A celebrity journalist and the founder of the Best of Nollywood (BON) ventures, Seun Oloketuyi, has been honoured with the Ekiti Future Agenda award.
The award was presented to him on Thursday during the Ekiti Future Agenda Roundtable held in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
Speaking at the roundtable, the covener, Adesina Adetola, explained that Oloketuyi was recognised as an emerging leader and inspiring individual for promoting Nigeria’s entertainment class and elegance with his Best of Nollywood Awards.
Oloketuyi, who was also among the “20 Ekiti leading lights and role models” inducted into the Ekiti Future Agenda Hall of Fame, has in the past 15 years successfully made Best of Nollywood Awards the longest-running award platform in Nigeria, honouring outstanding achievements in the film industry.
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The Ekiti Future Agenda roundtable, themed Ekiti Knowledge Zone: Its Mission and the Missing Point, witnessed the presence of stakeholders from diverse backgrounds including the Ekiti Commissioner for Innovation, Technology and Digital Economy, Seun Fakuade, who was the lead discussant.
The participants unanimously agreed that all hands must be on deck to ensure that the purpose of the Knowledge Zone is ultimately utilised.
Speaking at the event, Fakuade revealed that a total amount of about $18 billion has been approved to run the project, which is expected to become a reality in the next two years.
He said, “The Ekiti Knowledge Zone is expected to generate a revenue of 100 million dollars annually. More so, the Knowledge Zone is going to be an industrial park, a cluster of innovative ideas, and new generation cum revolutionary economic start-ups that will help to transmit knowledge to money.”
Speaking further, the commissioner affirmed that “With the Knowledge Zone, Ekiti will become the intellectual capital of Nigeria in truth and indeed. In a very nearest future, developers will see Ekiti State as their most resourceful destination point.
“More importantly, the administration of Governor Biodun Oyebanji has put in place startup innovations, finance, academia and other significant research entities which will create economic wealth for Ekiti State.
“Therefore when the Knowledge Zone is in full operation, it will be a home for people with productive ideas and innovations.”
In the same vein, Otunba Taiwo Ojo, an IT expert, innovator and international businessman said, “All hands must be on deck to ensure that the dream comes to reality. And if the idea is followed with the genuineness of mind and intention, Ekiti can get more than $ 100 billion annually from the zone.
“We should be preparing ourselves ahead for this opportunity coming. And one of the ways to prepare ahead for this opportunity is by creating more awareness, especially by orientating the youth populace and encouraging them towards personal development and skill acquisition.”
Also speaking at the event, another discussant, Aare Temitope Amerijoye, expressed his dissatisfaction with the level of poverty in the land and encouraged the government to do more in the areas of job creation for the teeming youths.
Also, most of the participants who contributed to the discourse were of the opinion that in the contemporary world, the Internet is the heart of business and they unanimously advocated for reliable Internet services across communities and settlements in all the 16 local government areas and 19 local council development areas of the state.
Moreover, they posited that Ekiti sons and daughters home and abroad must take advantage of the Ekiti Knowledge Zone and learn skills which will enable them to be functional in society.
Similarly, they agreed that the state government needs to review and modify both primary and secondary school curricula to encourage the acquisition of relevant modern skills, as well as the introduction of an ICT club in the schools to reinforce the spirit of technology innovations in the young ones.
Speaking earlier while welcoming guests and participants to the event, Adesina Adetola, the convener of Ekiti Future Agenda, explained that the roundtable is designed to provide a platform for Ekiti stakeholders from diverse backgrounds to rub minds and fashion out way forward for the state in all areas.
