Communications Sector Contributes Up To 594 Per Cent Of GDP - Pantami

The country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP) increased by up to 594%, according to Prof. Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.

Pantami made this statement at a news conference held on Monday to commemorate the third annual Digital Nigeria Day (DND), which is observed on October 24th all over the world.

The DND doubles as the UN World Development Information Day, which is celebrated to recognise the value of information and communications technologies in generating fresh approaches to development problems.

The purpose of the UN Day of Information is to recognise the importance of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the context of globalisation, particularly in terms of how they may promote social inclusion, economic inclusion, and competitiveness.

“It is worthy of note that the ministry excelled at the recently concluded retreat that was held for all Ministers.

“The assessment was based on the output indicators and milestones for the eight ministerial deliverables and the ministry obtained the highest grade in each of the deliverables.

“Implementation of Broadband Connectivity was 134 per cent, deployment of 4G across the country -127 per cent, digitalising government functions and processes was 99 per cent.

“Development and implementation of a National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy -103 per cent, while implementation of a Digital Identity Programme was 86 per cent.

“Improvement and optimisation of revenues from all operators and licensees in the agencies under the ministry’s supervision was 594 per cent,” Pantami said.

He added that a further 11% of employment was actively created in partnership with the private sector, and a further 17% of individuals were given more power.

According to Pantami, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, UK, and KPMG, among others, collaborated with the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation to conduct the assessment.

Additionally, he remembered that the ICT industry made contributions of 14.07% in the first quarter of 2020, 17.92% in the second quarter of 2021, and 18.44% in the second quarter of 2022.

He claimed that each time, these figures represented the ICT sector's highest-ever contributions to the GDP.

Pantami said: "Furthermore, the quarterly revenues also generated for the Federal Government rose from N51.3 billion to N408.7 billion, through spectrum sales and taxes from the sector.

“We now have a Nigeria Startup Act, which is a principal legislation and is a major achievement that will significantly enhance the innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem in Nigeria.’’

The National Digital Economy Policy & Strategy 2020–2030 (NDEPS) and the Roadmap for the Implementation of the NDEPS, the minister said, were two initiatives that have increased revenues in the industry.

He listed several policies, including the National Policy for the Promotion of Indigenous Content in the Telecommunications Sector, the SIM Card Registration Policy, and the Nigeria National Broadband Plan 2020–2025.

In addition, the ministry recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Microsoft to train five million Nigerians on the strong worldwide need for digital skills, according to Pantami, who claimed that over 863,372 residents had benefited from digital skills programmes.

“On assumption of office on Aug. 1, 2019, the official broadband penetration figures stood at 33.72 per cent and today it is 44.65 per cent, representing close to 13 million new broadband users.

“Similarly, there were 13,823 4G base stations and we now have 36,751, representing a 165.86 per cent increase and the percentage of 4G coverage also increased from 23 per cent to 77.52 per cent.

“The cost of data has crashed from N1,200 per Gigabyte to about N350, making it easier for Nigerians to connect to the Internet,’’ he said.

According to the minister, the ministry created an IT clearance site to facilitate interoperability, get rid of duplication, and guarantee value for money when implementing ICT projects across the nation.

He claimed that from N12.45 million to N10.57 billion, the quarterly savings from the IT Projects Clearance Process.

A pool of Innovation Driven Enterprises (IDEs) was being created, he added, in order to hasten the growth of Nigeria's digital economy.

“Privacy concerns are also being addressed through the newly established Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB).

“The drafting of the data protection bill has reached an advanced stage, Digital Identity enrolments have been successful, with issued National Identification Numbers (NINs) rising from less than 40 million to over 90 million.’’

To complement similar initiatives that were concentrated on the information technology sector, Pantami said the ministry had devised a policy for boosting indigenous content in the telecom industry.

He said that it would, among other things, lessen capital flight.

Pantami also pushed for a paradigm change away from the obsession with obtaining school credentials in favour of developing social and soft skills that would put one in a stronger position to tackle societal issues.

Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa, announced that the DND would last for one week, from October 25 to October 27.

According to Inuwa, the conference would take place in a hybrid setting with a platform for applications where attendees may register and be broadcast live.

Nigeria, according to Inuwa, is prepared for a digital economy and revolution, so everyone should pay attention.
The theme of the conference would be “Digital Transformation: A Path to Sustainable Digital Economy.’’