By Clifford Agugoesi, Editor-in-Chief
If you are reading this piece, do not lose your cool on this reporter, even if you do not share the same religious belief with him. By this account, there is no attempt to target any one or group who do not believe in God, for whatever reason. It is an actuality report to which anyone or group are at liberty to agree or disagree with. In my effort to have a good context on which to premise what you are about to read, the word vision easily lent itself and I adopted it without hesitation. Vision. Why vision? How critical is vision in the human scheme of things? The Bible verse “Where there is no vision, the people perish” is found in Proverbs 29:18. It refers to the lack of divine guidance or revelation from God leading people to stray and suffer. The verse emphasizes that without God’s Word, and the wisdom it provides, people will lose direction, become undisciplined, and ultimately come to ruin.”
Cyber Era NG was birthed on the strength of divine guidance. Its Vision is: A world In which ICT transforms lives and livelihoods. Aligned with this vision is its Pay Off Line: …Catalysing the Digital Economy. We leave the judgment as to whether or not this medium is living up to its vision and mission statements to you, our valued readers.
You will agree with me that sometimes, aligning with others’ vision helps you to achieve your dreams. This is what they call “buy-in.” Meaning you are persuaded you will give and derive value by so doing. This Tuesday morning, I felt this same way, too, as was the case apriori.
Tony Ajah is a Business Growth Strategist, that provides strategic business support services for budding entrepreneurs, SMEs, and organisations… Tony and I knew each other but lost communication for many years. So, very early Tuesday morning, when I saw a mail from him, I became curious. Here is what Tony said to me… over email:
“RE: The 2025 Nigeria Innovation Summit Starts Today at MUSON Centre, Lagos
Dear Team,
I hope you’re doing great. This is a quick reminder that the 2025 Nigeria Innovation Summit kicks off today, October 7, 2025, at the MUSON Centre, Lagos, starting at 9:00 AM.
We’re excited to have the media community join us as we bring together innovators, business leaders, policymakers, and development partners to shape the future of innovation across Africa.
Your presence and coverage mean a lot to us, and we look forward to seeing you capture the incredible moments and conversations that will unfold over the next two days (October 7–8, 2025).
Please plan to arrive a bit early for smooth check-in and setup.
Thank you once again for being part of this journey of innovation and impact.
Warm regards,
Tony Ajah”
Trust me, I responded, if only to facilitate shared meaning between Tony and I. Here was my reply: “Good morning, Tony.
Quite an age! Thanks for your invite. I am not sure you shared any heads-up on this earlier or did you?
Looking forward to being at the event.
Best regards,
Clifford Agugoesi
Editor-in-Chief
Cyber Era NG
08033229865”
I jumped on this invite, and headed for the MUSON Centre, Lagos, inspite of the heavy rains that lasted for hours and got some parts of Lagos, as usual, heavily flooded!
The 10th Edition of the Nigeria Innovation Summit had as its theme: Sustainable Innovation. On page 8 of the Brochure for the event, Tony captures the value proposition of the NIS and I quote him verbatim:
Let’s Build Sustainable Innovations
True innovation is not just about what’s next, but about what lasts. As our society grapples with pressing challenges, it is clear that innovation must extend beyond what is new to include what is sustainable. This year’s NIS theme, Sustainable Innovation, could not be more timely.
We must rethink how we create and build solutions that serve not just the present, but also protect and empower generations to come and uplift the society. The future belongs to those who innovate sustainably.
Today is a significant milestone and a celebration of a decade of driving conversations, building collaborations, and inspiring actions that shape the future of innovation in Nigeria and Africa. We began this journey ten years ago to create a platform where ideas could find support, and where bold thinking could spark lasting change. Looking back, we are proud of how far we have come. Thanks to everyone who has unwaveringly supported us in this journey.
Nigeria sits on a vast demographic and creative advantage with a very young population. This youthful energy is a powerful engine for ideas, enterprise,, and impact, if we channel it toward durable solutions and create long-term value for society. If we build sustainably, we will leave a legacy.
Over the next two days, you’ll hear from some of the brightest minds across industries, explore how innovation can drive sustainable development, strengthen industries, empower young people, and transform communities. We’ll spotlight sustainable solutions that can be replicated across states and across Africa with measurable impacts. Most importantly, we will connect, collaborate, and commit ourselves to action that will spark the next big thing.
NIS has become a place where Nigeria’s best minds commit to innovations that endure. I encourage you to engage fully and be open to new ideas and partnerships. This year again, the summit provides an opportunity for participants to collaborate and increase their interconnectedness.
We shall continue to bring together key stakeholders from different sectors of the economy for forward-thinking conversations, strategic connections to help Nigeria attain global competiveness, collaborate, and build and grow a robust community of like minds that’ll help Nigeria to move in the direction of true digital and technological transformation.
We appreciate the partnership and support from all our sponsors and partners, distinguished speakers, panelists, volunteers, the media, all local and foreign delegates, and participants joining us across different platforms around the world. I specially want to appreciate the support of my brilliant team for helping in no small ways to make this year’s summit possible. On behalf of Innovation Hub Africa, the organizers of the Nigeria Innovation Summit, I welcome everyone to NIS X. Let us innovate sustainably and together build a future we can all be proud of.
Tony Ajah, The Programme Director, NIS.”
Still wondering why I chose to attend? Watch this space for more on the NIS X.
