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By Christabel Ume
The ICT sector remains Nigeria’s highest contributor to its Gross Domestic Product, (GDP) and no less than N10 billion is save quarterly from the revenue made in the digital economy sector, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, remarked at the three-day Digital Nigeria conference and expo that started Tuesday in Abuja.
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“The contribution of the digital economy to the GDP of Nigeria and its role in making the economy resilient to adverse events like the COVID-19 pandemic are two good examples of the impact of the digital economy on the traditional economy. It is one sector that has been growing by double digits, since we came on board in 2019,” said Pantami to open the event hosting speakers and exhibitors from within and outside the country.
The minister, while commending President Muhammadu Buhari for his commitment to the ministry and the Digital Nigeria agenda, said the ongoing steady digitalisation of different sectors of the economy underscores this faith the current administration has in the country’s transition to a digital economy.
It is the duty of all stakeholders to support the government in this mission, said Pantami at the high-stake event attended by Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Gambian Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Hon. Ousman Bah, the Chairman, ICT and Cybercrime Committee, Senator Yakubu Oseni and Secretary General, Digital Cooperation Organisation (DCO), Deemah Yahya Alyahya; amongst others.
In his welcome address, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), organisers of the event, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi said Nigeria’s adoption of digital economy has been rapid and has also made it a leader on the continent.
His words: “First, Nigeria’s creation of firms positions her as a leader in digital economy. Secondly, we have initiatives to strengthen the field in terms of processes, policies and legal frame work. Thirdly, we have initiatives to tidy up the defence. Under ‘defence’ we have initiatives to explore technology to enhance our process and services. That is why we have initiatives around the e-government master plan, digital infrastructure, connecting the unconnected, building the data centres to host government services and also promoting other sectors to digitize.”
Part of the highlights of the programme was the launch of a book: ‘Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami: Advancing Nigeria’s Drive Towards a Digital Economy’ authored by Obiora Nzekwu.
