Fintech Expert Charges Oyo to Prepare Citizens for Job Evolution

Omolabake Fasogbon

Managing Director of Remita Payment Services Limited, DeRemi Atanda has charged policymakers, business leaders, and institutions in Oyo state to take concrete steps in preparing citizens for evolving digital economy.

He stressed that the future of the state’s economy will depend largely on how it is able to anticipate technological disruption and equip its workforce accordingly.

Atanda declared this at the Jericho Businessmen Club’s 3rd Annual Socio-Economic Summit that held in Ibadan recently.

During a panel discussion themed “Future-Ready Oyo State: Tech, Talent, and Transformation for a Thriving Tomorrow,” Atanda warned job displacement fears would be greatest among those unprepared for digital transitions, noting those fully prepared will be the ones to thrive alongside AI disruption.

He thus urged the state to build local opportunities, strengthen digital confidence, and ensure policy coherence with robust institutional support for technology governance.

He said, “There is no perfect country anywhere. If we do not celebrate our wins, the next generation will only be inspired by stories from elsewhere. A future-ready Oyo State is one where digitally empowered citizens can earn globally while living locally. You do not need to leave here to earn beyond Oyo State.

“The prosperity of the state is thus tied to tech adoption. The Office of the Special Assistant on ICT and E-Governance must be given prominence because it serves as the bridge between government and the broader technology ecosystem.

Quarterly engagements between state technology leaders and the ICT sector to reinforce accountability are crucial to express the government’s readiness for the task.

He further highlighted the benefits of digital empowerment to fiscal growth, noting that the state’s population, network of tertiary institutions, and training centers are strategic assets.

“Digitally skilled workers are twice as likely to secure high-growth employment, hence must be treated as an economic imperative, not an academic exercise,” he noted.

The summit brought together notable figures, including Senior Special Assistant on ICT & eGovernance to the Oyo State Governor, Adebayo Akande; Country Head of GoMyCode, Babatunde Olaifa; Head of Computer Science and AI at the University of Ibadan, Professor Bolanle Oladejo; and Director General of the National Board for Technology Incubation, Dr. Kazeem Kolawole Raji.