Vice President Kashim Shettima has said the Connect NextGen Innovation Hackathon will position Nigeria as a global supplier of digital solutions while creating new jobs in the technology sector.
The four-month programme is part of the operationalisation of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Ericsson and the Nigerian government, aimed at digitally upskilling youths, policymakers, and public sector officials in modern technologies.
Speaking at the launch on Wednesday at the State House Conference Centre in Abuja, Shettima—represented by Deputy Chief of Staff to the President, Senator Ibrahim Hadejia—said the initiative aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s job creation agenda by leveraging Nigeria’s youth population for the digital economy.
“President Bola Tinubu has placed job creation at the very top of his priorities. This hackathon is a continuation of a national strategy to make Nigeria a supplier of solutions to the world. A line of code written in Abuja could power a system in Stockholm; a solution imagined in Kano can transform a farm in Kenya,” Shettima stated.
He added that the hackathon will empower young talents, start-ups, and university students to develop transformative solutions using 5G, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, IoT, and sustainable technologies. Shettima stressed that Nigeria’s greatest asset is its human capital and that the country must actively participate in the current wave of the Industrial Revolution.
Ericsson’s Country Manager in Nigeria, Olusoji Ogundele, said the initiative represents a tangible step in delivering the 2024 MoU between Ericsson and the federal government, aimed at boosting innovation, skills development, and the digital economy. The AXN National Hackathon will focus on solving real national challenges such as food security, smart cities, and digital inclusion, while the AXN Educate Programme will improve policymakers’ digital competence for evidence-based governance.
Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation, Dr. Kingsley Udeh, highlighted that the launch demonstrates that agreements and MOUs will translate into activities and investments worth billions of dollars.
Sweden’s Ambassador to Nigeria, Anna Westerholm, described Nigeria as a hub of talent, creativity, and ambition, praising the public-private collaboration between Ericsson and Nigerian institutions to equip youths and civil servants with skills for the global economy.
Special Assistants to the President on ICT Policy and Project Support, Dr. Salihu Ibrahim Dasuki and Suhdah Ahmed, noted that the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda, providing both training and employment opportunities while fostering innovation ecosystems that connect knowledge, capital, policy, and market.
