example of a company that disrupted the transportation industry without owning any cars,” Abdullahi said.

According to him, in order to promote innovation and entrepreneurship in Nigeria and Africa, governments need to invest in digital public infrastructure and create policies that attract capital.

“Nigeria is currently receiving a small percentage of global investment in startups, and efforts should be made to increase this. Nigeria has the potential to become a global talent factory and a preferred outsourcing destination. By harnessing its population, infrastructure, and talent, Nigeria can solve its problems and thrive in the digital economy,” Abdullahi further said.

Country Manager, Dell Technologies, Nigeria, Abimbola Owoeye, in his address, challenged Nigerian startups to develop technology solutions that are scalable and could transform the Nigerian and African economy. He said although Africa remained far from being among the top technology players in the world, he however said with commitment and determination that are based on purposeful collaboration, Africa could produce global tech companies that could shape global development.

Chairman, CWG Plc, Philip Obioha, said technology innovation remained key for business growth across Africa, and he challenged Africans to develop infrastructure that could drive technology development across the African continent. “CWG is focused on technology development and has invested in several technology products that are driving technology development in Nigeria and across Africa,” Obioha said.

Chief Operating Officer, CWG Plc, Afolabi Shobande, said: “Innovation is key to sustaining business growth and Africa must be part of the technology innovation drive. Startups must embrace innovation that can solve specific challenges. CWG has remained competitive in business over the years because of its investments in innovation.”