As a regular attendee of the just concluded CES 2024, which held between January 9th to 12th, 2024, at the Las Vegas Convention Centre in Nevada, USA, I travelled from London, UK, to represent Stakan Technologies Limited at this year’s edition of the event.
Let me note that the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is a major tech event that features high-profile keynotes, state-of-the-art tech products, and a comprehensive overview of latest tech products and services around the globe, and it is considered the most influential of such events around the world.
That said, at the event, I had the opportunity to once again immerse myself in the sea of technological marvels. As a seasoned industrial attendee, I spent a well-planned three days exploring the halls at the Venetian Expo, Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), and Westgate venues, delving into the latest innovations and forging connections with both exhibitors and other attendees.
From Tuesday, January 9th to Thursday, January 11th, I traversed the expansive showcase of cutting-edge technologies, witnessing first-hand the advancements that promise to shape the future. Having attended many CES shows in the capacity of an industrial attendee, I am sure my perspective offers unique insights into the trends and gaps within the global tech landscape.
Stakan Technologies Limited, which is the company I represented, is a London-based firm focused on innovative solutions, with particular interest in IOT, renewable energy and sustainable technology. So it was a great pleasure to find myself amidst a plethora of ground-breaking technologies in Artificial Intelligence, green energy and automotive AI.
My exploration of the halls at the Venetian Expo, afforded me the opportunity to see emerging start-ups and established players showcase their latest products. The LVCC and Westgate venues, housing industry giants like, LG, Panasonic, Honda, Sony, Samsung etc, in the central hall, also saw an unveiling of flagship innovations, from AI aided medical and well-being products to immersive entertainment products, providing a comprehensive overview of the tech ecosystem.
I also visited government sponsored initiative stands from countries like the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, France, Japan etc at the Venetian Expo Hall G.
However, my visit this year also brought to light a poignant observation – the noticeable absence of many Nigerian tech enthusiasts, academics or even representatives of government agencies at the event. In the past, be it at the Supercomm, CEBIT, CITA, Mobile World Congress or CES shows, I have often run into many Nigerians at every turn of the event, both from the academia, Government regulatory agencies and the private sector. I eagerly scanned the name badges of other attendees that I hope were Nigerians only to be disappointed continuously.
I finally ran into a Nigerian brother on the very last day of my attendance. The serendipitous encounter with Dr. Adesiji Gbade-Alabi, who, although working in Nigeria, spends considerable time in Maryland in the USA. Our discussions went beyond the buzz of gadgets and gizmos, delving into a shared concern, which I mentioned earlier – the conspicuous absence of many Nigerian tech enthusiasts and academics at this year’s edition of the CES.
As two individuals passionate about the potential of Nigerian talents on the global tech stage, me and Dr. Alabi pondered the reasons behind this absence. The challenges posed by Forex exchange rates emerged as a prominent factor, limiting the ability of many from the Nigerian tech community to participate in such international events.
We both agreed that several Nigerian innovative companies should have attended to showcase solutions particularly focused on addressing the myriads of infrastructure challenges in our beloved country. Particularly in the area of renewable energy, given the never-ending challenge of power generation, transmission and distribution.
Dr. Alabi and I reflected on potential solutions, emphasising the importance of collaboration between the Nigerian government, academia, tech communities, and private sectors.
Dr Alabi expressed the need for initiatives that support Nigerian representation at global tech events, ensuring that the nation’s innovative minds are not left behind in the rapidly evolving landscape.
We would love to see collaborations between academia, private and public sector for initiatives to produce engineering solutions and the showcasing of such solutions at both local and Global events such as the CES in order to network with peers, align with technology standardisation practice and even source beneficial global partnerships.
As I wrapped up my visit to CES 2024, the insights gained fueled my determination to contribute towards bridging the tech gap between Nigeria and other technologically advanced nations.
I have pledged to myself that I will explore avenues for collaboration and advocate for initiatives that empower Nigerian tech enthusiasts and academics to participate more actively in global technology events such as the CES, as was the case in the past.
I however hope that the Nigerian public, especially stakeholders, both on the government and private sector divide, would see the importance of events like this, and make the same pledge on a larger scale.
About author: Stephen Akanbi is a UK-based engineer, founder of AFC Media UK and Stakan Technologies Limited.