The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, on Monday called on President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Nigeria Startup Bill being passed by the National Assembly, into law. Atiku noted that the law is necessary since Nigeria is a destination of tech talent in Africa.
Atiku in a statement on Monday, noted that the Nigerian start-up space is one of the largest in Africa, saying “Nigeria has become a key destination on our continent for Tech talent, with the ICT sub-sector contributing approximately 18.44% of Nigeria’s GDP as of the end of Q2 in 2022.”
Atiku maintained that the ICT industry is a critical part of my national development plan and framework to ensure economic growth and diversification in the coming years.
The PDP presidential candidate disclosed that his administration intends to “enthrone a disruptive economic agenda that will position ICT at the forefront of our policy development strategy and ensure that digital technologies and innovations in ICT, and IT-enabled products and services, are given an enabling environment to drive and help build our new digital economy notably in areas such as E-commerce, IT manufacturing, ICT enabled outsourcing, the broader start-up ecosystem and other emerging technologies.”
He added: “My administration will ensure that the gap is bridged between established/Start-up Tech companies and the nation’s regulators to provide a thriving tech ecosystem that enhances competitiveness, innovation and job growth for our growing youth population.”
Atiku emphasized the need for transition into an E-government system to reduce expenditure costs, improve workflow management, service delivery and overall efficiency.
“This shift will also provide opportunities for the ICT industry to innovate and develop solutions for government digital services as we build a new and enhanced futuristic economy,” Atiku declared.