By Perpetua Onuegbu
Abuja – Mr Adebayo Shittu, the Minister of Communications, says the Federal Government through the Ministry of Communications would collaborate with the European Union Commission (EUC) to create a Digital Single Market in Nigeria.
The minister said this in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday by Mr Henshaw Ogubike, the Deputy Director of Press.
The statement said the minister spoke during a meeting with officials of EUC.
Shittu commended EU for choosing Nigeria as its first point of call to discuss the creation of Digital Single Market in Africa.
He added that the size of Nigeria made it the most lucrative investment destination in Sub-Sahara Africa.
According to him, Nigeria with its high return in investment and an emerging market makes it one of the new frontiers for investment and Digital Market consideration.
The minister noted that the collaboration was timely and called for more collaborative efforts as the ministry strived to implement its ICT strategic roadmap, e-Government and Mobile Broadband Plan.
He pledged the ministry’s support for the initiative to diversify the economy by leveraging on ICT as its benefits could not be over-emphasised.
Shittu also directed that a committee be set up comprising the ministry’s agencies and Nigerian Computer Society (NCS) on the new Digital Single Market paradigm ahead of the EU/Africa Summit.
According to him, the summit is scheduled to hold in November in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
The statement also quoted the EUC Vice President/Commissioner on Digital Single market, Mr Andrus Ansip as saying “Nigeria is in a good position to benefit from global trade through the export of ICTs.’’
Ansip said that the collaboration would strengthen the cordial relationship between Nigeria and EU.
He, however, promised to see Nigeria through the process of benefiting from this new digital initiative.
Ansip listed the benefits of the collaboration to include the creation of jobs, improved access to digital goods and services and a level market place to buy and sell among others.
He said that EU was willing to extend investment fund to African countries, particularly Nigeria, given its demography and geography in the continent.
The EU official added that Europe had earmarked Africa, and specifically Nigeria as the main pillar of Economic market, hence his visit.
The EU vice president also requested the minister to champion the single Digital paradigm in Africa.
The meeting was attended by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Mr Sonny Echono and the Executive Vice Chairman of Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) Prof. Umar Dambatta.
Others are directors and heads of agencies of the ministry as well as representatives of the Nigeria Computer Society.