In a swift move to restrategize the newly fortified Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy, the Minister, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani has laid out strategic document that details its plans, programmes and targets for the next four years.
The document, tagged ‘Accelerating our collective prosperity through technical efficiency: A strategic plan for the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy’, specifically highlighted five (5) key Pillars that will form the Ministry’s Strategic Blueprint. The five key pillars are Knowledge; Policy; Infrastructure; Innovation, Entrepreneuship & Capital (IEC); and Trade. Each pillar, the Ministry pointed out, is integral to its mission and interconnected with others, forming the foundation of its strategy.
According to Tijani: “In a world where digital transformation and innovation is fast becoming a catalyst for economic progress, we are at a critical moment as a nation in our journey towards a more inclusive and prosperous future. The intersection of a strong digital economy and our innovative and youthful population presents us with a unique opportunity to chart a course towards prosperity, inclusion and global relevance.
Knowledge is the cornerstone upon which innovation thrives, and is built upon the bedrock of sound policies. Infrastructure provides the essential backbone for a thriving digital economy, while innovation and entrepreneurship drive economic diversification. Trade, the fifth pillar, represents our commitment to global collaboration and partnerships, recognising that innovation knows no borders.”
He states further: “As we embark on this transformative journey, we do so with an unwavering sense of purpose. We understand that the road ahead may be challenging, but it is through these challenges that we find the impetus to evolve and adapt. Together, we will harness the power of technology to elevate Nigeria’s standing on the global stage, create sustainable employment opportunities and improve the quality of life for all Nigerians.
First among the Pillars is Knowledge, which the Ministry stressed as the foundation upon which countries build a robust and sustainable economy. “As a critical prerequisite, knowledge influences how we generate innovations and technologies that drive economic growth, expand the talent pool to drive competitiveness, improve productivity and inform evidence-based policymaking, amongst others.”
It further highlighted three key objectives of knowledge as the critical foundation of the strategic blueprint. They are:
- Accelerate the growth of Nigeria as a global technical talent hub and net exporter of talent
- Deepen and accelerate our position in global research in key technology areas
- Raise the complexity and dynamics of our economy by significantly increasing the level of digital literacy across Nigeria
Key areas that will be impacted with the Knowledge Pillar are Talent, where the Ministry intents to develop and train three (3) million early to mid-career technical talents over the next four years, and retain at least 1.5 million of these skilled professionals within the local talent pool, and facilitate opportunities for another 1.5 million talented individuals to excel in the global talent marketplace, preferably through remote opportunities.
Other areas are in Research with a target strategic imperative to position Nigeria in the top 25% percentile in research globally across six pivotal Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) technological domains, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), Internet of Things (IoT), Robotics, Blockchain and Additive Manufacturing.
Also, the Ministry, under the knowledge quest, will focus on Digital Literacy and a plan to achieve 70% of this target by 2027, and 95% by 2030.
The second Pillar of the strategic blueprint is buttressed on Policy, which the Ministry said will enable enabling innovation, entrepreneurship and inclusive growth.
According to Dr. Tijani, following engagement and consultations with stakeholders, 9 priority policy, regulatory and strategic initiatives for review and implementation were identified.
They are the Nigeria National Broadband Plan, which had been targeted to boost Nigeria’s broadband penetration rate to 70% by the end of 2025, and now raised to at least 80% population coverage by end of 2027. Investment in that area is also expected to increase by 300-500% by the end of 2027.
Others policies include:
- National Policy on Digital Public Infrastructure
- National Policy on Telecommunications
- National Blockchain Policy
- National Digital Economy Bill
- Nigeria Startup Act
- National Artificial Intelligence Strategy
- National Data Strategy
- National Digital Literacy Framework
Under the third Pillar of Infrastructure, the Ministry intends to reposition all agencies under its supervision on the growth and business efficiency path, with strategies that targets percentile growth in their various areas of operations.
While improving the fourth Pillar of Innovation, Entrepreneurship and Capital to stimulate growth and sustainability of startups, with specific focus on those developing innovative solutions for critical sectors in the economy, the Ministry targets using the fifth Pillar of Trade to improve Nigeria’s ranking in the Economic Complexity Index (ECI) from 99% to 75%, and grow intra-Africa trade by 500% by 2027.
The Minister reiterated the Ministry’s mandate to include:
- Facilitate universal, ubiquitous and cost-effective access to communications infrastructure throughout the country.
- Promote the utilisation of ICT in all spheres of life to optimise the communications infrastructure – digital content creation, domestic software applications and the delivery of private and public services over the internet Promote and facilitate the development of the ICT industry and increase the contribution of the ICT industry to GDP Utilise ICT to drive transparency in governance and improve the quality and cost-effectiveness of public service delivery in Nigeria
- Reimagine the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation & Digital Economy as the public sector ecosystem that enables Nigeria’s economic growth through enhanced productivity, facilitated by technological innovation.
While admitting that the job should be a collective effort from all stakeholders, Dr. Tijani noted: “I extend an open invitation to all stakeholders, both within and outside government, to unite in this collective endeavour. It is our shared vision, ambition and commitment that will drive us towards a Nigeria that not only embraces the digital age but leads it.
Let us rise together and seize this moment in our history to shape a future that we can all be proud of.”
