By David Akinadewo-Adekahunsi
President Bola Tinubu has reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to prioritising digital economy development as a means of youth empowerment and job creation, following the presentation of a policy report by the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS).
Receiving the report titled “Digital Economy, Youth Empowerment and Sustainable Job Creation in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities,” at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Monday, Tinubu expressed his administration’s resolve to implement strategic policies that will drive technological innovation and economic expansion.
The report, compiled by participants of the Senior Executive Course 46 of NIPSS, outlined key recommendations for advancing Nigeria’s digital landscape.
These included the speedy enactment of the Digital Economy and e-Governance Bill 2024, a waiver of Right of Way fees for telecoms infrastructure deployment, and an Executive Order mandating all government agencies to transition to the OneGov.ng portal for digital governance efficiency.
Other proposals included adopting a Quintuple-Helix Model to foster synergy between the government, academia, industry, civil society, and the technology sector, as well as securing long-term funding for the 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) scheme.
The recommendations also called for accelerating Nigeria’s transition from Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) to IPv6, establishing Digital Health Innovation Hubs across the country, and developing a preventive maintenance app for the automotive industry.
Responding to the proposals, President Tinubu directed the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy to work with the group and present the recommendations to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Head of the Civil Service for streamlined implementation.
“At the core of our administration is youth empowerment. We cannot relent on that, and we need everyone’s collaboration,” Tinubu said.
He further stated that: “I have listened carefully to your recommendations and the thorough work you did. We will continue to engage the Institute as a resource centre and think tank.”
He also commended the NIPSS participants for their dedication and noted that the government would review the overlapping functions of some agencies to enhance efficiency.
Highlighting the importance of data-driven governance, Tinubu mentioned his recent discussions with the National Population Commission (NPC) regarding the upcoming national census, underscoring the role of accurate data in national planning.
NIPSS Director-General, Professor Ayo Omotayo, stressed that leveraging Nigeria’s youthful population was critical for digital innovation and economic growth.
He acknowledged systemic challenges such as infrastructural deficits, regulatory bottlenecks, and inadequate digital skills but expressed confidence that targeted policies would create an enabling environment for startups and accelerate broadband expansion.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, disclosed that the Digital Economy Bill, currently under review by the National Assembly, would undergo public hearings in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory before its expected passage in the second quarter of 2025—an unprecedented move aimed at broad stakeholder engagement.
Tijani further revealed that 11 states had responded to the federal government’s appeal to waive Right of Way charges to facilitate broadband expansion, with expectations that all states would comply before the Tinubu administration’s second anniversary.
On Nigeria’s internet infrastructure, he stated that the country was on track to become one of the first in Africa to fully transition from IPv4 to IPv6. Additionally, he highlighted a $2 billion government investment in 90,000 kilometres of fibre optic cables to enhance broadband penetration—making it the third-longest fibre network in Africa after South Africa and Egypt.
The project, backed by the Ministry of Finance and a $500 million World Bank commitment, had already achieved significant progress.
Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, Wale Edun, noted that the ICT sector contributed 16% to Nigeria’s GDP in 2024, reinforcing its importance to economic growth and job creation.
He cited President Tinubu’s recent engagement with Flutterwave CEO, where the company pledged to support Nigerian youth and small businesses through tech-driven solutions.
“Flutterwave is considering listing on Nigeria’s Stock Exchange, and we expect this to strengthen the tech and payments ecosystem further,” Edun added.
