Transition to digital economy no longer optional for MDAs, says Buhari    

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the e-NIGERIA 2019 Conference on the Nigerian Digital Economy held at the International Conference Centre (ICC), President Buhari noted that a directive in 2018 that all government funded ICT projects must be reviewed and cleared by National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) saved the country over N16.8 billion.

“A key requirement of the e-government Master plan is for all government institutions to create a Digital Transformation Technical Working Group that will work with the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to ensure seamless and coordinated implementation of projects, programs and policies.

“Furthermore, the Nigerian e-Government Interoperability Framework, the Enterprise Architecture and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation are in place and all Ministries, Departments and Agencies are expected to comply with these policies,’’ he said.

President Buhari said that the digitisation of key operations in public service such as the use of the Bank Verification Number (BVN), Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) has enabled the government to save cost and fight corruption.

The President said the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy will develop training and sensitization programs which will be rolled out across all key MDAs with immediate effect to ensure seamless implementation of the master plan.

President Buhari pointed out that the push for more job creation and diversification of the economy received a boost in the second quota with the ICT sector contributing 13.85 per cent to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), quoting figures from the National Bureau of Statistics for 2019.

“Already, Nigerian ICT startups are leaving their mark on the global stage. For example, at the Gulf Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX), a Nigerian Artificial Intelligence solution provider, Chiniki Guards, took first place, beating 750 contestants from 73 countries. We shall continue to encourage and support such digital entrepreneurs to develop innovative solutions for local and global challenges,” he added.

The President said the Federal Ministry of Communications was re-designated Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to refocus on the emerging value of digitalization all over the world with a mandate to develop and implement a harmonized and well-coordinated digital economy policy and strategy for Nigeria.