Nigeria lagging behind in the $11trn world’s digital economy, says NITDA DG

Director General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa, has lamented that the country is lagging behind in the $11trillion global digital economy despite its huge population.

This is as the Senate urged the agency to prioritize the process of making the country an innovation hub.

Nigeria’s unimpressive position in the world’s data driven economy and the need for its repositioning, came to the fore Thursday in Abuja, when the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Public Affairs, Senator Surajudeen Ajibola Basiru, visited the NITDA chief.

The NITDA boss during the visit, declared that Data and not oil, is driving the economy of leading countries of the world today.

According to him, digital economy and not mono product one being run in the country, is what Nigeria must key into and which the agency with the support of its supervising ministry, is facilitating for the country through required innovation and technology.

He disclosed that a Centre for Robotics and Artificial Intelligence has been created by the agency just as 20,000 young Nigerians across the states, are being targeted for capacity building in the area of technology.

“Economy in the world is going or has gone digital, which is presently valued at $11trillion.

“But out of 616 digital cum data driven firms running the digital economy, while 256 are based in the United States of America, 204 in China, 26 in United Kingdom, 21 in India, 12 in Germany etc, only two each, are in South Africa and Nigeria.

“This to NITDA, is not good going by the population and potentials the country is blessed with,” Inuwa said.

As a way forward, the NITDA boss said the agency is ready to promote the usage of Information Technology or digital devices by Nigerians to carry out economic activities, particularly in the Agricultural sector.

He however said the 2007 NITDA Act which guides the operations of the agency, needs to be amended to give it the required powers to regulate ICT operations in the country, particularly as regards ability to deal with issues as they arise in digital sector.

” Our target objective upon availability of enabling laws, is making Nigeria the hub of innovations in the African continent.

“Even some Universities in the country are already keying into the digital world by substituting courses at doctorate level on Oil and Gas for Data Science and Artificial Intelligence,” he added.

In his remarks, Senator Basiru, assured the NITDA DG of expeditious consideration of whatever amendments the agency wants effected on its the 2007 Act.

According to him, the 9th Senate and by extension, the 9th National Assembly, being one that works for Nigeria, will provide the required legislations that will fast track the digitalization process of the nation’s economy.

“The Senate in particular, is basically impressed with the progress this agency is making in getting Nigeria fully on board as far as digital economy is concerned.

“This to the Senate is a welcome development at this time of diversification process from mono product economy to a multi sectoral one.

“We shall be happy if the required technology is made available in enhancing productivity in the Agricultural sector because no society can really be secured without food sufficiency for its populace,” Basiru said.

Sanny Onogu

The Nation

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