The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali-Pantami, has expressed excitement over the improvement in the contribution of the country’s Information and Communication Technology, ICT, sector by 17.83% in the second quarter of the year 2020.
According to the recent report released by the National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, titled: ‘Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product Report’, the ICT sector contribution represented 20.54% higher than its contribution a year earlier and in the preceding quarter, in which it accounted for 14.07%.
Reacting, the minister through a statement on Monday by his Technical Assistant on Information Technology, Dr. Femi Adeluyi, said the improvement was a direct result of the focused and committed effort of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He said: “The strategic policy directions of the Federal Government include the inclusion of Digital Economy in the mandate of the Ministry, the unveiling and implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy and the National Broadband Plan, amongst others.
“As at July 2020, the broadband penetration in the country was 42.02%, translating to a percentage increase of almost double digits in less than 1 year. This is another remarkable achievement.
“The unprecedented contribution of ICT to Nigeria’s GDP can also be attributed to dynamic and results-oriented leadership which has been acknowledged and appreciated by a wide spectrum of the stakeholders in the sector.
“The support of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has contributed immensely to the impressive developments in the sector. Mr President is excited about the growth of the sector and commended the Honourable Minister when he heard of these achievements.
“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,” he said.
The minister, therefore, called on 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.
According to him, doing so will enhance the output of all the sectors of the economy and further boost Nigeria’s GDP.
