Vice-President Kashim Shettima says the Connect NextGen Innovation Hackathon will position Nigeria as a global supplier of digital solutions and create technology sector jobs.

Mr Shettima, represented by deputy chief of staff, Ibrahim Hadeija, spoke on Wednesday at the State House Conference Centre, Abuja, during the initiative’s launch.

He said the four-month programme would build on Nigeria’s emergence as Africa’s leading hub for unicorns and global technology talent.

The vice-president described the hackathon as a key operational phase of the Memorandum of Understanding between Ericsson and the Nigerian government.

He said the MoU would focus on digitally upskilling Nigerian youths, policymakers and public sector decision-makers in modern technologies.

Mr Shettima added that the programme aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s job creation agenda by harnessing Nigeria’s youthful population for the digital economy.

“President Bola Tinubu has placed job creation at the top of his priorities. This hackathon continues a deliberate national strategy.

“The Connect NextGen Innovation Hackathon is designed to deepen this reality and make Nigeria a supplier of solutions to the world.

“A brilliant line of code written in Abuja can power a system in Stockholm; a solution imagined in Kano can transform a farm in Kenya,” Mr Shettima said.

He said the hackathon would empower young talents, start-ups and university students to build solutions using 5G, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, IoT and sustainable technologies.

“The current Industrial Revolution, powered by 5G, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, IoT and sustainable technologies, is not a tide we can watch from the shore.

“History is unkind to nations that choose the back seat in moments of transformation,” he said.

Mr Shettima noted that Nigeria’s greatest asset is its human capital, stressing that its demographic dividend decisively favours the youth.

On Ericsson’s role, he said the partnership reinforced the firm’s position as a strategic enabler of Nigeria’s digital transformation goals.

He said Ericsson would provide real-world applications of 5G, IoT platforms, edge computing and artificial intelligence in networks.

Mr Shettima added that Ericsson’s commitment to sustainability and energy-efficient networks aligned with Nigeria’s national ambitions.

Also, minister of science, technology and innovation, Kingsley Udeh, said the launch proved agreements and memoranda would not remain mere paperwork.

“They will find expression in activities and investments in projects worth multi-billion dollars,” he said.

Mr Udeh pledged the ministry’s support for the hackathon through commercialisation, competition, research and innovation outcomes.

Sweden’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Anna Westerholm, described Nigeria as a country of talent, creativity and ambition.

She said Nigeria’s digital sector remained one of the continent’s most dynamic and promising innovation ecosystems.

“Nigeria’s partnership with Ericsson shows how the Swedish private sector supports national priorities through technological leadership and strong local collaboration.

“We are proud that Swedish technology and values of openness, partnership and trust contribute to Nigeria’s development ambitions,” she said.

Special assistant to the president on ICT policy, Salihu Dasuki, said the initiative aligned with Mr Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

According to him, the hackathon will go beyond training and create employment opportunities for young Nigerians.

Special Assistant to the president on project support, Suhdah Ahmed, said the launch demonstrated how innovation ecosystems connect knowledge, capital, policy and markets.

“Today is more than the launch of a hackathon; it is the activation of a vision.

“The collaboration between the Office of the Vice-President and Ericsson marks a shift from policy ambition to practical execution.

“Through the Connect NextGen Innovation Hackathon, government and industry are building the skills, systems and opportunities needed for Nigeria’s digital future,” she said. 

(NAN)