The Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, has said that digital innovation and entrepreneurship are globally recognized prerequisites for achieving an indigenous digital economy.
The Minister who disclosed this at the groundbreaking ceremony of the National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre, a brainchild of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abuja on Thursday, added that a successful digital innovation and entrepreneurship programme will support the federal government in the development of its digital economy and the diversification of the country’s economy.
While thanking President Muhammadu Buhari for his support to the Ministry and the digital economy project, Pantami said the National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre will be based on the ‘live, work and learn’ concept.
“The activities of the centre align with 6 out of the 8 pillars of our National Digital Economy Policy for a Digital Nigeria. These include Digital Skills, Service Infrastructure, Digital Services Development and Promotion, Soft Infrastructure, Digital Society and Emerging Technologies and Indigenous Content Development and Adoption).
“The Centre wil also enable Nigerians to acquire cutting-edge technological skills; enable Nigerians to participate in the development of hardware, software and emerging technologies; create an innovative ecosystem; create a unique platform for technical skills to focus on the promotion and development of ICT; nurture new ideas and develop an inquisitive perspective to support in the creation of employers of labour; support in the promotion and development of ICTs, including aspects of advanced applied research and allow startups to accelerate and experience innovations at scale, through customized visits, design thinking sessions and co-innovation workshops to create a highly collaborative and immersive environment,” Pantami noted.
Speaking on some of the achievements of the Ministry, Pantami divulged that the growth of the economy is as a result of the ICT’s contribution to Nigeria’s GDP, reaching an unprecedented value of 17.83% in Q2 ‘2020 according to National Bureau for Statistics.
According to the Minister, “We have also recorded an all time high broadband penetration since the redesignation of the Ministry. When I assumed office on the 21st of August 2019, the official broadband penetration figures stood at 33.72%. It increased with the subsequent monthly figures from end of August 2019 to end of November 2020, where it stood at 45.07%.
“We also succeeded in obtaining the commitment of the State Governors to peg their Right of Way charges to a maximum of N145 per linear metre, resolving an issue that had lingered for over 7years.
“In addition, we have also experienced great success in the development of other aspects of our digital economy. Over 120,000 Nigerians have benefited from our online digital skills program, with over 80,000 of them receiving one form of certification or another. This is even without taking the physical trainings into account. We have developed over a dozen policies aimed at providing the right environment to enable entrepreneurs to thrive in the sector.
Pantami further commended the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, for his effort towards the implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and the digital innovation and entrepreneurship initiative.