Minister sets 10-year ‘digital economy’ goal for Nigeria

Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, on Friday, said he wants Nigeria to achieve digital literacy in 10 years.

Mr Pantami said this in Abuja on Friday.

Digital economy refers to an economy that is based on digital computing technologies.

“In the next 10 years, we want a digital Nigeria with sufficient digital skills, equipment, internet connectivity and digital identity,” he said.

He said the ministry had perfected plans to start a comprehensive digital literacy training and skill acquisition program in the country in 2020, for at least 95 per cent of the population.

Mr Pantami said attaining the goal is possible, with the digital economy policies which the administration is committed to.

The minister said the digital literacy training would cut across several categories of Nigerians, and would be taken to all corners in the country.

“Starting from 2020, we want to embark on a massive training of Nigerians on digital literacy and that is why we have so many classes of our trainings.

“So, we have Digital Nigeria for each and every one of them, and it is subject to availability of funds which is one of the constraints,” he said.

Mr Pantami said the ministry wants to ensure that it embarks on a massive training for Nigerians, some on digital literacy, some on digital skills, and it all depends on their own level, basically for those who can read or write.

“We have digital Nigeria for women, Digital Nigeria for journalists, digital Nigeria for unemployed youths, Digital Nigeria for unemployed graduates, Digital Nigeria for civil servants, Digital Nigeria for chief executives, Digital Nigeria for use, Digital Nigeria for people with disabilities, Digital Nigeria for children.

“We want to ensure that at least ninety-five per cent of Nigerians are digitally literate,” he said.

He said at the end of the present administration, there will be documents to enhance the training, adding that the effort “is not about one administration but about Nigeria as a country.”

According to him, the focus is the country and because the government is a continuum, irrespective of who occupies what position.

“We want to ensure that we leave office with some things for the incoming administrators to come and implement,” he added.

Global Digitalisation

Mr Pantami said many nations are going into the digital economy today. He highlighted that currently, the world’s digital economy is $16.6 trillion, which is more than 17 per cent of the world’s economy.

He said according to an economic forum, by 2022, the digital economy will be a minimum of 60 per cent of the world economy.

“Most of the challenges we are facing as a nation, I believe digital economy has the capacity to be able to eliminate or reduce them significantly for all of us,” he said.