Digital innovations, jobs creation, and wealth creation are priority areas for the administration of President Bola Tinubu, the minister of communications, Innovations, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani said on Tuesday, October 24.
He said the present administration would leverage its huge population, especially among the youths to make Nigeria the first destination for investments in Africa, adding that massive infrastructure developments are underway in the telecommunications sector.
Tijani made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the Digital Nigeria International Conference 2023 organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja.
The minister who praised the telecommunications industry stakeholders in Nigeria for their resilience and commitment to ensuring consistent growth in the sector, pointed out that submarine cable entrepreneurs have increased from seven to nine for massive expansion of telecommunications infrastructures.
He explained that the administration would focus on five main pillars of knowledge, policies, infrastructures, innovation/entrepreneurship, and capital for effective contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country.
Tijani said,
“Today is a special celebration of the progress that we have collectively made in the digital space in Nigeria. It is a celebration of our leaders of entrepreneurs who built on the telecommunications infrastructure that we have seen in the country.
“Those who have invested in the submarine cable that we have. We have seven of them today, going to nine by the information on my desk.
“We should also celebrate the tech entrepreneurs that have taken it upon themselves to ensure that the backbone that we have invested in is being converted to value for our country.
“Today, Nigeria is the top destination for technology startup capital in Africa with about 5 million dollars invested in tech startup up in the continent last year, we took 20 percent of that total investment just to Nigeria.
“So we recognize the amazing work by agencies like NITDA and Gallaxy backbone and now the Data Commission which is an essential part of the sector, including NIGCOMSAT.”
The director general of NITDA, Malam Kashifu Inuwa noted that the event symbolised the collective aspiration of stakeholders to position Nigeria at the forefront of digital innovation.
He described the digital ecosystem as bringing about “exciting times of technological advancement around the world”, noting that such exciting times are at the core of the renewed hope agenda of President Bola Tinubu. He praised the President for the vision of inclusive economic growth, productivity, and prosperity for all, adding that digital transformation remains the best tool for the country.
Inuwa said,
“The vision is to use digital technologies to foster job creation. The Digital Nigeria conference is designed to achieve these core objectives for networking, and activation of conversation that can lead to innovation, policy direction/regulation, and a stronger ecosystem that will bring about global visibility.”