Corporate Liaison and Advocacy
The unit explores R&D efforts from local institutions (like universities and research institutes) and identifies harnessable innovative ideas with potentials for commercialization. It also coordinates research visits to the center, like sabbatical tenancy for visiting researchers, and serves as the interaction link with the other entities in the ecosystem – Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation (ONDI), MIT Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program (MIT-REAP), and MassChallenge programs. Additionally, the unit serves as the business face of the center, projecting and coordinating the center’s digital consultancy services to other government agencies and private entities.
The unit promotes the center and its activities through public relations and advocacy programs and maintains a strong online presence via social media outlets and effective website deployment and maintenance. It is responsible for coordinating the center’s participation in exhibitions and trade shows to further market its activities and products to the corporate world and other government agencies.
Advocacy
The aim of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics is to champion the course of digital innovation in Nigeria and to promote innovation-driven entrepreneurship across all sectors. In promoting NITDA’s mandate to develop the ICT sector, the center actively engages innovators, makers, and DIY enthusiasts and renders its expertise to encourage participation and the flourishing of innovation-driven entrepreneurship culture across Nigeria.
Corporate Social Responsibility
The center engages in digital corporate social responsibility (CSR) to champion digital innovation, increase environmental responsibility awareness and promote technology adoption in Nigerian societies. The center, among other digital-CSR activities, engages in the following:
- Organizing seminars and workshops to promote innovation-driven entrepreneurship;
- Organizing training sessions for schools and local communities on relevant topics such as smart agriculture and digital technology adoption in day-to-day engagements; and
- Donating “Made by NITDA” products and services to schools and local communities.