The United Nations (UN) Deputy Secretary-General, Mrs Amina Muhammed has pledged the support of the UN to Nigeria’s digital economy sector while urging the federal government to invest in technology.
Muhammed stated this while on a courtesy call on the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami in his office in Abuja.
She noted that “Technology is the lifeline of all other sectors from education to medical and financial services, and a lot of what the economy will see in the coming years will be determined by what we do now, in terms of investments”
The UN Deputy Secretary-General commended the visionary leadership style of Dr Pantami in piloting the affairs of the Ministry which has resulted in the quantum leap recorded in the nation’s economy.
She also applauded the National Digital Economy Policy emphasising that it was in line with the framework of the 2030 agenda on the sustainable development goals of the United Nations.
“With the exemplary leadership we have in the sector, right now, the Nigerian government should really prioritise investments in the sector.
“The United Nations really supports this sector and its leadership, to make sure that you are a big part of the success of Nigeria’s growth and development. Technology is what will bring efficiency and connectivity in all aspects of life and especially in the green transitions.” Ms Mohammed said.
Ms Mohammed further advised the Nigerian Minister to embrace partnerships and collaborations in moving the Nation forward, highlighting that the Nigerian economy is very important to Africa.
In his response, Dr Pantami expressed his appreciation to President Muhammad Buhari for his efforts towards diversifying the economy through various enabling policies and for making the sector a priority as the benefits are already manifesting.
Pantami maintained that the support of Mr President could be attributed to the unprecedented achievement recorded in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector.
“According to data released by the NBS, the ICT sector recorded the highest growth rate of all the sectors of the Nigerian economy in both the fourth quarter of 2020 (Q4 2020) and the entire year 2020,” the Minister said.
The Minister also expressed his gratitude to the United Nations for its support through its partnerships and collaborations with organisations under the global body and noting that more can be done in bridging the digital divide especially in the area of capacity building.
Zainab Sa’id
