The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has encouraged Nokia Networks to increase its investments in Research and Development (R&D) to support the growth of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in Nigeria.
Dr. Maida, who spoke when a delegation from Nokia Networks of Finland, led by the Deputy Minister, Under-Secretary of State for International Trade from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Jarno Syrjala, visited the Commission in Abuja.
Nokia team was in Nigeria to explore further opportunities for mutually-beneficial relationships between it and Nigeria.
The NCC Boss told the delegation that the Nigerian government is keenly interested in harnessing Nokia’s capabilities through technology transfer to support Nigerian youths in technical skills.
According to him, the Nigerian government is targeting training of three million youths in ICT skills to advance the country’s digital economy.
“We are keen on getting the youths employed, as our Ministry is targeting three million youths for skills acquisition.”
Dr. Maida said that the Commission places primacy in R&D as the bedrock of any knowledge economy, and for advancement of innovation.
He called on Nokia and other Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), to explore R&D opportunities to deepen local content development in Nigeria.
This was even as the Nokia team congratulated Dr. Maida on his appointment by President Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s chief telecom regulator.
Syrjala, who spoke as a leader of the Nokia team, said that the purpose of the visit was to explore areas of collaboration to support Nigeria’s digital economy agenda.
Syrjala recalled Nokia’s continued partnership with communications service providers in Nigeria, as well as cable and other operators to deliver critical network systems with high performance, reliability, and security.
He said that Nokia already has an R&D centre in Nigeria, and would target greater investment in this regard.
