Nigeria Can Become World Leader in the Digital Economy Says Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

According to Nigerian Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, his country is well-positioned to become a global leader in the digital economy. However, for that to happen, Nigeria must choose the right approach and spend more time developing digital skills.

Nigeria Better Equipped Than 3 Decades Ago

The Nigerian vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, recently claimed that his country has enough human capital to see it become a world leader in the digital economy. The vice president, however, said for this to become a reality, Nigeria must choose the right approach and policies.

According to a News Ghana report, Osinbajo made the remarks while addressing delegates that attended the Nigeria Digital Economy Summit (NDES) which was held in Abuja. In the same speech, the Nigerian leader also explained why his country is better now than it was more than three decades ago, when the first iteration of the internet came into existence.

“A whole new world is unfolding before our very eyes, unlike Web 1 and 2 where we were relatively disadvantaged. In 1989, we didn’t have mobile phones, so we could not take advantage of the reach and depth that mobile telecoms gave digital innovation and financial inclusion. We are now better positioned to be significant players in Web 3.”

The vice president added that Nigeria has “already shown” it is capable of achieving this goal and this can be evidenced by the “6 unicorns [we have] and many more on the way.” Osinbajo however insists that Nigeria still needs to “spend time on the development of digital skills.”

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Terence Zimwara

Terence Zimwara is a Zimbabwe award-winning journalist, author and writer. He has written extensively about the economic troubles of some African countries as well as how digital currencies can provide Africans with an escape route.

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