ABEOKUTA– The Federal Government has disclosed that it is investing in laying 90,000km of fibre optic cables nationwide to enhance internet connectivity in the country.
The Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani stated during a meeting with tech enthusiasts in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
Tijani added that the digital economy sector has contributed about 16%-18% to Nigeria’s GDP, with plans to increase this to 21%, thereby creating more job opportunities and wealth for the teeming youth.
He noted that part of the effort to achieve this is that the government is implementating initiatives such as the 3mtt Technology Talent Accelerator Programme, the Buildhaton program for young people, and the construction of innovation and tech hubs across the country.
“The first thing we did was to launch the largest technology talent accelerator programme in the world, which we called 3MTT and in every street of Nigeria, we have been training young people. The goal is that Nigeria becomes a technology accelerator.
“We have started a programme called buildhaton, we are hoping that these people will grow, and during the holiday, we engage thousands of youths and expose them to courtesy technology in embedded systems. These persons, when they grow, becomes the technology people we need in the country.
“Digital Economy in Nigeria already contributed between 16 to 18% of our GDP, the target of this administration is to reach 21% that means we will create more job and by doing more opportunities”, he disclosed
Meanwhile, the President of Ogun Tech Community (OTC), Adekunle Durosinmi in his remarks stated that since it’s launch in 2022, the tech community have remained committed to building an
inclusive, collaborative, and forward-looking technology ecosystem in Ogun State.
Among other achievements, Durosinmi said OTC has been able to encourage adoption of electronic transactions,
help startups and SMEs adopt electronic contracts, digital signatures, electronic records, and e-commerce systems.
“The Ogun Tech Community (OTC) is built on a strong and inclusive structure designed to drive meaningful collaboration across all levels of the digital ecosystem”, he added
The Board Chairman of the tech community, Engr. Femi Williams noted that a think tank within the group has been saddled with the responsibility of advising governments to use ICT as an accelerator for development.
“What we are witnessing today started in the year 2019 during COVID. The Nigeria Computer Society, Ogun State Branch had it’s annual dinner and one of the decisions was that we need a think-tank to be able to advise government and give them a blueprint on how to solve issues around ICT and how we can use ICT to accelerate development in Ogun State”, he added
