Plateau State Governor, Caleb Mutfwang has urged participants of the Senior Executive Course (SEC) 46 of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS) Kuru, to come up with practical recommendations that will foster and maintain a digital economy in Nigeria.
Hosting the participants of the SEC 46 at the Government house in Jos on Friday, Governor Mutfwang said that digital innovation would create employment opportunities for Nigerian youths who have the necessary digital skills.
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He noted with pleasure that many Nigerian youths are already contributing to the digital economy in other parts of the world.
Speaking through Samuel Jatau, the Secretary to the Government of the State, Governor Mutfwang commended the theme of the SEC 46, “Digital Economy, Youth Empowerment and Sustainable Job Creation in Nigeria: The Issues, Challenges and Opportunities” as relevant and timely, and said that it would unleash the potential of Nigerian youths to improve the economic situation in Plateau and Nigeria.
He said that Plateau has a temperate climate, suitable for digital economy and research, as well as a hospitable population, and encouraged the participants to leverage the peaceful atmosphere of the people and conduct research that would enhance the nation’s economy.
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The Director General of the NIPSS, Kuru, Prof. Ayo Omotayo, represented by the Director of Studies, NIPSS, and Professor of Gender and Development Studies, Oluwafunmilayo Para-Mallam, said that the participants are seasoned intellectuals from various fields and regions of the country.
He said that the choice of the topic was intentional, considering the global trend of developed countries to adopt digital economy and the need for Nigeria to catch up.
He assured that Plateau would be the biggest beneficiary of the innovative research, in terms of youth empowerment and sustainable job creation.
Prof. Omotayo explained that the course would be officially inaugurated next week by the Minister of Digital Economy and expressed the hope that the recommendations of the SEC would advance Nigeria’s quest to develop a digital economy.
