The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami has said Nigeria’s march towards attaining 95 per cent digital literacy in 2030, as contained in the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020 – 2030, now looks more promising than ever.
Pantami, who presided over the graduation of participants at a two-week Digital Job Creation Training for the North-East in Gombe, which was facilitated by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), said “the reason we train citizens is, given that digital skills are no longer considered a luxury but necessities required in any business you do. If you want to be successful, you need to have digital skills.
“ICT is not just an independent sector but the key enabler of all other sectors today. It enables opportunities in education, in health, in agriculture, in security, in defence, in manufacturing, in trade, investment and industry.”
He, therefore, urged the participants to adopt innovation-driven enterprises and to utilise the training they have received to improve their economic status and make Nigeria a better place.
“We have to utilise ICT to make our country a better place. We must use ICT even for personal economic benefits, among others. Therefore, we want to encourage you not to waste your time online; rather, use the knowledge you have acquired to make Nigeria a better place and, at the same time, derive many economic benefits from it,” he said.
The minister highlighted that recent reports from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) – about the performance of each sector of the economy indicated an unprecedented ICT contribution of 18.44 per cent to the economy – have been “heart-warming” and speak well of the prospects of the industry meeting with the expectations of the relevant policies.
“So, by implications, we set a record last year and we surpassed that record this second quarter of 2022 without involving the digital services. Only the ICT sector contributed 18.44 per cent, which can be attributed to the policies which we have introduced in the sector,” he said.
He said the training which has taken place in nine other states, including the Federal Capital Territory, will be conducted throughout the remaining geopolitical zones.
A statement by NCC’s director, public affairs, Reuben Muoka said the digital job creation training is a two-week programme targeted at youth desirous of developing and enhancing their ICT skills to promote and enhance growth in the yet untapped and commercially viable digital economy both locally and globally. Each participant at the training received starter packs comprising laptops, with accessories, mi-fi modem with three months’ data subscription and some money.
