By Prince Osuagwu

Smarting from Nigeria’s massive presence at the recently concluded Gitex trade show in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the Acting Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Dr Ashiru Daura last week re affirmed his position that Nigeria was ready, technologically and otherwise, for business, to investors seeking to explore the vast market.

Daura who spoke to a few journalists, on return from the Dubai trip said that Nigeria’s showing at the event, broke barriers,particularly with a Nigeria pavilion at the show.

He expressed belief that the country would soon begin to express influx of investors, based on the impact the country made at the concluded trade show.

Daura said that although the event may have come and gone,the Nigerian companies that exhibited at the Pavilion would confess to still salivating over the networking opportunities and the business prospects the event brought them.

The Nigerian pavilion at the event, according to him, was targeted at promoting Nigerian companies, products and services to the world, to complement government’s efforts to grow local IT companies and expose their products and services to international opportunities.

The Nigerian pavilion at this year’s GITEX, had the theme: ‘Nigeria- Ready for businesses’ . It helped to solidify different interests in the Nigeria IT terrain and provided robust synergy between government and private sector players. Local talents and solutions ranging from financial and educational solutions were on display.

Expressing his excitement at the number of Nigerian companies that exhibited at the expo, Dr. Daura said, ” I was truly challenged. That was my first visit to Gitex, there are a lot of things to see and learn from. With what I have seen so far, I think we need to encourage our own companies especially the young ones to participate and show their products and services just like other countries have done,” he added.

He assured that NITDA will take the lead in organizing a better showing at the 2014 Gitex, adding that “NITDA as a government agency forms government’s representation of IT in Nigeria, we are in the best position to bring all sorts of opinion and people from the industry to this kind of event event.

Also speaking in support, president of ITAN, Mrs. Florence Seriki added that “the exposure and business opportunities presented before Nigerians in such event is great, Government partnership with the industry through ITAN is an evidence of sheer commitment which Nigerian IT entrepreneurs should take advantage of. We must always strive to come out and showcase our products and show the world that we can do it”.