The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, says digitalization has enabled Nigeria to develop a sustainable economy.
He said this in Abuja on Wednesday during the unveiling of a book as part of the ongoing Digital Nigeria Conference in Abuja, organised by Head, Corporate Affairs and External Relations, National Information Technology Development Agency, Hadiza Umar. The book, 'Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami: Advancing Nigeria's Drive towards a Digital Economy', was written by Obiora Nzekwu.
Pantami said: "Digitalization increases efficiency, reduces waste, enhances productivity, increases transparency, and supports datafication, amongst other things.
He said the Federal Government had shown that the digital economy could greatly support the traditional economy.
"The contribution of the digital economy to the Gross Domestic Product of Nigeria and its role in making the economy resilient to adverse events like the COVID-19 pandemic are two good examples of the impact of the digital economy on the traditional economy."
He said the ministry excelled at the recent ministerial retreat.
In his foreword to the book, President Muhammadu Buhari commended Pantami for being a good example of excellence and focusing on discharging his responsibility as a member of the Federal Executive Council.
He also commended the author for "this well researched work and for deeming it fit to document our digital economy journey."
He recommended the book to researchers, scholars, policy makers and chief executives in business and public offices.
Director-General NITDA, Kashifu Abdullahi, said Nigeria was working on how to become a global supplier of tech talents.
"We have several initiatives to position Nigeria to become the global talent suppler. Nigeria has the capacity to fill up the global talent gap. We are exploring how to use technology to create and capture values," he said.