President Muhammadu Buhari says Nigeria stands poised to welcome more initiatives and investments in digital technology while appreciating Microsoft for an engineering hub, African Development Centre, worth $200 million.
Receiving the President of Microsoft Corporation, Brad Smith, at the State House, on Friday, April 1, 2022 accompanied by the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Pantami, the President said; “I have been informed that the African Development Centre in Nigeria is Microsoft’s first engineering hub in Africa as the current investment stands at about $200 million.
“I have also been informed of Microsoft’s skilling initiative that aims to train five million citizens and provide 27,000 jobs over the next three years. These initiatives are commendable and I urge you to expand them and continue to prioritise Nigeria as you roll out your global initiatives.’’
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President Buhari told the visiting Microsoft team that as the largest economy and most populous country in Africa, Nigeria was positioned to play a strategic role in the global technology ecosystem and seek the right partnerships to harness the potentials.
He said; ”one of such key partnerships was in the area of capacity building.”
This administration, according to the President, had shown great commitment in providing a conducive environment for investors and the massive jump in the Global Ease of Doing Business Ranking was proof that the efforts were yielding positive results.
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The President said; “Our emphasis on the development of 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 very important role in supporting our country to exit the recession triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We are keen to build on the momentum as we continue to implement our National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, along with other related policies.”
The President commended the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy and all industry stakeholders for their support for the sector.
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He said; “In order to sustain the momentum, I further direct that you and other stakeholders in the technology ecosystem keep government fully informed of your ongoing and proposed activities that support the growth of our digital economy.
“We have the potential of becoming your 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 step up your Corporate Social Responsibility programmes and support for Research and Development that will enhance your services in Nigeria and on the African continent.”
The President of Microsoft and Vice Executive Chairman, Brad Smith said the company would keep creating jobs to help build technology that will change the world, noting that the “multi-tasking approach’’ also stretches to digital infrastructure.
Smith said; “We pledge to train five million people in Nigeria in the future…“60,000 people had already enrolled for courses while 300,000 had completed various courses.’’