Abuja, Nigeria – Mediaage NG News – Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani at the ongoing 2023 Digital Nigeria Conference in the capital, Abuja, described the West African nation as a destination for technology startup capital in Africa.
Dr. Tijani, who at age 21, became the National Director of AIESEC, a non-governmental organisation in consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), also said that as much is celebrated about the technological growth of the telecommunications sector, more progress is needed to keep the pace of the industry as the highest in Africa.
“We should recognise and celebrate the fact that this is the highest growth in the telecommunications industry in the African continent”, he said.
Dr. Tijani, 46 laid emphasis on the importance of progressive minds as vital to technological advancement in the country, referencing that “the digital Nigeria we are talking about today is made possible by progressives that have taken it upon themselves to give the country the backbone it needs to participate in global economy.
“Technology is constantly evolving and those who thrive in it across the globe today are countries that have in place progressive attitudes to ask questions and demand better ways of doing this”, he said.
He further revealed that the country must prioritize the development of its workforce and while it does so, it must also give precedence to knowledge generation, and for the Nigerian nation to be a major player in technology, not just in Africa but, the world, it must be part of knowledge generation and application.
Furthermore, recognising the efforts put in by private and public establishments that have led to the rise of technological innovations in the country, he appreciated the likes of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Galaxy Backbone, NITCOMSAT and the Data Commission.
He also made commendation of the European Commission, different US government agencies, investment multilateral organisations from Japan, Korea, China and every global tech organisation that have contributed to the development of digital technology in Nigeria.