TECHDIGEST – The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has called for a more robust collaboration between the agency and local start-ups, towards the promotion of indigenous content in the ICT sector.

The promotion of indigenous content which is one of the strategic pillars of the Agency’s Strategic Road Map and Action Plan 2021-2024 was designed specifically to create opportunities for the development of homegrown solutions to meet the country’s needs as well as create wealth for the nation.

Speaking at the virtual maiden edition of the Innovation Ecosystem Engagement, the Agency’s Director-General, Kashifu Abdullahi, said that Nigeria cannot be great globally if it does not build locally.

The DG who expressed his excitement at the prospects of the event stated that it was geared towards listening to active startup ecosystem players and proffering solutions on how NITDA can collaborate to mitigate the challenges being faced by the ecosystem.

Abdullahi described the tech ecosystems as a ‘home’, and stated that he understood the frustrations and challenges of local startups in the country because that was where he started from.

“I started very early when I was in 200 level. I perfectly understand how rough the journey is. I know how important it is to have enabling policies and infrastructure and how painful it is to fail”, he averred.

He, however, disclosed that currently, he has taken it upon himself to utilize all resources and opportunities at his disposal to make the tech ecosystem a more viable and better one.

Inuwa, while giving assurances of the present administration’s support towards the tech ecosystem, highlighted policies enacted such as the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy in 2019, the National Broadband Plan in 2020, the draft Start-up’s bill for onward transmission to the National Assembly in 2021 and the launch of the 5G policy which was developed to create enabling environments for start-ups to thrive.

The NITDA boss expressed his delight at the achievement attained by the local start-ups in building the most investment appealing ecosystem in Africa, attracting over $1.5 billion, a figure which he claimed represented 35 percent of total investments in Africa in 2021 but urged them to take it to the global level.

“This is unprecedented, but for me, there is no passion playing small and settling for leading only in Africa if we can compete globally”, he opined.

The DG disclosed that the Agency is currently rebranding and recalibrating its activities to align with the ecosystem, noting that “a symbiotic relationship with local start-ups is essential to foster the economic development of the country.”

“You need the government and the government needs you and together we can do great things. Together we can redefine, create and shape our tomorrow”, he concluded.

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TECHDIGEST – The Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, PhD is highly delighted to hear of the growth of the contribution of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the second quarter of 2021 (Q2 2021). The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) indicated this in the ‘Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product Report’ for Q2 2021 released today, the 26th of August, 2021.
It is noteworthy that the ICT sector contributed 17.92% to the total real GDP in Q2 2021, 20.54% higher than its contribution a year earlier and in the preceding quarter, in which it accounted for 14.91%. This is the highest contribution of ICT to the GDP and is truly unprecedented.
According to the NBS, “Nigeria’s GDP grew by 5.01%(year-on-year) in real terms in the second quarter of 2021, marking three consecutive quarters of growth following the negative growth rates recorded in the second and third quarters of 2020.” The negative growth was triggered by COVID-19, not only in Nigeria but also globally.  Even within that period, the ICT sector in Nigeria continued to experience positive growth.  The oil sector contributed 7.42% to total real GDP in Q2 2021, down from figures recorded in the preceding quarter, where it contributed 9.25%. The non-oil sector grew by 6.74% and contributed 92.58% to the GDP.

The Honorable Minister notes that the growing contribution of the ICT sector to the GDP is as a result of the commitment of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR to the development of the digital economy.  The 16 National Policies developed by the Ministry, the 1,667 projects and programmes, the large scale digital skills and general capacity building efforts, stakeholder engagement and creation of an enabling environment have all played an important role in this achievement.

The support of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has contributed immensely to the impressive developments in the sector. The unprecedented contribution of ICT to Nigeria’s GDP can also be attributed to the dynamic and results-oriented leadership of the sector, which has been acknowledged and appreciated by a wide spectrum of the stakeholders in the sector, both locally and internationally.  For example, Mr Houlin Zhao, the Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) commended the Minister for Nigeria’s “accelerated digital transformation”. Similarly, the Chairman of the United States-Nigeria Council (USNC) also commended him for the “commitment to diversifying Nigeria’s great economy through digital technology and innovation.”
The GDP Report has shown how critical the ICT sector is to the growth of our country’s digital economy and, by extension, the general economy.  The Honourable Minister renews his call to all sectors to take advantage of the Federal Government’s new focus on the digital economy to enable and improve their processes through the use of ICTs.  This would enhance the output of all the sectors of the economy and boost Nigeria’s GDP.

Dr Femi Adeluyi
Technical Assistant (Information Technology) to the
Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy
26th August 2021

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TECHDIGEST – In just two years in office, the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Ali Isa Pantami disclosed that his Ministry and its agencies have generated N1.54 trillion in their bid to deliver the promises made by President Muhammadu Buhari to all Nigerians in terms of economic diversification, enhanced security and the anti-corruption drive.

The agencies that made huge contributions to the digital economy included the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST), Galaxy Backbone Limited, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

The contributions of those agencies helped in lifting the country out of recession, as the ICT sector recorded the highest growth rate, according to reports given by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Meanwhile, for some time, NITDA has been working on plans for a review of its laws to create an independent regulatory framework for the development of the Nigerian IT sector, thereby making the laws more beneficial to startups and other tech industry operators, which would further enhance revenue to the coffers of the federation.

Consequently, in March this year, the Director-General of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa presented a proposal for the realignment of the NITDA Act 2007 with the principles of the Nigeria Digital Economy Policy Strategy and Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) to the relevant committees of the National Assembly.

Mallam Kashifu had explained to the lawmakers that an urgent review of the laws was imperative in order to keep abreast of the accelerating changes within the worldwide IT-driven ecosystem and properly position Nigeria as Africa’s leading digital economy and a major player on the global scene.

The proposed bill, expected to repeal the NITDA Act 2007, is aimed at creating a regulatory framework for the development of the Nigerian IT sector and digital economy.

It is not only geared to the promotion and implementation of policies that support indigenous content, access to digital services, and investments in the sector. The objectives of the proposed amendment also include the adoption of emerging technology, innovation, and safeguarding the rights of the citizens and the national interest.

Going by the focus of the proposed law, it is therefore surprising to notice the sudden wave of anxiety and trepidation within the Nigerian tech community over a purportedly ‘leaked’ draft of the proposal in circulation, which they say is harmful and would pose a serious threat to startups.

Operators have raised an alarm over some of the provisions in the proposed bill, which they describe as ambiguous, and may require further consultation before it becomes an Act.

The aggrieved stakeholders see the agency’s proposed review as being long on penalties and sanctions against individuals or companies that fail to get the relevant licenses or pay the 1 per cent levy fee, but short on information to guide startups on the requirements needed to qualify them for licensing.

Going by the ‘leaked’ proposed NITDA bill, stakeholders believe the agency’s focus is about Nigerian tech companies obtaining licenses, paying pre-tax profit levies and imposing sanctions on individuals and companies that operate contrary to the  provisions of the new Act.

They cited Sections 6, 13, 20, 21, and 22, which cover NITDA’s power, classes of licenses and authorisations, and offences and penalties, among others, are the contentious provisions causing apprehension.

As a keen follower of the activities and programmes of the IT sector regulator, I find it rather disturbing that a ‘leaked’ document is generating so much disquiet within the tech ecosystem in Nigeria.

The fears expressed by stakeholders are understandable, especially considering the recent incident that played out following the removal of a critical portion from the proposed amendment to the Electoral Act. We (Nigerians) are still reeling from that democratic betrayal by our self-centred political class.

While it may be difficult to verify the authenticity or otherwise of this leaked document, stakeholders need to reach out to the concerned agency to sort out this misgiving, as true partners in progress committed to gainful engagement for the national interest.

It is noteworthy that some stakeholders are calling on NITDA to hold further consultations before the Act becomes law. This is the best option for the agency to follow as a demonstration of its avowed commitment to constantly engage stakeholders on issues relating to the tech sector.

This brings to mind, the recent two-day advocacy undertaken by the NITDA DG to Lagos, during which he visited several tech startups and engaged with various stakeholders in the tech ecosystem.

In June this year, the agency had consulted industry stakeholders on policy developments targeted at boosting national economic growth and diversification.

The agency has consistently sought alignment with stakeholders’ vision in government, innovation-driven enterprises, consumers of innovation, tech startups, investors, academia funding agencies, civil society organisations and others.

Other instances abound to confirm that NITDA has continued to maintain strategic engagement with stakeholders, spanning the various segment of the tech community in the country.

Obviously, that does not reflect an agency that operates in secrecy or with the intent to shortchange the operators or mortgage sustainable growth in the bid to garner revenue for itself, without creating the needed stability for stakeholders to thrive.

Suffice to say that the agency has always been in the forefront of creating platforms for strong stakeholder engagement and support for its policies and programmes at every point in time.

And since the agency has started the process of developing a draft of the proposed amendment bill, there is no need for operators to jump to hasty conclusion that the agency is pushing a secret document to be passed into law.
Moreover, related developments in the tech sector indicate that the tech community is working towards updating existing but outdated laws to emphasise the government’s commitment to innovation and the young people who are building startups in Nigeria.

Similarly, the Nigerian Startup Bill (NSB) project has commenced with a stakeholders’ meeting to ensure that all government agencies and parastatals are aligned with the vision for the Nigerian tech startup ecosystem.

The proposed Nigeria Startup Bill, a joint initiative of the Federal Government and the tech ecosystem aims to ensure that startups are protected to thrive and harness the potentials of the digital economy through co-created regulations.

Thus, aggrieved operators can rest assured that the proposed NSB and the NITDA amendment bill offers double-pronged legislation to guard against different challenges faced by startups as a result of disruptive and ambiguous regulations that undermine growth in the startup ecosystem.

As a driver of Nigeria’s IT industry, I am confident that NITDA would come up with a timely clarification to set the record straight, dispel the fears of operators and sustain its excellent credentials as a stakeholder-friendly public agency.

Inyene Ibanga is Managing Editor TechDigest.ng and writes from Abuja

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TECH DIGEST – As at March 2021, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector has successfully saved over N22.4 billion naira to the federal coffers by executing its mandate to support the anti-corruption drive of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, says the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami).

Speaking today, Thursday, 3rd June 2021, under the auspices of the All Progressives Congress Professional Forum, the Minister addressed Nigerians giving account of his stewardship in office so far.

Pantami in a detailed discourse, gave account of the strategies deployed by the sector under his supervision to support the three point agenda of Security, Anti-Corruption and Economic development of President Muhammad Buhari.

These, the Minister said, include the development and implementation of over a dozen policies to enable the digitalisation of Nigeria in line with global best practices.

According to the Minister’s spokesperson, Uwa Suleiman, he have the outstanding accounts at the Party’s headquarters in Abuja.

Pantami disclosed that the sector as at “March 2021 has successfully saved over 22.4 billion naira to the federal coffers by executing its mandate to support the Anti-corruption drive of the President Muhammad Buhari administration through the implementation of the Information Technology (IT) Projects clearance policy. Under this policy, over 727 Institutions have complied with over 323 projects cleared in accordance with the laid down guidelines”.

He cited the Policy on virtual engagements for public institutions as an impetus to fighting corruption and reducing the cost of governance while also promoting e-governance.

In the area of Economic Development, the Minister disclosed that enabling policies enacted in the sector to support the digitalisation of the economy have empowered it to provide and enhance digital capacities among the citizenry.

Dr Pantami noted that the National Policy on Entrepreneurship and Start-ups and the Digital Literacy and skills pillar of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria, has given impetus to the acquisition of digital skills and job creation drive of the sector.

“Under the DigitalNigeria portal, over 210,000 citizens including women, youths and the physically challenged have been equipped with various digital skills for economic empowerment. These trainings are implemented in collaboration with technology giants like Microsoft, Huawei, Cisco etc., and the certificates are globally recognised and respected”.

“The establishment of a world class e-government centre in line with the e-government Master Plan also ensures that the digital training needs of the Nigerian labour force are met”, he said.

The Minister also noted that the sector has established over 300 ICT Centres, fully funded by the Federal Government across all states in the federation, including the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

In the area of security, the Minister noted that although it is not a direct mandate of his Ministry, it is a priority of government and therefore, sectoral policies to aid security agencies in the discharge of their duties have been developed and implemented.

He cited the National Policy on SIM registration and the revised Policy on NIN/SIM linkage as a huge boost to the nation’s security as “it is no longer business as usual for criminal elements who hitherto used stolen identities to perpetrate crime unhindered”

Recall that according to the National Bureau of Statistics, the Digital Economy Sector in its reports from the Q2 of 2020 till date, under the supervision of Dr Pantami, has retained the unprecedented position of the fastest growing sector in the nation’s economy with a whooping 14.70% growth rate.

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