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The Nigerian government has set up a Technical Working Committee (TWC) on the implementation of the National Data Strategy (NDS).
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The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry, Dr William Alo, who inaugurated the committee this week in Abuja noted that the NDS which was developed by the National Data Technical Working Group, comprising experts from various sectors of the economy to address the critical role of data utilisation in Nigeria also aims to harness the power of data to drive innovation, economic growth, and social development throughout the country.
“The government recognises the significance of data access, ethical and responsible data usage, data privacy, data protection and data governance in ensuring the well-being and privacy of citizens while promoting innovation. We must collaborate across sectors, engage stakeholders and ensure that every voice is heard to harness the full potential of data,” said Alo.
Adding: “the NDS roadmap will guide Nigeria in leveraging data to identify new opportunities, optimise existing processes and make informed decisions that accelerate economic growth” even as he expressed confidence in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu commitment to the ‘Renewed Hope’ agenda and his vision for a data-driven Nigeria.
Members of the committee include directors and heads of government’s agencies including the Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi.
Abdullahi stressed that the policy-thrust was launched to harness the power of data to stimulate economic growth, innovation, and inclusivity in the country.
“The digital economy is worth more than $16 trillion, and digitally transformed enterprises contributed $13.5 trillion to the global GDP in 2018. This year, it is projected to contribute a staggering $53.5 trillion, accounting for over 50% of the global GDP,” he said.
