Sir Mac Atasie

Innovation and production targeted at exportation to rich nations are the keys that will unlock opportunities for economic prosperity for Nigerians and fast-track development for the Country at says Sir Mac Atasie, a Business Management Consultant and  Chief Economic Adviser to Abia governor, Dr Okezie Ikpeazu

"To live in today's world, we need to create new things, we need to be disciplined enough to produce those new things and make them available for  people to buy  as well as build environment to produce the new ideas that you have imagined; an environment that will give you the capacity to sale those ideas to the rest of the world” Sir Atasie declared in Umuahia during an interactive session with media practitioners

He maintained that: ”Innovation means breaking from the usual way of doing things 

”In my opinion, innovation is the single bullet that will push for success and economic development for our families, businesses, individuals, for a state and a country.

”Failure to innovate means you keep doing that same thing you have always done and you know that doing the same thing and expecting different result is called madness” 

Atasie, who is the  Chief Executive Officer of NEXTZON Business Services Ltd, further added that   innovation and action  will lift Nigeria from poverty, "Nigerians have the capacity to change the narratives by thinking more on how to be productive and export to the developed nations of the world"

He also urged Nigeria government at all levels to train people on how to produce things and export to the developed nations of the world revealing stressing that ”a poor nation can not generate development capital by selling to poor citizens and that a poor nation can only achieve accelerated growth and development if it can finance its vision”

"Nigerians", he argued must  "innovate their way into peoples’ pockets, maintaining that.  It is what you produce for people to buy that gives you the money to live well as a person and gives you the money to pay tax to your government to be able to do great things to make the country to operate as a developed nation.

”If you do not produce what people of today and tomorrow need ,they will not pay you the kind of money you need.

”To produce what is needed today and tomorrow is a product of innovation, because you are not producing what has always been there, you are producing something new.

”You are finding new ways of using the new tools we have in our lives today to solve human problems and to provide services and products that people are ready and comfortable to buy because the product you have is nicer to them, more convenient for them and more cost effective to them than the one that was produced yesterday by someone else, that is how life is"

Atasie who also spoke on socio-economic development in Abia state proffered that if we can get Aba right as the economic hub of the state, we can get Abia right

” We must find a way to regain the old leadership status of Aba and Abia state.  We can begin from familiar sectors that can drive the revolution such as leather and garments, agro-processing, improved infrastructural base, solid minerals, natural resources and all of us need to think more on how to be productive and sale to the world”, he stressed

Atasie further listed businesses and government processes  NEXTZON Business Services had automated or digitalised including, payment systems like - Fintech, Interswitch, E-Trazact,  agency banking, ABSSIN, for Abia govt,  NIN, Land management system for several state govts, IGR enhancement  among others.

According to him,  NEXTZON's latest innovation is  assisting governments in creating new technology  called ‘pay small, small ‘ to help the average Nigerian who earns his money small, small to pay his taxes 'small, small' pointing out that, our tax system expect taxpayers  to pay  tax enblock which he described nearly impossible, therefore responsible for tax evasion.

” So we have created an algorithm ,a technology that allows people pay small , small and will attach to their names or whatever that will identify them, so they pay small, small without pressure.

Summing up  Atasie submits: ”My view is that the world is getting automated, every single thing we do now is being translated into the world of technology, so anybody who can do automation stands chance to be very valuable to the rest of the world"