President Buhari and the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Alli Ibrahim Pantami, commissioned the National Shared Services Centre, a one-stop-shop for ministries, departments, and agencies to interface with citizens. It also houses a cybersecurity operations centre, a network centre, and a call centre.
The National Shared Services Centre will deliver "fast, secure, seamless" services, said the president.
President Buhari noted that the information, communication, and technology sector (ICT) accelerated the economy's diversification. The National Bureau of Statistics' Q2 Gross Domestic Product Report revealed the extent of growth, with ICT contributing an unprecedented 18.44 percent to GDP, nearly three times the oil sector's 6.33 percent contribution in the same quarter.
"As part of our efforts to develop our digital infrastructure, we've added 13,823 4G base stations since August 2019.
From August 2019 to date, 4G coverage rose from 23% to 77.5%. We then launched 5G services.
"The digital economy has excelled at generating government income.” At a government retreat I chaired in October 2022, independent analysts estimated the digital economy industry had achieved 594 percent of its 2019 revenue target. It's admirable." "The auction of 5G spectrum alone earned approximately $547 million," he claimed.
At the ceremony, President Buhari unveiled and commissioned a variety of initiatives that show the government's commitment to establishing a sustainable digital economy in Nigeria.
These measures are part of our administration's efforts to position the digital economy as a vital enabler for economic diversification and a driver for economic transformation.
"On November 28, I unveiled and launched the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria.”
Since the unveiling, we've made huge advances and remarkable developments.
"To ensure the success of the digital economy sector and to alleviate the burden on residents, I recently approved the postponement of the proposed excise duty in the telecoms sector," stated the President.
"The digital economy ensured continuity in administration during the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated President Buhari.
We approved the National Policy on Virtual Engagements for Federal Public Institutions on October 14, 2020, formalising online government sessions. Consequently, statutory meetings such as Federal Executive Council meetings, Council of State meetings, and other meetings can now be held online effectively and legally.
Our administration's commitment to data promotion and privacy is praised globally, and we've grown digital identity enrollments from 39 million in October 2020 to 92 million today.
"The 63 million rises in two years is a global success story and has led to demands for cooperation from African and other countries." The president also approved the establishment of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau on February 4, 2022, to create an institutional structure for data protection in Nigeria in line with worldwide best practices.
A variety of policies and programmes to boost the digital economy's productivity have been devised, he said.
"NIN-SIM integration has improved the database's integrity," for example. The Nigerian Postal Service has been repositioned through unbundling to boost its efficiency and viability as a revenue-generating institution of the government. The two companies are Property Development and Transport Logistics.
Octoberas “As part of NDEPS, I approved Oct. 24 as Digital Nigeria Day.” On October 24, 2022, the first Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibitions began. I am certain that the conference's communiqué will assist the digital economy's expansion.
I signed the Nigeria Startup Bill on October 19, 2022.
The Nigeria Startup Act is a major law passed by this administration to turn Nigeria's talented youth into digital entrepreneurs.
"We want Nigeria to be a digital talent hub."
"ItIt was an executive bill by the minister of communications and digital economy,” he noted.
Buhari also acknowledged cooperation with major ICT businesses to teach Nigerians high-demand digital skills.
"This involves teaching five million Nigerians in cooperation with Microsoft," the president said. "It also includes training one million Nigerians in blockchain technologies, cybersecurity, and data analytics, among others."
Buhari praised the digital economy sector's remarkable progress under the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and other stakeholders.
In his remarks, the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy thanked the President for his support of the digital economy, with increases in broadband and Internet penetration, skills acquisition for global competitiveness, and infrastructure development, like the fiber optic cable, which was 15,000 km in 2015 and is now more than 60,000 km.
Pantami said there were 2,255 interventions and programmes in higher institutions of learning, secondary schools, and some private schools, and quarterly revenue from ICT rose from N51 billion to N418 billion. Some prominent institutions, like the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the US, have shown interest in researching the pace of growth in the sector.
The minister mentioned various policy actions that impacted governance, institutions, markets, and citizens, and he assured that ICT will help diversify the economy.
Prof. Muhammed Bello Abubakar, CEO of Galaxy Backbone, stated 400 ministries, departments, and agencies are linked to the National Shared Services Center.
Two young Nigerians, Kalim Haruna, who developed "Sharp-Sharp," and Bashir Abubakar, founder of "Africa First," were honoured by President Buhari for their originality and resourcefulness at a global ICT conference.
(Source: centurypost.com.ng)
