Minister urges Nigerian states to embrace digital economy

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 03:06 pm

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, has urged the 36 states of Nigeria to key into the nation’s policy of national digital economy and strategy designed to fast-track growth.President Muhammadu Buhari had unveiled the National Digital Economy Policy on November 29, 2019 under the Ministry of Communications.
The policy is part of key requirements of the e-government master plan, “to create a digital transformation technical working group to ensure seamless and coordinated implementation of projects, programmes and policies”.
In his presentation to the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) in Abuja on Thursday, the minister said the implementation of that digital economy would not be possible without the support and willingness of state governors.
“We are here to encourage them to key into the National Digital Economy policy and strategy for a digital Nigeria.
“Our target is to achieve a digital Nigeria in 2030. So, the work is not only for the federal government, it is for federal, state and local governments.
“We presented the policy of digital economy, we outlined the eight pillars and the role they are supposed to play as state governors,” he said.
He said that that states were expected to indicate interest, while the Federal Government through the ministry in collaboration with its agencies, set up a team on how such states could be supported.
He explained that each state was supposed to develop its digital economy strategy based on their peculiar challenges and the level it has attained.
“We are in partnership now with International Business Machine (IBM), World Bank, Africa Development Bank (AfDB) and many more, that are willing to train millions of Nigerians.