By Seun Adams
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Ibrahim Pantami, on Monday, pledged to make Nigeria digital economy capital of Africa by 2023.
The move he said is to appropriately tilt Nigeria towards the coming fourth industrial revolution and knowledge economy.
The Minister made the disclosure while congratulating the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybercrime for hosting the 2020 legislative lecture in Abuja.
Pantami, recalled that after his appointment as the Minister of Communications in August last year, President Muhammadu Buhari took step to approve the recommendation for the re-designation of the ministry to the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy in October.
According to him, the redesignation was in line with the global best practice and has positioned Nigeria to align with the fourth industrial revolution towards building a knowledge-based economy.
According to him, the development of National digital economy is anchored on the following 8 pillars as stated in NDEPS: Developmental Regulation;
Digital Literacy & Skills;
Solid Infrastructure;
Service Infrastructure;
Digital Services Development & Promotion;
Soft Infrastructure;
Digital Society & Emerging Technologies; and
Indigenous Content Development & Adoption.
Cybersecurity awareness, the minister said has become imperative due to the attendant risks that emanate from the appreciable migration of several transactions, meetings, lectures and other forms of interaction to online and digital platforms due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
He added that Section 106(1(c)) of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 states the role of the Nigerian Communications Commission in the protection of consumer information. Similarly, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Act 2007 Section 6(l) states the role of NITDA in promoting the development of information technology to enhance national security.
The Nigeria National Cybersecurity Framework also prescribes guidance for public and private sector organizations for instituting measures for enshrining cybersecurity culture and enthrone cyber-resiliency in Nigeria, Pantami, said.
While all these ground preparations for a digital future was going on, unexpectedly, the world was struck with COVID-19 pandemic which changes the way we live, he explained.
Restrictions of movement as part of the measure to abate the spread give credence to our digital-first Ideology, adding that plan of government is to move all parts of the economy to a digital platform.
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic which has accelerated the transition to a more digitally enabled lifestyles and ways of working has brought about a ‘new normal’ globally with new opportunities and possibilities being unlocked by digitalization.
To make this possible, we need secured cyberspace and an informed digital aware citizenry.
All the eight pillars of the NDEPS are geared towards our dream of transforming Nigeria into a full-fledged digital economy.
In addition to the sixth pillar, the event aligns to our (Digital Literacy and Skills Pillar #2 under the Nigeria Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS). As part of our Digital literacy program, we have launched the Digital Nigeria app, NITDA launched NITDA Academy in addition to several other capacity-building programs.
In less than 3 months we have close to 90,000 people enrolled on both platforms.
We also want to ensure that Nigerians are confident about the privacy of their data online.
He expressed happiness that through the NDPR, 2,686 direct job roles were created thereby creating massive opportunities for young Nigerians to be recruited as Data Protection Officers, Data Protection Compliance Organizations, Compliance officers among others.
The DPCOs have also earned over N2 billion naira in the first year of implementation. This aligns with our goals for NDEPS. We want to empower Nigerians while also ensuring global competitiveness.
He said the ministry is working hard towards making Nigeria the digital economy capital of Africa by 2023.
He said, “The recent presidential directive for the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to be moved to the Ministry is part of government’s efforts at accelerating the achievement of the NDEPS (2020-2030)
According to him, NIMC has played a vital role in the promotion of the current draft data protection bill.
We are putting finishing touches to the Nigeria Digital Asset Management Policy to be released soon.
“We have directed NITDA to come up with the Nigeria Innovation and Entrepreneurship Policy. All these efforts are geared towards supporting the promise of the president to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in the next 10 years.
“With well thought out innovation and entrepreneurship programs and initiatives, he said, the government will be able to engage our teeming youth for a meaningful national development through gainful employment, improve the standard of living, reduce youth restiveness and improved security of lives and property.” The Minister said.