President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his commitment to prioritise the development of the digital economy to enhance youth empowerment and job creation.
In a statement on Monday, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to the president, said Tinubu made the pledge while receiving a report titled ‘Digital Economy, Youth Empowerment and Sustainable Job Creation in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities’.
Onanuga said participants of the senior executive course 46, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru, presented the report in Abuja.
At the event, Tinubu stressed the importance of youth empowerment through innovation and digital skills development.
“At the core of our administration is youth empowerment. We cannot relent on that, and we need everyone’s collaboration,” the president said.
“I have listened carefully to your recommendations and the thorough work you did. We will continue to engage the Institute as a resource centre and Think Tank.
“As Nigeria’s foremost policy Think-Tank, you have highlighted the overlap of some government agencies, and we’ll look at that.
“You are an asset to our country, and I thank the participants for their dedication to their studies. We will continue to collaborate with you for the prosperity of our country.”
‘PARTICIPANTS WANT FG TO EXPEDITE ENACTMENT OF DIGITAL ECONOMY BILL’
According to Onanuga, the course participants put forward an eight-point recommendation, asking the federal government to expedite the enactment of the Digital Economy and e-Governance Bill 2024.
The guests encouraged states to waive the right-of-way fees for deploying telecommunications infrastructure.
Furthermore, the 96 participants recommended that the president issue an executive order mandating all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to migrate to the onegov.ng portal.
To enhance the digital economy, youth empowerment, and sustainable job creation, the participants proposed a Quintuple-Helix Model.
Onanuga noted their recommendations included promoting long-term funding for the three million technical talent (3MTT) programme scheme and accelerating the transition from internet protocol version 4 (IPv4) to internet protocol version 6 (IPv6).
He said the participants also established digital health innovation hubs nationwide and developed a preventive maintenance application for Nigeria’s automotive industry.
In response, Tinubu directed Bosun Tijani, minister of communications and digital economy, to coordinate with the group and present their recommendations to the secretary to the government of the federation and the head of the civil service for streamlined implementation.
‘NIGERIA ON TRACK TO PIONEER IPV6 TRANSITION IN AFRICA’
Onanuga said Tijani announced at the event that Nigeria is set to become one of the first African countries to fully transition from internet protocol version 4 (IPv4) to internet protocol version 6 (IPv6).
The minister also said the Digital Economy Bill, currently before the national assembly, will undergo public hearings in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) before its passage in the second quarter of 2025.
Tijani said it marks the first time legislation will undergo such an extensive review.
“Regarding Right of Way fees, the minister disclosed that 11 states have responded to the federal government’s request to waive the charges, a move aimed at facilitating broadband infrastructure expansion,” Onanuga noted.
“He expressed optimism that all states in the Federation would comply with this initiative before the end of the second year of the Tinubu administration.
“On Nigeria’s progress in internet protocol transition, Tijani stated that the country is on track to become one of the first in Africa to migrate fully from IPv4 to IPv6.
“He added that in 2024, the federal government approved a $2 billion investment into 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables to ensure nationwide broadband coverage.
“This project will have the third-longest fibre network in Africa, following South Africa and Egypt.
“According to the Minister, the project has made significant progress, with support from the Ministry of Finance and a $500 million commitment secured by the World Bank.”
‘ICT CONTRIBUTED 16% TO NIGERIA’S GDP IN 2024’
On his part, Wale Edun, minister of finance, said the information and communication technology (ICT) sector contributed 16 percent to Nigeria’s gross domestic product (GDP) in 2024.
Edun emphasised the government’s commitment to prioritising the sector as crucial for economic stability and job creation.
The minister recalled Tinubu’s recent meeting with the chief executive of Flutterwave, where the company pledged to support Nigerian youth, as well as small and medium enterprises (SMEs) through technology-driven solutions with long-term economic impact.
“Flutterwave is considering listing on Nigeria’s Stock Exchange, and we expect this to strengthen the tech and payments ecosystem further,” he said.
Earlier on Monday, Tinubu said his administration will support businesses in the financial technology (fintech) sector that provide payment infrastructure services for Nigerians and Africans.(The Cable)
