TheCable

The Imo state government says it has been ranked as the first in terms of digital innovation and entrepreneurship development in Nigeria.

In a statement on Monday,  Sandra Opara, public relations officer (PRO) at the Imo state ministry of the digital economy and e-government, said the state was ranked in the new state of entrepreneurship index report for Nigeria by the FATE Institute.

The entrepreneurship index is a yearly measure of entrepreneurship development across states in Nigeria.

“Imo swept the points in the five parameters considered in the study that produced the report,” Opara said.

“The parameters include business performance, skills acquisition, innovation, and digital technology adoption, perception of the future opportunities, and enabling business environment. Each parameter carries 20 points.

“According to the report, Imo scored 17, 16, 18, 22, and 8 respectively, recording an aggregate index score of 82.

“With 82 aggregate points, Imo gapped the first runner-up, Bauchi, by 10 points. While Bauchi scored 72 points, Delta scored 70. 

“In the report, Kaduna, Lagos, Rivers, Oyo, Ogun, and Kano were ranked 8th, 13th, 15th 16th, 17th, and 21st respectively, while FCT and Taraba took the 36th and 37th positions [respectively].

“After the top three, there are 12 states with between 60 and 69 points; 15 states within 50 and 59; three between 40 and 49 while the last- Kogi, FCT, and Taraba scored between 36 and 39 points.”

Commenting on the report, Chimezie Amadi, Imo’s commissioner for digital economy and e-government, said there was no doubt that the digital entrepreneurship initiative for the youths was yielding positive results.

“We are happy that our modest work in Imo state, via the SkillUpImo project and other laudable people-centric initiatives under the leadership of distinguished senator Hope Uzodimma, has placed the state on the top of the national log of the state-level entrepreneurship index ranking published by the FATE Institute,” he said.

According to Amadi, the statute entrepreneurship initiative — SkillUpImo — aims to train 300,000 youths in the state.

He said the implementation has been upbeat, with 5,000 trained in various digital skills, while the ministry targets 15,000 in the second cohort.

The commissioner also lauded the governor’s commitment to driving greater entrepreneurship, and creating an enabling environment for such to thrive in the state.

He noted that the initiative has attracted big organisations and tech giants to partner with the state.

On her part, Adenike Adeyemi, executive director, FATE Foundation, said the promotion and support of entrepreneurship was key to growth.

“Given that entrepreneurship is key to the development of any economy through its contribution to job creation, revenue generation, and improved citizens’ welfare,” Adeyemi said.

“This index provides quantifiable information that can help policymakers to assess interventions against a set of indicators — business performance, skill acquisition, innovation and technology adoption, perception of opportunities and an enabling business environment.”