Nigeria ICT Fest

Nigeria ICT Fest (NIF) is an initiative to engender economic development in Nigeria by leveraging Information and Communications Technology (ICT).[1][2] The event's goal is help Nigeria brace up with emerging cutting edge technologies.[3][4]

Nigeria ICT Fest

Founder(s)	Agbolade Omowole
Established	February 2015
Mission	To engender economic development in Nigeria and Africa by leveraging emerging technologies -
Focus	genetic engineering, robotics, nanotechnology, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and virtual reality among others
Executive	Agbolade Omowole
Faculty	10 Advisory Board and 4 Board of Directors
Key people	Agbolade Omowole, Kristel Van den Bergh, Imolode Michael and Nicholas Allen Carlough
Subsidiaries	Ghana ICT Fest
Website	www.nigeriaictfest.com

Activities

Nigeria ICT Fest serves as a platform for ICT initiatives in Nigeria and provides opportunities to network across borders.[5]

Nigeria ICT Fest 2015

According to an article on the institute for ethics and emerging technologies website, the first edition of Nigeria ICT Fest was held in December 2015 in Victoria Island, Lagos. Scientists such as Aubrey de Grey,[6] James Hughes, Ben Goertzel and Natasha Vita-More spoke remotely (via Skype) at the event.[7] Aubrey de Grey spoke on Rejuvenation Biotechnology: Undoing aging with regenerative medicine.[8]

Micah Redding spoke on the first day, December 4 on the topic: "Christianity, Emerging Technologies, and the developing world — Nigeria's role in humanity's future." He challenged the view that Christians are not supposed to be actively involved in society, and advised that church should take advantage of technologies.[9][10]

Mira Kwak, an Artificial intelligence researcher from Seoul Korea spoke on day 2, December 5, 2015 on how to be a leading country by and in ICT. She talked about culture and how Nigerian culture could be portrayed positively to the international community.[11][12]

Publications

According to Ana Frunza, researcher at LUMEN Research Center in Social & Humanistic Sciences, LUMEN Research Center in Social & Humanistic Sciences announced their collaboration with Mascot Information and Technology Solutions (MITS), Nigeria, the official organizer of the Nigeria ICT Fest 2015 in November 30, 2015. In this collaboration, LUMEN Research Center is sponsoring the publication of the proceeding papers resulted from the scientific event Nigeria ICT Fest 2015.[13]

References

1. http://www.publicrelations.ng/brands/nigeria-ict-fest-how-to-bridge-the-technology-gap-between-nigeria-and-developed-world/
2. https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21600685-nigerias-suddenly-supersized-economy-indeed-wonder-so-are-its-still-huge
3. Editor, Business Day Newspaper (November 2015); Mascot Information and Technology Solutions holds the maiden edition of Nigeria ICT Fest. Business Day Newspaper. http://businessdayonline.com/2015/11/mascot-information-and-technology-solutions-holds-the-maiden-edition-of-nigeria-ict-fest/. Retrieved March 10, 2016.
4. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/01/how-nigeria-can-leverage-on-ict/
5. http://www.jollyboss.com/tag/nigeria-ict-fest/
6. http://www.slideshare.net/nigeriaictfest/aubrey-de-greys-slide-nigeria-ict-fest-2015
7. http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/omowole20150119
8. Aubrey de Grey (2015): Rejuvenation Biotechnology: Undoing aging with regenerative medicine, http://www.slideshare.net/nigeriaictfest/aubrey-de-greys-slide-nigeria-ict-fest-2015. Retrieved March 08, 2016.
9. http://thelatestmeditationnews.com/2016/02/07/report-on-nigeria-ict-festival-2015/
10. http://lumenresearch.net/2015/11/30/lumen-research-center-in-social-humanistic-sciences-sponsor-in-publication-of-nigeria-ict-fest-2015/
11. Mira Kwak (2015): Becoming a leading country by and in ICT. http://www.slideshare.net/nigeriaictfest/mira-kwaks-slide-nigeria-ict-fest-2015. Retrieved March 28, 2016.
12. Laju Iren (January 2016); How Nigeria can leverage on ICT. Vanguard Newspaper. http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/01/how-nigeria-can-leverage-on-ict. Retrieved March 15, 2016.
13. Ana Frunza (November 2015); LUMEN Research Center in Social & Humanistic Sciences – sponsor in publication of Nigeria ICT Fest 2015. http://lumenresearch.net/2015/11/30/lumen-research-center-in-social-humanistic-sciences-sponsor-in-publication-of-nigeria-ict-fest-2015/. Retrieved March 11, 2016.