One year in office: CSO lauds Tinubu, Tijani, NCC’s giant strides

The Good Governance Advocates (GGA) has commended President Bola Tinubu for working tirelessly to drive the nation’s digital economy, fostering innovation, and bridging the digital divide.

The group also applauded the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani and Dr Aminu Maida for keying into the President’s Renewed Hope Agenda by developing a vibrant digital ecosystem, empowering entrepreneurs, and creating jobs for our teeming youth.

The group also acknowledged the achievements of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) under the visionary leadership of Maida in regulating and developing the Nigerian telecommunications industry.

The GGA made this known on Thursday at a press conference to assess President Bola Tinubu’s first anniversary.

In his address, the convener Comrade Mahmoud Abubakar, said the Ministry has witnessed unprecedented growth and transformation, showing an unwavering commitment to harnessing the power of technology to drive economic growth and development.

According to Abubakar, Maida has shown unwavering dedication to creating an enabling environment for innovation, competition, and growth which has contributed to the country’s economic growth and social progress.

“The Good Governance Advocates agree with the position of the Honourable Minister that digital literacy means something other than that you have become a technical talent. However, it gives you the foundation to choose that you also want to participate in the digital economy,” Abubakar said.

“This is brilliant because digital literacy skills help individuals understand the importance of securing their online information and the potential cyber-attack risks. It also enables individuals to use tools to secure their digital assets.

“We must also admit that social media is integral to our lives today. Digital literacy skills are essential for using it safely and responsibly as they enable individuals to identify potential risks associated with social media, such as cyberbullying, identity theft, and phishing attacks. It also helps individuals to understand the importance of protecting their personal information on social media platforms.

“Notably, the federal government projects that 90% of Nigerians should be digitally literate by 2030. The steps taken in this direction are commendable and in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

“The Nigerian Communications Commission’s activities also come in handy in re-positioning the telecoms sector for optimal productivity. The Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, has also displayed a grasp of the issues in the industry and his policy initiative and drive have been commendable.

“The Good Governance Advocates recognizes the efforts of the NCC in promoting indigenous content in the telecommunications sector. This is in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, which empowers the NCC to encourage local and foreign investments in the Nigerian communications industry, introduce innovative services and practices as well as promote the participation of Nigerians in the ownership, control and management of communications companies and development of communications manufacturing and supply sectors.

“Also worthy of mention are the efforts to position Nigeria as a significant player in the global technology landscape by establishing the Nigerian Digital Technology Exchange Programme Hub (Nigeria Startup House) in San Francisco, United States of America.

“Notably, the Nigerian Startup House will play a critical role in promoting Nigeria’s economic interest, attracting Foreign Direct Investment and improving the visibility and positioning of Nigeria’s Startup Ecosystem to attract funding and expertise from global markets and organizations.

“The San Francisco Bay Area is recognized globally as a significant source of startup ecosystem funding, with a combined GDP value of over $929 billion. It is home to over 200 of the largest companies in the world by revenue.

“The Good Governance Advocates also recognizes the gigantic step taken with establishing a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to facilitate the delivery of 90,000km of fibre-optic cable, complementing Nigeria’s existing connectivity infrastructure to deliver a more robust national backbone for universal access to the internet.

“The efforts to build Nigeria’s technical talent backbone are instructive. The 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme aims to power our digital economy and position Nigeria as a net talent exporter. It will generate a pipeline of technical talent in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of creating 2 million digital jobs by 2025.

“May we state that this is indeed the game changer in our quest for developing talents as the strategic focus of the 3MTT is on Software Development, UI/UX Design, Data Analysis & Visualization, Quality Assurance, Product Management, Data Science, Animation, AI / Machine Learning, Cybersecurity, Game Development, and Cloud Computing. “