Lawrence Nwimo, Awka
The President/CEO, Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) Prof. Mohammed Ajiya has called for a full adoption and use of emerging technologies for a renewed Nigeria.
Ajiya made the call when he delivered a lecture at the Maiden Public Lecture organised by the Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), Kaduna, at the Ibrahim Alfa Auditorium, themed, ‘Digital Economy and the Renewed Hope Agenda – NITDA 3MMT in Perspective.’
The DBI Boss, who delivered his lecture titled, ‘Leveraging Technology Capacity to Achieve The Renewed Hope Agenda,’ said nations that have leveraged the prevailing technology at different stages of human development have stayed ahead of their peers in global ranking and consequently ushered in development for its citizens.
He added that “the Government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria has over the past 8 years put in place policies and frameworks to leapfrog digital transformation in Nigeria. Such policies and frameworks include; National Digital Economic Policy and Strategies 2020 – 2030, and Nigeria Payment Systems Vision 2025 among others.
According to him, “The Policies have helped to promote innovation and co-prosperity. These policies were developed by expert groups from the Ministries, Departments, and Agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria. These organisations include the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (FMCoDE); the National Information Technology Development Agency; the Central Bank of Nigeria; the Nigeria Communications Commission; and other sister organisations.
“Presently, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Dr. Bosun Tijani in October 2023 had rolled out a roadmap titled “Accelerating our Collective Prosperity through Technical Efficiency -A Strategic Plan for the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy.”
“This strategic blueprint is aimed at promoting innovations and co-prosperity in the digital transformation ecosystem in Nigeria. Presently the Ministry has kick-started the first phase of planning of training of 3 million Nigerians in selected knowledge areas of ICT. The programme is titled 3MTT (Three Million Talent Training).”
Going further in his lecture, Ajiya stated that deliberate, concerted, and coordinated efforts must be made in developing Tech Capacity, adding that continuous improvement, routine evaluation, and benchmarking of tech skills on global standards are required to position Nigeria and further consolidate her wins in the global tech landscape.
“Exploring all avenues for tech capacity building has become an imperative for Nigeria as a nation. To maintain a competitive edge, we must continuously put in place measures to scale up our tech capacity so that we can enjoy the benefits it brings in terms of employment for our youths and revenue earnings for the nation’s growth and development. A shared commitment from all stakeholders would ultimately help us achieve this,” he concluded.
