Earlier this year, before Nigeria’s presidential election, I explored the manifestos of Peter Obi (LP), Bola Tinubu (APC), Atiku Abubakar (PDP) and Rabiu Kwankaso(NNPP) from the perspective of technology and by extension the digital economy.
The article delved into their plans with respect to Nigeria’s tech community and how the country as a whole will benefit from a working digital economy.
The article also considered the challenges facing the country’s digital economy which include infrastructure, skill gap, policies, and fundraising.
Post 2023 elections, Nigeria has Bola Tinubu as the President, Without much ado, let’s revisit his 80-page APC Renewed Hope Presidential Manifesto and dissect his plans for the digital economy.
Page 49 of the document with the subject heading, “THE DIGITAL ECONOMY: TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE FOURTH INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION”, introduced the significance of digital technologies and innovation with their combined role in driving economic growth.
The Manifesto further acknowledged that the world’s largest economies have proven that mastery of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector can’t be underestimated owing to its significance to the future and economic resilience of Nigeria.
Stating further, the manifesto reads, “Due to their own ingenuity and determination, numerous young Nigerians are among the leading pioneers exploring this exciting, fertile new economic frontier. In addition to encouraging such bold and creative young game changers, a Tinubu administration will strive to create one million new jobs in the ICT sector within its first 24 months in office.”
Going by this line, the present government acknowledges that there are many young Nigerians out there who have conquered the technology space beyond Nigeria and the African continent and have become globally recognized icons in their endeavours.
From this indication it is safe to say that the nomination and appointment of Dr Bosun Tijani as the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy isn’t out of place going by the words pointed out in the manifesto.
Bosun Tijani is a household name in Africa’s tech ecosystem, as the Co-founder of CcHub (a social innovation centre dedicated to accelerating the application of social capital and technology for economic prosperity), he has led enterprises and initiatives across a variety of industries while driving the expansion of social innovations since 2010.
Under his leadership the hub expanded into several African regions, portraying the enterprise as a crucial catalyst for the African tech ecosystem, encouraging collaboration, information exchange, and the creation of ground-breaking solutions to regional and international challenges with the assistance of numerous partners and founders.
Bosun Tijani led a number of social technology projects including Lagos Innovation Hotspots and the i-HQ concept, which involved working with MainOne Cable and the Lagos State Government to lay fibre optic cables in the Yaba area of Lagos accelerating the growth of the area into becoming the home of technology startups in Nigeria.
Who was Bosun before CcHub?
Bosun had worked as a research fellow on trade development with the International Trade Centre, Geneva, Switzerland.
During this research, he focused on enterprise management development which in 2006 resulted in the development and deployment of a web-marketing and information services programme in Ghana and subsequently in Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, South Africa and Tanzania.
While working at Hewlett Packard, he managed both the deployment of the ODel learning centre at the Africa Virtual University in Kenya and HP, IEEE and University of Ibadan telecentre in Nigeria.
He also initiated and completed the deployment of the HP Micro-enterprise Acceleration Programme learning centre at the Lagos Business School in Nigeria.
In 2007, he joined the Pera Innovation Network, where he served as European Innovation Manager, leading the coordination of innovation agencies across Europe.
Will all these previous experiences suffice for Bosun Tijani to fulfil the Digital Economy agenda laid in the APC presidential manifesto? Let’s take a deep dive
Going back to the second line in the first quote taken from the manifesto, “In addition to encouraging such bold and creative young game changers, a Tinubu administration will strive to create one million new jobs in the ICT sector within its first 24 months in office.”
The Tinubu-led administration was sworn in on May 29, 2023, but took until August 16, 2023, to appoint ministers.
Following this, it is safe to say that by August 2025, this present government should have secured one million jobs in the ICT sector.
Does this look achievable for the government under the Bosun-led ministry? After running CcHub in Nigeria, and acquiring iHub in Kenya, the company expanded into Rwanda and Namibia, thus creating jobs for ICT-inclined people in these respective countries.
Bosun Tijani’s involvement in driving some initiatives including Wecyclers, BudgIT, LifeBank, GoMyWay and the like has in one way or another created ICT jobs for some Nigerians.
Are these sufficient enough to hit the one million job mark in the next 24 months? According to the manifesto, the present government plan regarding the one million job creation includes “interventions in the ICT Industry and other critical sectors of the Nigerian economy where deployment of new technologies can fast-track business growth and diversification.”
How will the government through the Ministry of Communications, Innovations and Digital Economy set this in motion?
Let’s look at some ways the ministry might try to achieve this:
1. The ministry needs clear and supportive policies and regulations that encourage the adoption of new technologies that include a new environment that fosters innovation, and protects digital assets while ensuring fair competition.
Tijani was also recently appointed as a visiting adjunct professor at the Wits School of Governance, effective September 2023 after spending time as an adjunct researcher with research interests in collaborative projects that inform practice through support to policymakers, inventors and entrepreneurs while advancing theories in innovation systems and governance.
2. A need to develop and upgrade ICT infrastructure, which includes but is not limited to high-speed internet connectivity and reliable power supply would create the foundation for the deployment of new technologies across various sectors.
However, the question an average Nigerian will ask next is, how reliable can the country’s power supply be or to add further, is there the willpower to develop and upgrade Nigeria’s ICT infrastructure?
ICT remains a critical part of Nigeria’s economy as the National Bureau of Statistics revealed that the sector contributed 18.44 per cent to the nation’s GDP in the second quarter of 2022. Despite this, the sector is still ridden with challenges, preventing it from reaching its potential.
Going by the latest trends in ICT as far as 2023 is concerned, are we ready to explore robotics, edge and quantum computing? Or we should stick with regular e-commerce, fintech and the like?
Whether the ministry opts for the former or settles for the latter, challenges like multiple taxations, regulatory hiccups, and limited access to infrastructure in rural regions still persist in Nigeria’s ICT sector.
3. Implement comprehensive training programs to equip the workforce with the digital skills required to leverage new technologies effectively.
Bosun Tijani isn’t a stranger to how innovative hubs can make this happen, as a Co-founder himself, he understands how hubs can be effective in upskilling and reskilling initiatives for both existing employees and new entrants into the job market.
Hubs can provide access to mentorship, funding, and resources, fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. What stops him from working with ISN Hubs to implement this?
4. Partnerships with the private sector to facilitate knowledge transfer, funding, and expertise, enabling the government to leverage existing industry experience.
5. Identify critical sectors of the economy that stand to benefit the most from technology adoption by tailoring interventions to each sector’s unique needs and challenges to maximize the impact of new technologies.
6. Develop clear roadmaps for digital transformation in various sectors. These roadmaps should outline specific goals, timelines, and metrics to track progress.
Bosun Tijani’s research at the Wits School of Governance should help him with this.
7. Provide incentives such as tax breaks, grants, and subsidies to businesses that embrace new technologies.
This may be a long shot considering the total number of businesses in the country that have and planning to adopt new technologies, however, it is worth pushing this case to the government for consideration.
8. Foster collaboration with international organizations, governments, and tech companies to gain insights, best practices, and potential partnerships.
At least, this shouldn’t be a worry for the minister, judging by his experience with multinational organisations and global leaders in the tech and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Going down to page 50 of the manifesto, “The following important digital products and services have been identified as having the greatest potential to bring new jobs and greater diversification to our economy:”
ICT Enabled Outsourcing
The Indian ICT boom was cited as an illustration here, “In 2021, India earned US$6 billion from the provision of ICT-enabled outsourcing services, employing millions of its citizens in the process.”
This enabled outsourcing refers to the use of ICT in delegating tasks to external individuals or companies.
Through this, technology is deployed to connect and collaborate with remote teams to perform tasks more efficiently with less expenses.
The overall aim of ICT Enabled Outsourcing is to boost employment, skills, and economic growth through the simplification of tasks by leveraging technology and global connectivity.
How will its implementation benefit Nigerians?
- It can create job opportunities by offering a platform for skilled Nigerians to provide their services to global clients.
- It can assist local professionals in gaining exposure to international projects and technologies that can drive innovation within Nigeria
- It can help companies in Nigeria reduce operational costs as they access affordable expertise from international platforms
Summarily, by offering outsourced services, businesses in Nigeria can tap into the global market and showcase their capabilities to a wider audience.
The benefits stated above may be achieved going by this line in the manifesto, “We shall implement policies that will train and build capacity among Nigeria’s large and youthful population to take greater advantage of the opportunities presented by this industry”
The keyword here is, “implement policies”, Let’s see how many working policies can be implemented by the federal government through the ministry.
Just to add, so as to benefit from the outsourcing boom in ICT services, the Indian government directed investments into the restructuring and expansion of the local ICT services sector.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Innovative enterprises such as fintech companies in developing economies are gulping a large chunk of funding from both local and foreign investment. Nigeria has produced notable fintech that has drawn global relevance to the African continent.
According to the manifesto, this present government intends to develop and implement innovative policies to support local funding opportunities and access to capital for startups and encourage foreign investors to continue investing in Nigeria.
“Other drivers of value within the startup ecosystem such as technology hubs and parks, accelerators and angel investors will be incentivised to continue the development of a healthy ecosystem.”
As mentioned earlier, Bosun Tijani is familiar with all the relevant drivers in Nigeria;s startup ecosystem, thus it shouldn’t be challenging for him to harmonize them into forging an innovative and entrepreneurship ecosystem, However, how will they be “incentivised”? mentioned in the manifesto. It remains to be seen.
Tech Manufacturing
The manifesto quoted available statistics that indicated Nigeria imported US$750 million worth of smartphones annually over the last three years.
“This is indicative of the huge opportunity for import substitution and local assembly presented by the tech manufacturing sector.”
Tech manufacturing according to the manifesto presents an important opportunity for job creation in Nigeria.
If this is anything to go by, then we should ask what the government through the ministry put in place to achieve this.
In 2019, Chinese electronics company ENGO Holdings launched its computer and mobile phone assembly and manufacturing plant in Uganda.
In 2020, Uganda exported 18000 smartphones to Morocco and sold over 400,000 phones in the same year. The company employed close to 400 Ugandans.
Broadband by 2025
“We will ensure that the National Broadband Plan to deliver broadband services to 90 per cent of the population is achieved by 2025.”
The NCC under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy stated it has exceeded the target of 30 per cent penetration as of December 2018.
It further stated that it has begun implementing strategies to meet the new target of 70 per cent Broadband penetration by the year 2025 according to the new Broadband Plan.
This, as you may recall was under the previous administration as it attained a 48% penetration in 2022. The new government has increased the target from 70% to 90%.
The broadband plan is set to deliver data download speeds in Nigeria at a minimum of 25Mbps in urban areas, and 10Mbps in rural areas while pegging a price not more than N390 per 1GB of data.
Bottom line
To sum up, the appointment of Dr. Bosun Tijani ushers in a period of enormous potential and inherent challenges for Nigeria.
The demands of the task at hand seem to match his professional background and most likely his prior experiences.
Given the complexity of combining communications, innovation, and the digital economy, it is the ministry’s obligation to carry out the government’s intentions.
The challenges that lie ahead include a variety of issues, such as developing efficient regulations that foster innovation and providing inclusive internet access in both urban and rural regions of the country.
The effectiveness of Bosun Tijani’s tenure will be evaluated in terms of observable results that have an impact on Nigeria’s economic development, technological innovation, and the fair distribution of digital resources.
The anticipation that specific plans, open governance, and careful implementation will lead the way forward to balance the optimism around his nomination and selection.
The policies, activities, and results of this government under his ministry projects will be evaluated by the public’s critical eye.
As we move forward, the Minister’s dedication to the changing technological landscape will be scrutinized.
In conclusion, Bosun Tijani’s position necessitates careful judgment, strategic insight, and the ability to negotiate the complexity of Nigeria’s digital economy.
The evaluation of his tenure will eventually depend on the actual outcomes and how they affect Nigerians.
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