The European Union Commission (EUC) has entered a deal with the Federal Government to create a Digital Single
Market in Nigeria, reports ITRealms.
The Minister of Communications, Alhaji Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu
made this disclosure in Lagos on Tuesday at the 2017 Information
Communication Technology & Telecommunication Expo (2017 ICTEL Expo) held at
the Eko Hotel & Suites.
Speaking on the theme: The Digital Economy: Strategies For
Growth in a Connected World, as the Special Guest of Honour, the minister said
this collaboration is timely and coming at a time the ministry is making
concerted efforts to implement its ICT Strategic Roadmap, e-Government and
Mobile Broadband Plans.
According to him, the size of Nigeria makes it the most
lucrative investment destination in sub-Sahara Africa with a high return on
investments and an emerging market that made it one of the new frontiers for
investments and Digital Market consideration.
Towards achieving this, the minister stated that he had
instructed that a committee is raised comprising the Ministry’s agencies and
the Nigerian Computer Society on the new Digital Single Market paradigm ahead
of the EU/Africa Summit holding November 2017 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Shittu who spoke extensively on efforts of the Ministry of
Communications to implement Federal Government’s economic diversification
agenda by leveraging on ICT said this administration has hinged the Economic
Recovery plans on ICTs as well as with fiscal and strategies policies.
These efforts, he said, are codified in a document known as the
ICT Roadmap which components include; the hosting
of the Smart Cities Summit, precisely on the 8th and 9th of
August, 2017; establishment of an ICT University; establishment of a National
ICT Park and Exhibition Centre at the Abuja Technology Village;
establishment of a secretariat for implementation of the eGovernment master
plan, and establishment of an Electronic Document management system, among
others.
The minister noted that the ICT Sector has in the past year,
recorded landmark activities and significant achievements. “The environment for
greater achievements has thus been created. Now, there is greater access to ICT
and Nigerians are today better able to use ICT, thus integrating them into the
global digital economy and its benefits. Although challenges still abound,
implementation of already mapped out initiatives and programmes will ensure the
optimal transformation of Nigeria to a true SMART State”, he said.
He said government is determined to leverage ICT and break its
monopoly and open up the economy to foreign investors just as it did in the
telecom sector. “Despite coming up with the economic growth and recovery plan,
we are determined to actualize the contents of our very comprehensive ICT Roadmap.
This, to my mind, is imperative for the country’s highly import-dependent
and consumption-driven economy.
“Distinguished Ladies
and gentlemen, we are in a technology-driven World. The success of any venture
without technology is doubtful. The Information & Communications Technology
has become a catalyst for success in virtually all sectors of our economy and
even in our socio-political landscape.
“This Government is working hard to ensure that all needed
infrastructure is in place for the desired growth in the sector, thus helping
our national development agenda.”
Shittu urged the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry to
mobilise the Private Sector for the needed collaboration with the Government so
that adequate local and foreign investments can be sourced for the sector. He
also enjoined the Chamber to key into Government’s Economic Recovery and Growth
Plan, to revive the economy as well as exploring the enormous potentials of the
sector to advance the economy.
Commending the importance of event, the minister said, “I can
tell you categorically that the ICTEL Expo is worthwhile and has contributed
immensely to the development of the sector”, while urging the Lagos Chamber of
Commerce and Industry, organizers of ICTEL Expo to sustain the event for the
benefit of Nigeria.
He said the ministry
is committed to creating a platform – through ICTEL 2017, where organizations
and startups can pitch their innovative ideas. These ideas will be passed
through a structured selection process to come up with marketable innovations
for implementation by the Federal Government.
Uboshe Uboshe/GEE
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.jpg "L-R, First Secretary, Head of Trade and Economic Section of the Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Rikard Nordeman; General Manager, Relations and Sustainable Development, Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, Mr. Igo Weli; Renaissance’s Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Tony Attah; Ambassador and Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Mr. Gautier Mignot; Vice President, Human Resources and Corporate Services for Renaissance, Mr. Olukayode Ogunleye; Programme Manager-Energy and Circular Economy, Green and Digital Economy Section of the Delegation of the European Union, Mr. Godfrey Osamuyi Ogbemudia; Corporate Relations Adviser for Renaissance, Mrs. Onyekachi Igwe… during the engagement between the Delegation of the European Union to Nigeria and ECOWAS, and Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited in Abuja")
