The European Union has said it would support the Federal Government’s 90,000 km national fibre-optic expansion, improvement of digital public services, and upskilling of the ICT workforce through programs like the 3 Million Technical Talents (3MTT).
Head of Cooperation at the EU Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Massimo De Luca said this during a meeting with private sector players in Lagos.
A statement by the EU said the meeting was focused on forging collaborations and ramping up investments to strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy ecosystem.
The statement said in line with the Global Gateway Strategy, the EU-Nigeria Digital Economy Package aims to support Nigeria’ digital transition and support the ambition of making Nigeria a regional digital hub.
De Luca said the EU is trying to attract the support of the private sector, specifically to the digital infrastructure component, and to boost public-private partnership framework in Nigeria.
He said this would allow the private sector to engage in large-scale projects, such as the 90,000km expansion with the support of the EU, who will provide guarantees and de-risking financial mechanism.
“Digital public services and digital entrepreneurship could also represent a good opportunity for the private sector, as there are many procurement systems that would allow the both the EU and Nigeria private sector to be part of this journey in digital,” he said.
Speaking on digital infrastructure investment, De Luca said the European Investment Bank (EIB) has so far invested €100 million to expand secure 4G connectivity in Lagos and Ogun states.
He said the EU is also providing technical support for the rollout of the 90,000 km of fibre-optic cable infrastructure across Nigeria and aims to scale up its support to the Special Purpose Vehicle of the project, bringing connectivity to both urban and rural areas, as stated in the Nigeria’ Broadland Strategy.
He said: “It also leads to improvement of the government interface with citizens and businesses, respecting high standards of privacy, safety and cybersecurity, while promoting an open internet and digital market. This creates opportunities for trusted vendors.
“With regards to the digitalisation of public services, as a first step, the EIB will support the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) with a €250 million loan to strengthen Nigeria’s digital identity infrastructure with the highest data protection standards.”
The EU is also providing technical support to the digitialisation of the Office of the Vice-President and discussing key areas of support with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) to allow start-ups and Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) to better enrol in business’ registration.He said: “With support for the skills necessary for businesses and citizens to make the most of the digital transformation, there would be more technical talent to be channelled to the Nigerian economy.”
He also said the EU is supporting the creation and scaling up of tech start-ups and boosting of innovative solutions for Nigeria’s society and economy; supporting young graduates, MSMEs and start-ups.
To this end, the EU and Germany co-fund the Digital Transformation Centre (DTC) implemented by GIZ, promoting innovation-friendly ecosystems and new digital solutions.
(The Nation)
