IBM has announced it will establish a software incubation center and support ICT skills development programs in Nigeria.

The announcement was made during a working visit of  the Chairman, President and Chief Executive officer of IBM, Virginia ‘Ginni’ Rometty, to the Ministry in Abuja, reports Biz Tech Africa.

During the visit, Rometty said that IBM would create an innovation center in Nigeria by the first quarter of 2014 and fund major ICT research projects, complementing the efforts of the Ministry of Communication Technology’s iDEA incubation centers to make Nigeria a hub for software innovation.

This is all part of  IBM’s renewed focus and commitment to Africa and Nigeria in particular. Rometty also said that IBM will leverage its extensive ICT curriculum to partner to train thousands of young Nigerians and fund ICT research projects in Nigeria on ICT skills and prepare them to solve major ICT issues and challenges and would in the short to medium term be establishing an Innovation Center in Nigeria that would complement existing centers in South Africa and Kenya, reports Biz Tech Africa.

“IBM is committed to Nigeria’s ICT development agenda and is poised to partner with the Communications Technology sector on various initiatives and programs that will impact positively on the economy as IBM continues to invest in key focus areas of technology development in Nigeria, and Africa,’’ said Rometty.

The Minister of Communication Technology, Omobola Johnson, applauded IBM for its renewed focus and commitment to Nigeria after a long history of operations in Nigeria. She added that IBM’s investment in an innovation center, research funding and training and development of local skills was a welcome response to the Ministry’s continued call for multinational ICT companies to partner with the Ministry to develop a local ICT industry that can take advantage of the tremendous opportunities in the ICT sector.