President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to developing Nigeria’s digital economy, emphasizing its importance for youth empowerment and job creation.
President Tinubu made the commitment on Monday at the State House, Abuja, while receiving a report titled “Digital Economy, Youth Empowerment, and Sustainable Job Creation in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges, and Opportunities,” presented by participants of the Senior Executive Course 46 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies, Kuru.
The course participants, in their eight-point recommendation, urged the Federal Government to fast-track the enactment of the Digital Economy and e-Governance Bill 2024 and encourage states to waive Right of Way fees for telecom infrastructure deployment.
They also recommended that the President issue an Executive Order directing all MDAs to migrate to the OneGov.ng portal.
The participants advocated adopting a Quintuple-Helix Model to drive the digital economy, youth empowerment, and sustainable job creation.
Other recommendations included ensuring long-term funding for the 3MTT scheme, accelerating the transition from IPv4 to IPv6, establishing Digital Health Innovation Hubs nationwide, and developing a preventive maintenance application for Nigeria’s automotive industry.
In response, President Tinubu directed the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy to collaborate with the group and submit their recommendations to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Head of the Civil Service for coordinated implementation.
“At the core of our administration is youth empowerment. We cannot relent on that, and we need everyone’s collaboration.
“I have listened carefully to your recommendations and the thorough work you did. We will continue to engage the Institute as a resource centre and Think Tank.
“As Nigeria’s foremost policy Think-Tank, you have highlighted the overlap of some government agencies, and we’ll look at that.
“You are an asset to our country, and I thank the participants for their dedication to their studies. We will continue to collaborate with you for the prosperity of our country,” he said.
Emphasizing the importance of data in national planning, President Tinubu informed the meeting that he had earlier engaged with officials from the National Population Commission (NPC) to discuss the forthcoming census.
Earlier, the Director-General of NIPSS, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, stated that during the year-long engagement, course participants conducted study tours across Nigeria and abroad to explore the theme of their research.
“We recognise that in an era where technology drives innovation, Nigeria must aggressively leverage its youthful population to build a thriving ecosystem. The opportunities are boundless, from Fintech to Agri-Tech, E-Commerce to Artificial Intelligence.
“However, systemic challenges such as infrastructural deficits, inadequate digital skills, and regulatory bottlenecks must be addressed.
“Our findings highlight the urgent need for targeted policies that foster an enabling environment for startups, enhance access to finance, and expand broadband penetration.
“We believe that with your administration’s continued support, Nigeria will fully unlock the potential of the digital economy and create millions of sustainable jobs for our teeming youth,” he said.
In his remark, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, announced that the Digital Economy Bill, currently before the National Assembly, will undergo public hearings in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory before its expected passage in the second quarter of 2025.
He noted that this marks the first time a legislation will undergo such an extensive review.
The Minister also revealed that 11 states have responded to the federal government’s request to waive Right of Way charges, a step aimed at accelerating broadband infrastructure expansion.
He expressed confidence that all states would adopt the initiative before the end of the Tinubu administration’s second year.
Meanwhile, the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, noted that the ICT sector contributed 16% to Nigeria’s GDP in 2024.
He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to prioritizing the sector as a key driver of economic stability and job creation.
