In order to propel Nigeria towards a sustainable digital future, the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has unveiled its comprehensive five-year strategic plan.
The plan which is anchored on five fundamental pillars, sets ambitious goals, aiming to transform Nigeria into a technology-driven economy.
Tijani, emphasised the ministry’s dedication to openness and co-creation, highlighting the collaborative effort that went into crafting the blueprint.
“This blueprint has been carefully crafted based on extensive engagement with stakeholders from our ministry, ecosystem stakeholders, and my immediate team.
“It is designed as a living document outlining our high-level focus areas as we firm up plans to operationalise the goals shared in the document,” stated Minister Tijani.
The blueprint identifies five core pillars that will steer the transformative journey – Knowledge, Policy, Infrastructure, Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Capital and Trade.
Minister Tijani noted the importance of data in the digital world, stressing its critical role in economic transformation and value creation.
He outlined plans to drive the review and implementation of the Nigeria Open Data Policy, ensuring free public access to non-sensitive public-sector data to foster innovation, improve citizen engagement, and unlock economic value.
Part of the key objectives of the Ministry is to elevate digital literacy rate among youths and adults to at least 70 per cent and the increase capital raised by Nigerian tech startups from approximately $1 billion in 2022 to $5 billion per year by 2027.
An increased digital literacy rate will empower individuals to participate more effectively in the digital economy, create employment, bridge the digital divide and foster a tech-savvy populace.
The plan also strives for a 90 per cent increase in broadband penetration and aims to achieve 75 per cent of the fiber optic cable target set by the National Broadband Plan.
Additionally, the goal of achieving a 50 per cent utilization rate of innovation spaces across the country will encourage innovation hubs, foster a collaborative ecosystem and stimulate creativity and technological advancements.
The Ministry also aims to modernize 50 per cent of NIPOST locations to improve and grow e-commerce and logistics sectors.
The Minister expressed confidence in the journey ahead, stating, “I am confident about our next steps as we activate this blueprint and deliver on our plans in line with the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, for the good of all.”