The Federal Government has announced plans to invest N12 billion in digital economy research projects in furtherance of its sustained drive to strengthen Nigeria’s position in the global digital landscape and ensure the country benefits from the huge opportunities in digital transformation.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, who made this disclosure on Tuesday during the opening ceremony of the 18th International Conference on Theory and Practices of Electronic Governance (ICEGOV) in Abuja, said the funds would be channeled into three major research clusters, each hosted by six universities across the country.
Tijani explained: “The Nigerian government is not just doing this as a show because immediately after ICEGOV last year, we funded over 55 research projects.
“At the moment, we are putting together about N12 billion to fund further research projects that are focused on the digital economy.
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“We are setting up three research clusters of six universities, each one focused on artificial intelligence, and another focused on the biggest issue in our nation today, which is connectivity, where we are investing significantly.
“Thirdly, because of our population, we are also funding another research cluster that is focused on digital skills and literacy”, he added.
According to him, the initiative aims to deepen Nigeria’s research capacity and build a foundation for inclusive digital development.
Noting that digital technologies are now central to human progress and that no nation can achieve sustainable development without embracing them, the industry expert said that platforms like ICEGOV had been helping countries to explore emerging technologies responsibly and shape policies that balance innovation with societal needs.
The minister recalled that Nigeria’s strong participation in the 2024 edition earned it the right to host in 2025.
In her remarks, the ICEGOV Steering Committee Chair, Ms. Elsa Estevez, solicited global players’ partnership in managing the impact of artificial intelligence and other digital innovations for the benefits of all.
She said: “In the past years, we were profoundly affected by digitally driven innovations, and we often adapt them without much reflection and such innovations dramatically change the way we interact, socially, work, build and complement our capacities.”
Estevez stressed that techno innovation must remain people-centred and ethical and charged national governments to actively engage their citizens in shaping public policy and countering misinformation about the emerging digital systems through regulation, education, and awareness built on sound information ethics.
In his remarks, the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, said the Nigerian government had concluded plans to integrate digital literacy into Nigeria’s school curriculum effective from next year as part of the government’s broader Knowledge Policy and Digital Literacy Framework..
Justifying the plans, Inuwa said: “In Africa, we have a very young population, our citizens are digitally native and they are all online, therefore governments need to meet them where they are.”
The four-day event with the theme “Shaping the Future of Digital Governance Through Cooperation, Innovation and Inclusion” was organised by the NITDA and featured industry leaders and experts as participants and discussants.
