President Muhammadu Buhari has been advised to sign the recently passed Start-up Bill into law.
Presidential candidate of the People Democratic Party, PDP, Atiku Abubakar, who gave this advised, noted that signing the bill into law would be the first step into solving Nigeria’s unemployment problem.
The Presidential Candidate while giving this charged, however outlined his roadmap for growing the tech industry in Nigeria should he emerge president of the country in next year’s presidential election.
This is as his Special Assistant on Digital Media and Operations, Mr Eta Uso, called on Nigerians to vote in Atiku Abubakar as Nigeria’s president in next year’s election, noting that Atiku is the most qualified and the only candidate speaking about policy, solutions and clear plans of rebuilding Nigeria.
Meanwhile, in a series of tweets, Atiku Abubakar noted that the “ICT industry is a critical part of my national development plan and framework to ensure economic growth and diversification in the coming years.”
He said the Nigerian start-up space is one of the largest in Africa and that Nigeria has become a key destination for tech talents in Africa.
According to him, Nigeria is fast becoming a destination for tech talents and with a welcoming environment which his administration would enable for the start-up innovations, one can only but imagine the great developments that will explode in Nigeria.
“My administration intends to enthrone a disruptive economic agenda that will position ICT at the forefront of our policy development strategy and ensure that digital technologies and innovations in ICT, and IT-enabled products and services are given an enabling environment to drive and help build our new digital economy, notably in areas such as E-commerce, IT manufacturing, ICT enabled outsourcing, the broader start-up ecosystem and other emerging technologies.”
The former vice president who now wants to become Nigeria’s next president said if elected the president, his government recognises tech as a cross-cutting sector that can grow the economy and drastically reduce unemployment.
“My administration will ensure that the gap is bridged between established/Start-up Tech companies and the nation’s regulators to provide a thriving tech ecosystem that enhances competitiveness, innovation and job growth for our growing youth population.”
“I had previously outlined in my policy document and my recent Arise Interview, the need to transition into an E-government system to reduce expenditure costs, improve workflow management, service delivery and overall efficiency.”
“This shift will also provide opportunities for the ICT industry to innovate and develop solutions for government digital services as we build a new and enhanced futuristic economy.”