The Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani has said that Nigeria has over the years retained its status as the country on the continent with the biggest market for the biggest tech companies and a global talent factory in the world with huge contributions to the Nigerian economy.

The Minister disclosed this in his Keynote address at the 11^th Regular Meeting of the National Council on Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (NCCIDE), with the theme “Leveraging Digital Technology and Innovation to drive Nigeria’s Economic Growth and Development” in the ancient city of Kano, Kano State.

“We are proud to have some of the largest companies such as MTN, the biggest market in the world; Airtel, the second largest market and IHS as the fifth largest company based here in Nigeria, have added immense value to the Economy,” the minister stated.

He added that Mr. President is excited with the several digital initiatives and programmes that are structured in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the present Administration which are aimed at providing the critical mass of the young populace with the necessary technical talents and skills that will enable them generate wealth and tackle the challenge of crimes and criminalities, and also to cushion the effect of poverty.

Furthermore, he told the gathering that Nigeria as a country is hugely blessed with both the natural resources and a growing population that should be harnessed for the betterment of the Nigerian people. He therefore charged all the stakeholders to ensure they connect the people with digital technology for them to derive varied opportunities.

The minister stressed that as key stakeholders in the digital economy sector, “our contribution from this sector is not just the taxes from the ICT or Communication companies that our contributions can be measured. It should be how we use technology to change lives; to deliver result-oriented services to the people in the areas of Health, Agriculture, Education, and to raise the level of productivity for the work force to thrive”.

Equally important, the minister said, Nigeria as a country should invest significantly in fibre optic network because of its attendant benefits of giving the citizens access to the best internet network and also giving them the opportunity to be connected to the global space with the view to changing lives positively. Therefore, he maintained that conversation should be woven around the Right of Way which is key for all states to make it free for this development.

Dr. Tijani further said that the big task for all stakeholders is how to connect all schools in the states, all medical facilities, government offices, etc. to first rate internet connectivity with the view to empowering Government in all its facets; he therefore called on NIGCOMSAT, NITDA and NIPOST to up their game in this regard.

Dr. Tijani revealed at the Meeting that Nigeria is the third destination for technology startups in Africa. In line with this, he pointed out that “our responsibilities as leaders are to put in place Tech ecosystem-friendly policies that will encourage innovators and entrepreneurs to build and as they do, they will help to boost the economy, solve problems, give us the chart of people that pay taxes and also help to drive direct foreign investments.”

The Minister thanked the governor and the State Government for graciously hosting the programme in Kano.

Honourable Commissioner of Science, Technology and Innovation, Mohammed Tajo Othman in his opening remarks said that, “Today’s world is driven by technology and innovation, and it is imperative for us to harness these tools effectively for the betterment of our nation and the theme of the event underscores the importance of leveraging the digital landscape to achieve sustainable development, economic growth, and improved living standards for our citizens.” He called on the participants to keep in mind the significance of their roles in shaping the future of Nigeria’s communications, innovation, and digital economy sector with impactful contributions.