President Muhammadu Buhari In Abuja on Friday, he said that Nigeria is prepared to welcome more initiatives and investments in digital technology, while appreciating Microsoft for an engineering center, African Development Centervalued at $200 million.
Upon receiving the president of Microsoft Corporation, Brad Smith, at Government House, accompanied by the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, the president said:
“I have been informed that the African Development Center in Nigeria is Microsoft’s first engineering center in Africa, as the current investment is around $200 million.
“I have also been made aware of Microsoft’s training initiative that aims to train five million citizens and provide 27,000 jobs in the next three years. These initiatives are commendable and I urge you to expand on them and continue to prioritize Nigeria as you implement your global initiatives.”
Chairman Buhari told the visiting Microsoft team that as Africa’s largest economy and most populous country, Nigeria was positioned to play a strategic role in the global tech ecosystem and look for the right partnerships to harness the potentials.
He said that one of those key partnerships was in the area of capacity building.
This administration, according to the president, has shown great commitment to providing a conducive environment for investors and the massive jump in the Global Ease of Doing Business Ranking was proof that the efforts were paying off.
“Our emphasis on developing our digital economy has also positioned the sector as a prominent factor in the Nigerian economy. As the fastest growing sector of the Nigerian economy in 2020, the information and communications technology sector played a huge role in helping our country out of the recession caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We look forward to building on the momentum as we continue to implement our National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, along with other related policies.”
In addition to the partnership in the area of skills development, President Buhari said that he looked forward to more partnerships that will support the digital infrastructure and innovation ecosystem, with regard to emerging technologies.
“I believe this meeting will provide an opportunity to discuss how the Nigerian government can support the growth of its business here and how Microsoft can contribute to the growth of our economy through active support of our policies and programs,” he added.
President Buhari said that he launched the Nigerian National Broadband Plan on March 19, 2020, with the aim of expanding broadband access in Nigeria and Microsoft’s connectivity initiative aligns with the plan.
“I think it would be very useful and mutually beneficial for both Microsoft and Nigeria if their connectivity project were to expand beyond the current four locations in this country.
“Emerging technologies play a key role in digital transformation in the Fourth Industrial Revolution and several indigenous companies have developed very useful solutions. We are ready to partner with Microsoft to make Nigeria the epicenter of innovative emerging technology in Africa.”
The President commended the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and all industry stakeholders for their support of the sector.
“To maintain momentum, I further direct that you and other stakeholders in the technology ecosystem keep the government fully informed of your ongoing activities and proposals that support the growth of our digital economy.
“We have the potential to become their most lucrative market in Africa. As such, we urge you to continue to support the development of our digital economy. We also urge you to intensify your Corporate Social Responsibility programs and support for Research and Development that will enhance your services in Nigeria and on the African continent,” said the President.
In his remarks, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy said he represented President Buhari in the launch of the African Development Center, adding that Microsoft had more than 200 Nigerians working for them in the country and in Seattle.
Mr. Pantami noted that the tech company has also trained 320,000 Nigerians in digital skills.
Microsoft’s chairman and executive vice president said the company will continue to create jobs to help create world-changing technology, noting that the “multitasking approach” also extends to digital infrastructure.
“We are committed to training five million people in Nigeria in the future,” Smith said, noting that “60,000 people had already signed up for courses, while 300,000 had completed multiple courses.” The Microsoft chairman said the company had partnered with other companies to increase Internet and broadband penetration, while efforts have been advanced on innovative technology that will fight corruption and preserve cultural heritages such as languages.
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April 1, 2022