Pantami applauds the 17.92% contribution of ICT to GDP

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, hailed the steady growth in the contributions of information and communication technology (ICT) to the country's gross domestic product (GDP) , which reached 17.92% in the last quarter of 2020, and in the first quarter of 2021, and continued on an impressive trajectory.

The Minister, who gave the figures at the opening of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) FCDO Roundtable - (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office) and Technical Workshop on capacity building for sustainable and inclusive digital transformation in Nigeria, said this “this percentage is unprecedented, and it is only the contribution of ICT to our GDP without calculation of digital services”.

Pantami said digital access and connectivity have become a necessity as they play an increasingly vital role in our daily lives and have become key drivers of the fourth industrial revolution.

The minister assured his audience, including representatives from ITU, FCDO and other international agencies, embassies and NCC executive vice-chairman Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta that the “government federal understands that the huge support from the private sector, as well as the support of international organizations, is essential to enable us to achieve our lofty goals for Nigeria's digital economy, which has informed our decision to partner with key international organizations such as ITU and FCDO.

“The digital age is upon us, and all relevant stakeholders need to be prepared for the huge but inevitable changes that will occur,” he said.

The Minister also assured the Federal Government's commitment to the development of the digital economy, with the promise that "the Nigerian government will ensure that all critical infrastructure is made available to facilitate digital connectivity, transformation and ultimately the realization of a robust digital economy".

Danbatta revealed that federal government policies in the communications and digital economy sector are already yielding positive results, including closing the access gap, improving digital financial inclusion and increasing contribution constant to GDP.

He said the sector remained the most resilient in the country while stressing that the Commission recognizes the need to do more to strengthen the telecommunications sector and improve internet penetration.

“At the end of 2021, the estimated population of people living in underserved areas increased from 31.16 million in 2019 to 28.87 million in 2021, and access gaps increased from 227 to 114 he said.

Danbatta assured that the Commission will not rest on its oars to support internet penetration and service improvement, but is ready to support internet penetrations and digital skills to materialize policies and initiatives to address identified gaps.

“The Commission is keenly aware of the need to do more and sees this Roundtable as another opportunity to gather feedback as well as expert opinions from participants. Therefore, all participants are invited to freely contribute and recommend actions that will further help Nigeria achieve its connectivity goal and develop a robust digital economy.We look forward to the outcome of your deliberations and await feedback that will deepen conversations on policies and initiatives. of digital access and connectivity in Nigeria,” the TCV urged participants.