Nigeria re-commits to improving digital services with $2B planned investment

Nigerian is looking forward to investing around $2 billion on digital public infrastructure in order to improve the delivery of digital services to citizens.

The country’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Bosun Tijani, speaking late last month, reiterated this plan, ahead of a summit organized in Nigeria by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Business Day reports.

Speaking during a pre-summit chat with reporters, Tijani said the government has a robust plan to fast-track Nigeria’s digital revolution, and this involves spending hugely in infrastructure which can drive up digital connectivity and make access to digital services seamless for millions of Nigerians.

Already, Nigerian is on the path to establishing DPI with a massive digital ID project under implementation, seeking to enroll 180 million people by 2026. More than 90 percent of all adults in the country are said to have been already registered with the system.

According to Tijani, a solid digital infrastructure ecosystem will not only facilitate delivery of services, but also contribute to the country’s digital economy and general economic growth.

“This investment is part of a larger vision to provide every Nigerian with access to high-quality digital services, while safeguarding their digital identity. We are committed to connecting every Nigerian, ensuring that digital infrastructure benefits all citizens,” the minister is quoted as saying.

The ITU summit in Abuja, which took place on February 26 and 27 was an opportunity for stakeholders, drawn from government, industry and the private sector from about 50 countries around the world, to address vulnerabilities in the global submarine cable network, which is crucial for powering global financial transactions, social media, and other digital services.

Tijani first echoed the plan of the Bola Tinubu administration to invest $2 billion on digital public infrastructure last year during a G20 meeting in Brazil.

One key project that is part of the plan is the establishment of a 90,000km fibre optic network, to extend the country’s existing backbone cable line from 35,000 to 125,000km.

President Tinubu recognizes the potential of DPI and has pledged in the past to support its expansion in Nigeria, saying it is an important factor in the realization of the eight-point agenda that underpins his administration.

Push for inclusive digital public infrastructure

As countries like Nigeria are working to expand their DPI ecosystems, experts are advising that the focus should be towards a more inclusive approach, and which can be measured, so that all strata of society can benefit.

That’s the argument advanced in an analysis dubbed “Deconstructing Inclusion in DPI: Lessons from Measuring Real-World DPI Deployments.”

In the piece, the author advances that mechanisms must be put in place to often measure and evaluate real-world DPI deployments in order to ensure that they are implemented in a manner that benefits all segments of society, particularly marginalized and less-privileged communities.

For this to obtain, the article suggests that from the conception, design and implementation of DPI, stakeholders from different sectors such as government, private sector, civil society, and local communities, must be fully involved.

It also highlights that countries must refer to other existing examples of DPI deployments in order to emulate best practices and identify shortfalls for possible improvements, and also try to make transparent the factors that render DPI truly inclusive.

Beyond inclusivity, there are also suggestions about Africa’s digital transformation factoring in the continent’s rich cultural diversity.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital government  |  digital ID  |  digital inclusion  |  digital public infrastructure  |  Nigeria