Celebrating Prof Pantami at 50: Driver of Nigeria digital economy
As the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Pantami turns 50 years today, highlighting his tremendous achievements targeted at repositioning Nigeria’s digital economy on the global stage become apropos.
In three years, Prof Pantami has showed that President Muhammadu Buhari didn’t make mistake to have picked the Minister to steer the federal ministry of Communications and Digital Economy (FMoCDE). His smart, talented approach to work has made him an asset, attracting the nation to international investments and partnerships.
As George Orwell was quoted to have said about one of his novels, Animal Farm, “If it does not speak for itself, it is a failure.” At the end of the day, the novel did not speak for itself because of what critics refer to as its fanciful treatment of the suppression of a revolution by tyrants.
Also, it is always less successful for anyone to husband the reputation of any public figure without some definite achievements to anchor with.
In that case, the time has come to smash the gloomiest myths about leadership in Nigeria by giving honor to whom it is appropriately due.
Prof Pantami has spear-headed the 18.44 per cent highest ever ICT contribution to Nigeria’s GDP; Ensured that President Muhammadu Buhari assented to the Startup Act; Establishment of Galaxy Backbone Multi-billion Naira Data centres in Abuja and Kano; Continued Information Technology Communications infrastructural development across the country; Successful 5G deployment in Nigeria; Establishment of ICT centres nationwide to boost digital literacy; Establishment Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) to safeguard citizens’ data; Establishment of Emergency Communications Centres (ECCs); Stabilizing the Nigerian Telecommunications sector; Facilitating the innovation in National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), National Informational and Technology Development agency (NITDA); Establishment of National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR); Ditigal Frabrication Laboratory and many more sterling achievements.
With 383 Nigerian tech startups raising over $2 billion in the last seven years and has so far contributed an estimated revenue of 18.44 per cent, a staggering figure to go by – which would have been unrealistic but for the deliberate policy-focused initiative of Prof Pantami through his clear cut vision in partnership with stakeholders in the sector.
From his time as the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to his appointment on the 21st of August, 2019 as the then Minister of Communications and Digitial Economy, he has continued to show unrivalled focus and seriousness in his vision to build Nigeria’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry.
On assuming the office of Minister, Prof Pantami led the reform of the Ministry from “Federal Ministry of Communications” to “Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy,” thereby including responsibilities for creating and formulating Policies for a sustainable Digital Economy in Nigeria. His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, approved the redesignation of the on the 17th of October, 2019. In the Minister’s words the redesignation “has clearly positioned Nigeria as early adopters of digital technology and it gives us a good opportunity to become major participants in the growing global digital economy.”
Shortly after that, in November 2019, the Minister in a bid to achieve the goal of digitalization of Nigeria, launched the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS). The policy is anchored on eight pillars: Development Regulation, Digital Literacy and Skills, Solid Infrastructure, Service Infrastructure, Digital Services Development and Promotion, Soft Infrastructure, Digital Society and Emerging technologies, and Indigenous Content Development and Adoption. These pillars have set the focus of every stakeholder in the digital economy sector and have produced outstanding results since its launch.
To ensure internet penetration, Prof Pantami unveiled the National Broadband Plan 2020–2025, he also secured the approval for the provision of security for telecommunications infrastructure nationwide as well as performed wonders in helping to reduce the high Right of Way (RoW) charges. Also, on the 28th of September, 2020, the Minister launched the digital Nigeria portal and mobile application which was to aid the furtherance of the Digital Nigeria Programme which provided a national platform for improving the digital literacy of Nigerians and is helping to enable Nigerians from all walks of life to acquire high level digital skills.
Not stopping there, he launched the Nigeria Government Enterprise Architecture (NGEA) portal, a framework that articulates a disciplined way of organizing enterprise resources (business processes, data, information technologies, human finances, etc) in order to provide capabilities that enable the achievement of expected values from every ICT investment.
Under his watch the agencies and parastatals under the Ministry have all exceeded expectations and all this have translated into the continual increase in contributions to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) despite the post-pandemic effect on global economy.
As much as the Minister does not like to laud his achievements, yet again on the 10th of October 2020, another of his great impact was ‘exposed’ as the NITDA presented the annual Nigeria Data Protection Regjulation (NDPR) Performance Report 2019-2020, which recorded the creation of 2,686 new jobs in less than 24 months. But the Regulation didn’t only create jobs, it has helped to ensure data security for Nigerians as 76% of Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCOs) complied with the regulation.
Prof Pantami’s solid work ethic has also allowed the President, President Muhammadu Buhari to entrust him with the supervision of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) which is aimed to giving every Nigerian a digital Identity. On Monday, August 31, 2020, President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the transfer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
The approval for the transfer was based on the President’s consideration for the critical role of NIMC towards the realisation of the objectives of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria (NDEPS).
Just shortly after this development, the Minister showed his indelible mark of leadership as he instructed that the enrolment for the National Identity Number (NIN) be kick-started from Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, a decision which will provide social services for the grassroots in the future. By this, the Minister has shown that his effort to digitalize Nigeria is not limited to the educated and technology literate but also to those who have not technology literacy. Also, he directed that NIMC shift its focus from producing plastic identity cards for Nigerians to the providing of “Digital ID” for all Nigerians. To this end, he orchestrated the environment for the agency to facilitate the number of its monthly NIN enrolments from 500,000 to the goal of 2.5million monthly. Today NIMC has achieved 90million NIN enrollment mark.
Prof Pantami’s pages of achievements have earned him both National and international praise. For Instance, stakeholders has described Pantami as the Minister with the midas touch.
Perhaps, by far, the FMoCDE stellar achievement to date has been tremendous. This might not be unconnected to the fact that the Pantami has adopted a can-do attitude of forging ahead by devising a collaborative method of leveraging challenges to good use.
In all of his strides that are seemingly conspicuous, it is gain to say a jolly cheers to the Man of the Moment, Prof Pantami.
Galaxy Backbone, National Information and Technology Development Agency(NITDA), Nigerian Communications Commission(NCC), Nigerian Postal Service(NIPOST), National Identity Management Commission(NIMC), NIGCOMSAT and other stakeholders join in celebrating Prof Isa Pantami as the champion of the Digital Economy and driver of Nigeria’s digitalization.
