The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, has again reiterated Nigeria’s commitment to Digital Literacy, stressing that in the next few years, the country will be among technology-driven Nations in the world.
The NITDA DG, while engaging investors at the just concluded Nigeria-Spanish Business and Trade Forum, in Madrid, Spain, stated that Nigeria’s commitment to Digital Literacy is gradually bridging the global talent gap in the Information Communications Technology (ICT) sector.
“Nigeria has talented youths and is blessed with one of the youngest populations in the world. By 2050, we will be the third most populous nation in the world; So, we are concerned about Digital Literacy because the world is moving towards a digital and knowledge-based economy and there is a global talent gap in ICT,” he said.
Meanwhile, the DG informed the gathering that efforts to bring the Nigeria Startup Bill to a logical conclusion are currently being intensified. He expressed optimism that upon getting the legal backing, the Bill will incentivize Nigerians and create a new market in order to encourage more investments and boost the sector’s contribution to the Nation’s Gross Domestic Products (GDP).
He encouraged investors to take advantage of the country’s huge population/demography, resourceful young minds as well as its soaring digital economy and invest without fears. “Africa is a virgin land, we don’t have the legacy infrastructure; So, you can easily invest and grow in many sectors,” the DG stressed.
Inuwa was hopeful that achieving the ambiguous target of a 95% digital literacy by 2030 would go a long way in creating new markets for not just Nigerians but investors, both at home and abroad.