The Buhari administration is interested in using technology to fast track the country’s growth and development, according to Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN Speaking yesterday while signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Government and Global Good Fund co-founded by US billionaire, Bill Gates, the Vice President said the administration “is interested in the idea of using technology because it is the way forward for those interested in rapid growth in the next decade”.He noted that the President has said that this administration is committed to a bottom-up approach and technology is a tool that can help make the difference.
According
to him, “I am interested in this whole idea of using technology to
address some of our challenges”, especially in agriculture and health,
adding that there is no alternative to the use of technology.
Present
at the signing ceremony were the Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Audu
Ogeh; Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole and that of Budget and
National Planning, Mr. Udoma Udo Udoma.
Flanked
at the sides by the Ministers at the MoU signing, the Vice President
emphasized the importance of technology as a means of adding value and
improving the lives of millions of people.
He said “we are at a point where technology is important for making a difference in the lives of the people”.
For
instance, he said there is the need to develop specific technology
solutions that can target low level subsistence farmers, small, micro
and medium enterprises with the resultant effect of impacting lives.
However, he further noted that “the challenge is how to ensure that
these initiatives and innovations will benefit the majority of the
people”.
While commending the initiative to
engage with the Global Good in the effort, the Vice President charged
the partners to ensure that measurable targets are set in order that
tangible results can be achieved.
“I think
we should be able to set targets, to have useful interaction in terms of
how much we are able to achieve; this target should be on a scale, for
instance, in the next one or two years. It should be based on measurable
targets to keep our focus”, Prof. Osinbajo explained stressing that “at
the end of the day, it will mean we’ve impacted so many millions of
people”.
Earlier, Mr. David Keogh, the
Director of Global Good Fund, who signed the MoU on behalf of his
organisation and led the Fund’s delegation, said the Fund is on a social
mission to deploy technology in the area of agriculture and healthcare
that will impact many people in Nigeria. He stated that the company
working in collaboration with multi-lateral agencies, non-profit
organisations and governments, engages in identifying challenges in
different value chains and provide technological solutions to these
value chains.
The MoU signed between
Nigeria and Global Good will provide the framework for identifying the
specific challenges in identified sectors such as in agriculture and
healthcare and provide the necessary technological solutions to impact
the lives of the people. Global Good is funded by Bill Gates.
Laolu Akande
Senior Special Assistant (Media & Publicity)
In the Vice President's Office
Senior Special Assistant (Media & Publicity)
In the Vice President's Office
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