Technology vendor, Ericsson, has said that the deployment of 5G will boost the tech startup ecosystem in Nigeria as it would enable them to come up with more innovations.
The Vice President at Ericsson Middle East and Africa, Hassam Kandeel, who stated this during the visit of the Ericsson leadership to Nigeria, said this is why the company seeking to strengthen its partnership with industry leaders in Nigeria to accelerate the country’s digital growth.
While noting that there are so many possibilities with 5G, he said the prospects for Nigeria, which has been the hub of tech startups in Africa are huge.
According to Kandeel, the visit to Nigeria was in line with Ericsson’s dedication to harnessing the power of connectivity and technology to drive digitalization across the continent and support sustainable development and economic progress.
Ericsson/Nigeria partnership
Reiterating the company’s commitment to Nigeria’s digital growth, the Ericsson boss said:
- “Ericsson has a longstanding history with Nigeria and remains a key partner driving the country’s digitalization ambitions. In collaboration with its partners, Ericsson is powering the country’s digital transformation journey by providing the latest innovative technologies like 5G, enabling financial inclusion with the Ericsson Wallet Platform, and empowering young talents under the Ericsson Graduate Program and the Ericsson Innovation Awards.”
He added that Nigeria is a key participant in the Ericsson Innovation Awards, an initiative aimed at nurturing the skills and creativity of young talent across the globe.
A Nigerian startup, Team Schrodinger Energy won third place in the Ericsson Innovation Awards (EIA) 2022 competition.
Also speaking during the visit, the Country Manager of Ericsson Nigeria, Mr. Peter Ogundele, said that Ericsson Nigeria has played a pivotal role in Nigeria’s digital journey and the company remains committed to collaborating with partners to achieve significant milestones.
- “The telecom sector where Ericsson is an active player has been contributing to Nigeria’s GDP in a steady manner. We have also seen tremendous growth in the adoption of mobile money in Nigeria thanks to the solid telecom infrastructure in the country,” he said.
He added that Ericsson has employed hundreds of Nigerians including running a graduate program from 2018 to date.
The visit to Nigeria
During the visit, Ericsson highlighted current engagements in Africa’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) landscape and gave crucial updates on its Africa In Motion campaign.
The leadership delegation engaged in fruitful discussions with Nigeria’s communication service providers, stakeholders, and policymakers on pivotal topics in the nation’s communication industry.
As part of the discussions, Ericsson highlighted the critical role that connectivity plays in advancing the digital agenda of the country, as well as the potential of 5G, cloud computing, and Industry 4.0 technologies.
The discussions also touched on how Ericsson’s plethora of industry-leading solutions can help drive innovation across various sectors, meet the ever-evolving needs of the country, and strengthen collaborations and discourse on cutting-edge solutions to advance Nigeria’s digital revolution.
