Vice President Kashim Shettima says Nigeria will leverage its relationship with China to adopt programmes that will improve the country’s digital space.

He has also assured member countries of the Belt and Road Initiative of Nigeria’s readiness to “collaborate with the group and other emerging markets to bring about a positive shift in the growth and development of global economies.”

The Vice President stated these in his keynote address at a high-level forum on the digital economy, as part of activities at the ongoing Belt and Road initiative in China.

VP Shettima’s paper presentation was tagged “Digital Economy As A New Source Of Growth.”

The Vice President spoke on Nigeria’s efforts at leveraging collaborations with partners to deploy technology in addressing some of its challenges.

He said; “We are keen on using the instrumentality of the existing robust Nigeria-China bilateral relations to maximally key into projects under the platform of the Digital Silk Road for the improvement of our digital space.”

VP Shettima also disclosed that Nigeria intends to use the digital economy to create jobs and diversify the economy.

He said: “Nigeria has recorded several achievements including a digitalized public service, developed banking and e-payment systems, electoral reforms through the introduction of the electronic registration of voters and e-transmission of votes, thus creating ripple effects of job creation and human capacity building opportunities for our teeming youth population.”

Continuing, the VP said, “We have recently unveiled the new strategic blueprint, accelerating our collective prosperity through technology, as part of the Nigerian Government’s initiative to accelerate the diversification of the Nigerian economy by enhancing productivity in critical sectors through technological innovation.”

Key Objectives

Furthermore, he disclosed that Nigeria intends to achieve three main objectives through the window of the digital economy.

“Through this strategic blueprint, the Nigerian Government aims to achieve three key objectives namely: Accelerate the growth of Nigeria as a global technical talent hub and net exporter of talent. One of the goals of this talent hub is to train three million early to mid-career technical talents throughout the next four years (2022-2027); Deepen and accelerate ‘its position in global research in key technology areas; and Raise the complexity and dynamics of Nigeria’s economy by significantly increasing the level of digital literacy across the country.” the VP stated.

VP Shettima also spoke about Nigeria’s broadband penetration rate from 50 to 70 percent by the end of 2025 and the Central Bank of Nigeria’s domestic card scheme code-named “Afri Go” to rival foreign cards like Master and Visa cards, and strengthen the national payment system.

Those who accompanied the Vice President to the high-level forum were the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar; Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu; Minister of Transportation, Saidu Alkali and Nigeria’s Ambassador to China, Baba Ahmad Jidda.