PwC, UNDP sign MoU on strategic technology initiatives
L-R: Femi Osinubi,Partner West Africa Technology Leader, PwC Nigeria; Uti Akpata, Regional Senior Partner PWC Nigeria; Ahunna Eziakonwa, Assistant Secretary General and Head, UNDP; Muhammad Yahya, Resident Representative UNDP.
By Olawunmi Ashafa
Price Water House Coopers (PwC) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to promote a technology enabled approach to the transformation of the nation’s socio-economic landscape.
Mr Uyi Akpata, Regional Senior Partner, PwC, in his remarks, at the signing of the MoU between PwC and UNDP on Wednesday, in Lagos, said it was a step towards achieving the shared objectives of both institutions.
Akpata said based on the MoU, PwC and the UNDP would collaborate on several strategic initiatives that would include facilitating the transfer of skills, knowledge, and competencies that enable a culture of innovation, entrepreneurship and employment creation.
He said it would also help in catalysing policy dialogues that connect and link the private and public sectors with the start up ecosystem.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PwC launched Experience Centre in 2019 to accelerate the ability to provide digital centric services to its clients, through a combination of business understanding, human insight, and the power of emerging technology.
Akpata noted that the PwC Experience Centre was established to foster innovation that creates products and services which delight its customers and make a difference in the society.
“Further, this strategic collaboration with the UNDP is in line with our refreshed global strategy, The New Equation.
“We, in PwC Africa, have six focus areas based on this refreshed strategy. I’m excited to note these focus areas speak directly to achieving the SDGs.
“Most importantly, one of the focus areas is partnering, to achieve international development goals.
“The UNDP is arguably the best partner in this regard. So, signing this MOU is a giant step that all adds up to The New Equation,” he said.
Speaking further on the Experience Centre, Mr Femi Osunubi, Partner, PwC, described the centre as “the home of disruptive innovation and emerging technologies” as it is a purpose-built space, equipped with interactive, digital spaces and a demo lab.
According to him, it hosts a cross-functional team of experts who work collaboratively, bringing together the best of business, technology and experience-driven consulting.
“We co-create with clients, solving relevant problems and building remarkable products. Our mission is to help organisations answer questions which are most important to them.
“We have a team of creative and analytical thinkers that draw insights from research and interactive workshops sessions, and execute and non-traditional consulting experiences for our clients.
“We are excited to be collaborating with UNDP to solve Africa’s important problems and drive the development of the continent through creative thinking and technology enabled approaches.”
Also, Dr William Tsuma, Senior Advisor Programme Manager, UNDP, said the collaboration was to ensure innovative solutions to some of the complex development issues facing the country, using new technology and data.
According to him, it will assist in finding a way to spot entrepreneurs and young Nigerians in becoming part of the larger developmental agenda in the country.
“Working with the experience from PwC is a commitment from both, as part of transforming the social economic landscape of the country. So, signing the agreement today is a testament at the commitment between the two organisations.”
Tsuma also said the centre would help find the right solutions to challenges that were increasingly becoming complex in the country.
” We all need digital solutions , we need technology. We need to find a new way of getting data. We need new ways of dealing with problems that are becoming complex, whether it is agriculture, climatic changes, instability, corporate governance, among others.
“At UNDP, we are the development agency of the UN system. PwC Experience on the other hand has experience in providing professional services to clients. The experience centre is an hub, a frontier of new opportunities,” he said.
