LOSS OF BEST BRAINS CONTRIBUTES TO SOCIO-ECONOMIC CHALLENGES IN NIGERIA, SAY FINTECH EXPERTS

African financial technology (fintech) experts and entrepreneurs have identified Nigeria’s inability to retain her best talents as major contributor to socio-economic challenges facing the country. Speaking at the 2019 IE Africa Centre Forum yesterday in Lagos, they noted the need to re-invent the country’s education and make it a place for business opportunities.

The experts include Head, TQM Wholesale Banking Access Bank, Tomilayo Aluko; President of IE University, Santiago Iñiguez de Onzoño; Managing Partner, Sahel Capital, Ndidi Nwuneli; Head Africa Fintech Foundry, Access Bank, Olusegun Adeniyi; Co-founder, Telnet Nigeria, Dr. Nadu Denloye; Principal Lead, BugIT, Gabriel Okeowo; and Lead Partner, Detail Commercial Solicitors, Ayuli Jemide.

Themed ‘Africa Solutions, Global Challenges’, the event was designed to create a space to discuss how Africa’s unique innovations can offer instructive path to the world.

It, however, created a platform to share how African change-makers solve dynamic global challenges.According to Onzoño, one of Nigeria’s greatest challenges is how to keep best hands at home.He noted the need to reposition the country’s sectors, so that its citizens that were even educated overseas would be attracted to contribute to nation building.

Onzoño had noted that opportunities to nurture entrepreneurship and talents abound in Africa.“We have come to realise that Africa, very soon, will become the cradle of talents for the world. This requires a much better preparation of African talents in terms of having the best possible education, digital skills and access to competent jobs. The continent is uniquely positioned to use education to explore the potential of its youth, to catapult the region to the forefront of tomorrow’s marketplace.

“By 2030, projections show that half of the planet’s 18-year-olds will be African. The opportunity for investment in Africa as the new frontier of education, industry and entrepreneurship is evident. With IE at the helm, backed by a long-standing commitment to innovation and cutting-edge learning strategies, the possibilities are endless,” he emphasised.

Earlier, Chair, IE Africa Centre, Felicia Appenteng, had noted that while the intellectual and physical contributions of Africa and its people were central to the modern world, “it is crucial to contemplate a better future for the region.”

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

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