Bosun Tijani, minister of communication, innovation and digital economy, has released a blueprint strategic agenda for 2023-2027.
This strategic blueprint articulates a vision for Nigeria that builds on the transformative power of digital technology and innovation to diversify and deepen the economy.
This framework encompasses five key pillars: knowledge, policy, infrastructure, innovation, entrepreneurship capital, and trade.
According to the plan, the four-year strategic agenda reimages the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy as the public sector ecosystem that enables Nigeria’s economic growth through enhanced productivity, facilitated by technological innovation.
What the plan intends to achieve
1. Train 3 million technical talents by 2027 – The federal government intends to work with stakeholders to train 3 million technical talents and prioritise job placement by the end of 2027.
2. 70 percent digital literacy by 2027 – This agenda will adopt a multifaceted approach, including a robust educational programme, improved digital infrastructure and universal access to digital resources.
3. Top 25 percentile – By 2027, the Federal Government intends to position Nigeria in the top 25 percentile of research globally in six key areas – artificial intelligence, unmanned aerial vehicles, IoT, robotics, blockchain and additive manufacturing.
4. 70 percent broadband rate – One of its strategic plans is to boost Nigeria’s broadband penetration rate from 45 percent in August 2023, according to the Nigeria Communication Commission to 70 percent by the end of 2025.
5. $5 billion capital raised – Federal Government intends to increase capital raised by Nigerian tech startups by 50 percent year-on-year from $1 billion/year in 2022 to $5 billion/year in 2027.
6. 25 percent domiciliation of local technology startups by 2027 – By increasing the domiciliation of local technology startups from <1 percent to 25 percent by 2027, the Federal Government intends to create an environment for startups to raise the funding that is required to thrive locally and promote the domiciliation of startups within the nation. 7. 75 percent fibre optic cable target by 2027 – With the aim of providing widespread access to ensure that citizens are connected, the Federal Government intends to focus on executing the broadband strategy to lay 95,000 kilometers of fibre optic cable across the country. Read also: Explainer: What is letter of credit?
8. 60 percent government data digitalisation by the end of 2026 – The plan intends to provide leadership and implement a roadmap for digitising at least 60 percent of relevant government data by the end of 2026.
9. 50,000 AI industry jobs by 2026 – Artificial intelligence will usher in a new era of technological and economic transformation over the next two decades which will create over 50,000 jobs in Nigeria’s AI industry by 2030.
10. 22 percent net GDP contribution by 2027 – The plan speculates an increased net GDP contribution of the telecommunications sector to 22 percent of GDP by the end of 2027.
