The vice president, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has said that the best examples of successful technology companies started in the universities
The vice president who stated this at the launch of ‘The Student Innovation Challenge’ held at the weekend at the University of Lagos, said Steve Jobs’ Apple, or Mark Zuckerberg, and Bill Gates came out of Harvard, while Jobberman and Nairaland came out the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife.
“Everybody knows where the smart money is looking. We all know that the university is the best place for getting the best talents and that’s what is going to shape the future of our country. Every one of us is aware of that. And so, what the federal government did is that we simply partnered with the UNDP, with BOI, with MTN, with Civic Foundation for Innovation and Access Bank, to come and do what we describe as the student challenge,” he said.
He said incredible ideas would come out of the University of Lagos because the institution would play host to a new technology hub.
“Before we came here, we went to commission our new technology hub, which will be here in the University of Lagos. It is going to be built using containers and it’s going to take exactly three months to build. I’m sure that it’s going to be a place of great creativity. Hopefully, we are going to do this in the six geo-political zones, starting here at the University of Lagos,” he said.
Osinbajo therefore challenged the students “to find the best; the best innovation, the best technology ideas, the best creativity, the best creative ideas from students across Nigeria.”
“We are going to pick 37. But I’ve spoken to my partners and they say because of what they have seen today, we’ve got to move that up. So, we are going to pick 50, we’re adding 13 more. So, there are some here today who might get, even if you don’t get into the first pack, you should be able to get into that additional one. We are definitely going to do it in such a way that as many of the great ideas as possible, get a chance to be tested commercially, they get a chance to be supported,” he added.
The vice president said the present “is an absolutely exciting time to be alive.”
“You know, people talk about the good old days, they keep saying Oh the good old days, but it was Obama who said, always be suspicious of people who are telling you about these good old days, the best days are here. The future is right here. And welcome to that future!” he added.
