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Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami has reiterated government’s commitment to promoting human capital development, notably digital skills, among young Nigerians through partnerships with strategic global institutions.
Professor Pantami was speaking as the Special Guest during a virtual workshop organised by the World Bank on Digital Skills Roadmap.
“We are championing a paradigm shift with emphasis on skills, particularly digital skills over merely having degrees without skills.,” said Pantami at the virtual meeting.
He added: “A digital economy cannot be developed in silos and that is why the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy has entered into mutually beneficial partnerships with global technology giants and institutions in order to empower our citizens, with the requisite skills to become employers, rather than employees in the long run”.
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The minister also disclosed that over 500,000 Nigerians have so far benefitted from digital skills empowerment programmes at various levels, initiated and driven by the ministry and the parastatals under its purview.
According to a statement by minister’s spokesperson, Uwa Suleiman, the collaboration between the two institutions will provide technical assistance to the Nigerian government to advance its quest for digital skills as captured in the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS).
The World Bank has been in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy in the development of Nigeria’s digital economy since President Muhammadu Buhari launched the NDEPS document in November of 2019.
