"Ogbomoso Digital Economy Summit aims to delve into the appropriate strategies to leverage the combined efforts and resources of the government." - Jesudamilare Adesegun-David

This week, between Wednesday, November 1 and Thursday, November 2, the second edition of Ogbomoso Digital Economy Summit was held at The Hall, LAUTECH, between 10am to 4pm daily.

Ogbomoso Digital Economy Summit (ODES) is an annual gathering of stakeholders within Ogbomoso and the wider national and international community.

The summit creates host to economic stakeholders of this emergent and rising city which is poised to become a model for secondary cities across Nigeria and Africa in its ascent to becoming a strong player in the global digital economy.

The theme for the 2023 Summit is, "Building a Sustainable Economy through Digital Transformation."

Jesudamilare Adesegun-David, one of the co-conveners and Co-founder of Ennovate Lab, during the commencement of the summit, said that the theme and the line-up of speakers was to enlighten all stakeholders present on the impact of digital transformation in building a sustainable economy in Ogbomoso.

He also opined that the Summit aims to delve into the appropriate strategies to leverage the combined efforts and resources of the government, academia, and the private sector, to ensure that the city thrives in the evolving digital landscape, safeguarding its economic prosperity for the long term.

The Conference which lasted for 2 days featured Keynotes from national and international speakers, Panel Sessions across diverse economic sectors, Lightning Talks, and Workshops.

Also, this second edition was graced with 36 national and international speakers, including, Soun of Ogbomosoland, His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye (Orunmogege III); Prof ROM Kalilu, the Acting Vice Chancellor of the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Tim Handorf, Co-founder of G2 Crowd; Oluseun Onigbinde, Global Director of BudgIt; Remi Odunsi, CEO, Eridan Group; Jesudamilare Adesegun-David, Co-founder and CEO, Innovate Lab; Dr. Adeyemi C. Aderinto, Director, SQI College of ICT; Dr. Kolawole Oladipo, Founder, Helix Biogen Consult; Tayo Sobowale, CEO, The Pitch Business Community; Rev Peter Bright, Founder, Mandatic DIMEC, and Abiola Dabiri, Asst. Vice President Corporate Secretariat of Africa Finance Corporation, amongst others.

Akindutire Ebenezer, a 500L LAUTECH student who attended the summit said he was intentional particular about attending this year's edition of ODES because of the plethora of speakers available and it didn't disappoint.

"In day one, I learnt about the brief history of Ogbomosho, positioning yourself for investors as an entrepreneur, and many more. It was in all a wonderful and successful event as not only was it for business owners and working class individuals, but also for students who are still unsure of what to do as it gave insight to different areas of specialisation.” Akindutire added.