An information technology expert and Principal Consultant, Lonadek Inc., Dr. Ibilola Amao, has stressed the need for the nation’s brightest tech savvy youths to connect with opportunities experts from the Silicon Valley in America are bringing to Nigeria to ensure economic growth and national development.

Recall that Silicon Valley Nigerian Economic Development (SV-NED Inc), a company dedicated to the establishment of a strategic, bilateral economic relationship between the country and Silicon Valley, recently announced plans to bring experts into the country to train and connect the youth to the vast opportunities in the Valley.

Amao, who made the observation when the Chairman of SV-NED Inc., Chief Temitope Ajayi, paid her a courtesy visit in Yaba, said there is a huge gap between education, enlightenment, empowerment, engagement and entrepreneurship in the country.

She observed that curriculum currently in use in the educational system does not actually meet the requirement of an emerging economy such as Nigeria.
According to her, getting Nigeria’s brightest young ones to connect with this opportunity would actually create immerse value for the country and its citizens.

Amao said the country needed to focus on new areas of technology such as data analytics, block chain, artificial intelligence and others, where information technology can be applied to reduce cost, increase performance and create quality solution in a timely manner for the benefit of the country.

She said: “In terms of sustaining the assets we have in the country, there is a huge gap that has to be filled. All the issues and challenges we have in Nigeria can actually be translated into opportunities that entrepreneurs and small medium enterprises can take advantage of and create a lot of value and job for the people.”

According to her, the major problems facing the country are energy, power, infrastructure, agriculture, and oil and gas.

“These are areas where I see huge opportunities. With the coming of the big giants from Silicon Valley, this would help the country build capacities, capabilities, and competence. And then we will be able to apply information technology to solve the problems of Nigeria, and in so doing solving regional and global problems,” she said.
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