The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, has called on Nigeria’s telecommunications and technology sector to strategically position itself to play a central role in the country’s economic transformation.
The Guardian reports that Yilwatda made the call during a virtual engagement with leading Chief Executive Officers of technology and telecommunications companies in Nigeria, where he emphasised the growing importance of the sector to the nation’s economy.
Yilwatda said technology alone could not transform Nigeria, stressing that sustainable digital development would require effective political leadership, predictable policies and strong institutional support. He called for closer alignment between government policies and private sector investments to build a resilient, technology-driven economy capable of achieving a $1 trillion valuation.
The APC chairman highlighted the significant contribution of the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Citing National Bureau of Statistics data, he said the sector contributed 11.7 per cent to GDP during the first three quarters of 2024 and grew at more than twice the rate of the wider economy.
He noted that telecommunications and information services were major drivers of the growth, recording a growth rate of about 10.8 per cent compared with overall GDP growth of approximately 3.4 per cent.
Despite the sector’s growth, Yilwatda identified digital access as a major challenge, pointing to gaps in broadband penetration and the number of Nigerians who remain disconnected from digital services.
He explained that limited connectivity has direct consequences for citizens, particularly farmers who require access to market information, students who depend on digital educational resources and small businesses that increasingly rely on electronic transactions.
Yilwatda also highlighted the Federal Government’s planned 90,000-kilometre fibre infrastructure initiative, describing the expansion of the national telecommunications backbone as a key component of Nigeria’s digital development strategy.
He further urged Nigerian engineers, investors and policymakers to reduce dependence on foreign technology platforms, particularly as Artificial Intelligence continues to reshape global commerce.
According to him, Nigeria needs to develop and control more of its own digital and AI infrastructure if it is to strengthen technological independence and maximise the economic opportunities presented by the digital economy.
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