An information and communication technology (ICT) company, 21st Century Technologies, is keying into the United States’ vision to propel innovation and foster a digital ecosystem in Nigeria.
The vision got a boost recently, seeing the U.S. unveiled a tech and creative space ‘ America Corner’ in 21st Century’s corporate headquarters in Lagos.
By the stride, 21st Century has become one of the 245 centers where the U.S. has established American Corners since 2000.
The center was commissioned by U.S. Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, who was joined by Chief Executive Officer of 21st Century Technologies, Wale Ajisebutu.
Blinken disclosed that America Corner, which now has a presence in approximately 60 countries, was poised to foster entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity amongst youths.
He explained that U.S. partnership with the 21st century was deliberate and aligned with the country’s objective to advance technology and creativity among Nigerian youths.
21st Century is reputed to be first in Nigeria to have deployed the fibre optics network in 1997 and also pioneered Nigeria’s data centre infrastructure, which has been shaping the country’s digital landscape.
Blinken said: “Back in November of 2021, I had an opportunity to come to Nigeria and to talk about building a 21st-century partnership, a 21st-century partnership with African countries, and to move from those questions about what we can do for Africa to a different question, what can we do with Africa.
“I see this playing out in so many places now as we work together to meet shared challenges that no single one of us can effectively meet alone, and the bottom line is to deliver results to our people.”
American Corner boasts of resources and facilities like a digital studio, workshops, multimedia and tech equipment, amongst others.
The facilities are made available freely for young Nigerians to explore their inventiveness, entrepreneurial, and creative interests.
