President Muhammadu Buhari has praised the role that the digital economy has played in spurring economic growth, generating jobs, and generating revenue for the nation. He claimed that the auctioning of the 5G spectrum alone brought in $547 million, which has expanded the options for financing development.
The National Shared Services Centre, a one-stop shop for Ministries, Departments, and Agencies to engage with citizens, which also houses a Cybersecurity Operations Centre, Network Center, and Call Center, was officially opened by him on Tuesday in Abuja.
The National Shared Services Center will offer services that are “swift, secure, and seamless,” according to the President.
President Buhari noted that the Information, Communication, and Technology (ICT) sector had sped up the economy’s diversification, and the National Bureau of Statistics’ Q2 Gross Domestic Product Report demonstrated the extent of growth, with the ICT sector contributing an unprecedented 18.44 percent to the GDP, nearly three times the 6.33 percent contribution of the oil sector in the same quarter.
As part of our efforts to build out our digital infrastructure, we expanded the number of 4G base stations from 13,823 to 36,751 since August 2019 to the present. This improved the percentage of 4G coverage throughout the nation from 23% to 77.52% since August 2019 to the present. We also implemented the roll-out of 5G services in response to this.
The success of the digital economy sector in bringing in money for the government is significant. Particularly, our independent experts determined that the digital economy sector had achieved 594 percent of its income target from the 2019 baseline during the Ministerial Retreat that I presided over on October 18 and 19, 2022. This is quite admirable. The sector garnered over $547 million from the auctioning of the 5G spectrum alone as part of these exceptional accomplishments,” he stated.
A variety of projects that further the government’s commitment to creating a sustainable digital economy in Nigeria were unveiled and commissioned by President Buhari, who expressed his pleasure in doing so.
In addition, Buhari stated that these initiatives are a part of the administration’s efforts to position the digital economy as a crucial facilitator for the diversification of our economy and as a catalyst for the transformation of every sector of our economy.
You may recall that on November 28, 2019, I revealed and inaugurated the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria, and I’m quite happy of the enormous strides and the historic accomplishments we’ve made in the less than a year since that time.
“I recently approved the suspension of the proposed excise duty in the telecoms sector, as any initiative that will lead to hardship for the citizens would not be pursued,” the President said. “To ensure that the digital economy sector remains successful and in order to reduce the burden on citizens.
According to President Buhari, the digital economy ensured continuity in governance throughout the COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions that were put in place.
“On October 14, 2020, we approved the National Policy on Virtual Engagements for Federal Public Institutions, which allowed us to formally establish government online meetings. As a result, statutory meetings, including those of the Federal Executive Council, the Council of State, and others, can now be conducted efficiently and lawfully online.
“The world applauds our administration’s dedication to encouraging data promotion and privacy, and we have grown the number of people using digital identities from 39 million in October 2020 to roughly 92 million at this time.
“The enormous growth of roughly 63 million in only two years is a success story for the entire world and has prompted several calls for partnerships from both African and non-African nations. In order to provide an institutional framework for data protection in Nigeria in accordance with international best practices, I also approved the establishment of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau on February 4th, 2022, the President said to the group of ICT professionals and government officials.
He claimed that several strategies and programs had been created to raise the productivity of the digital economy sector.
“For instance, the National Policy on NIN-SIM Integration has improved the National Identification Number database’s integrity. Similar to how the Nigerian Postal Service was repositioned through service unbundling to improve its effectiveness and raise its viability as a government body that generates income, The Property & Development Company and the Transport & Logistics Company are the two subsidiaries.
“I designated the 24th of October as Digital Nigeria Day as part of the NDEPS. The fact that the first Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibitions kicked off on October 24th, 2022, makes me very happy. I am sure that the Conference’s results, as stated in the Communiqué, will help the sector of the digital economy expand.
The Nigeria Startup Bill became a law on October 19, 2022, after my signature. This administration’s historic legislation, the Nigeria Startup Act, aims to turn Nigeria’s pool of highly gifted youngsters into one of highly creative digital entrepreneurs. Nigeria will become a major hub for digital talent, is our goal. The Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy had proposed an Executive Bill, he continued.
President Buhari also mentioned collaborations with top international ICT firms to provide Nigerians with training in cutting-edge, in-demand digital skills.
“This includes the five million Nigerians who will receive training as part of a collaboration with Microsoft Corporation. Additionally, a further million Nigerians will receive training in fields like blockchain technology, cybersecurity, and data analytics, among others, the President said.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, along with other players, have achieved enormous gains in the digital economy sector, which President Buhari praised and called amazing.
In his remarks, the President’s accompanying Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Alli Ibrahim Pantami, thanked him for his support of the digital economy, which has seen growth in broadband/Internet penetration, skill acquisition for global competitiveness, and infrastructure development, like the fiber optic cable, whose length increased from 15,000 km to more than 60,000 km since 2015.
According to Pantami, there have been 2,255 interventions and programs in secondary schools, some private schools, and higher education institutions. The quarterly revenue from ICT has increased from N51 billion to N418 billion, and eminent organizations like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States have expressed interest in studying the rate of sector growth.
The minister assured that the use of ICT will speed up the process of economic diversification by citing a number of policy initiatives that had a direct influence on citizens, markets, institutions, and governance.
400 Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, according to Prof. Muhammed Bello Abubakar, Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, are already connected to the National Shared Services Center.
At the conclusion of the event, President Buhari honored two young Nigerians for their ingenuity and creativity as well as for representing the country’s talent at a major ICT conference. These individuals were Kalim Haruna, the creator of the “Sharp-Sharp” system, and Bashir Abubakar, the founder of “Africa First.”
