FG backs PIC, FCDO synergy to foster digital economy across sectors

The Policy Innovation Centre (PIC) of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), in collaboration with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), launched the Digital Economy Community of Practice (DECoP) to foster inclusive growth across sectors in Nigeria's digital ecosystem.

At the inauguration of the new initiative held at the Transcorp Hilton in Abuja on Thursday, March 30, the CEO of the NESG, Laoye Jaiyeola, said the growth achieved by the digital economy offers great opportunities but also poses the risk of leaving some people behind.

While speaking to journalists, he said: "What we did specifically today is to establish a community of practice that not only made up of public sector, private sector, academia, civil society, developmental partners.

"What we hope to achieve as we continue is that there will be a hub where there is a kind of domestication and centralisation of policies."

Also speaking at the inauguration, the minister of communications and digital economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, said the initiative is another ground-breaking effort to ensure inclusion across the board.

He stated that part of the idea behind the DECoP is to improve digital skills for women, girls and children across the 36 states of the federation further to ease the transition of Nigeria's digital economy.

Prof Pantami said: "This is just an effort to ensure total inclusion. Part of it is that we are trying to cascade digital economy to reach our states.

"When it comes to digital skills we have so many initiatives, including digital skills for women, people with disabilities including our children." Similarly, Idongesit Udoh, a representative of the FCDO who spoke to Legit.ng at the event, said the launching of DECoP is another calculated effort to improve Nigeria's digital economy.

He said: "To advance digital economy, you need a closer collaboration between the public and the private sector. The Nigerian digital economy of course in 2020 and 2021 was the fastest growing sector of the economy and still retain huge number around contribution to the economy but we need to advance it from where it is. In terms of policy and regulatory reforms, and in terms of inclusion."

Udoh urged that a synergy amongst sectors will bridge the gap in the advancement of digital economy.

He said: "To do that we need the government to work closely not just with other policy makers but civil society groups, top voices in the industry, the private sector and people working on the other side between the policy makers and the policy consumers, we need that closer collaboration to advance our digital economy."