News
Pantami Seeks Ministry of Digital Economy Across States
Professor Alli Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has urged state governments to create a ministry of digital economy in order to boost economic growth.
Pantami stated this in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, yesterday, during a courtesy visit on Governor Seyi Makinde in appreciation of his decision to host the ongoing 10th National Council on Communication and Digital Economy in Ibadan.
The Minister, who was hosted at the Executive Council Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan, appreciated Governor Makinde for his support to the session and to encourage the state to establish a ministry of digital economy.
He affirmed that digital economy had contributed significantly to economic growth, job creation as well as increase in the revenue generation of the federation than any other sector and cannot be left under another ministry.
The minister who further said that Federal Government will implement key policies from the memorandum submitted after the 10th General meeting, revealed that Oyo Sate was selected in order to maintain the tradition of extending sense of belongings to every zones of the country.
“We have shown that the digital economy can greatly support the traditional economy. The contribution of the digital economy to the gross domestic product (GDP) of Nigeria and its role in making the economy resilient to adverse events like the COVID-19 pandemic are two good examples of the impact of the digital economy on the traditional economy.”
“It is quite important because our nation Nigeria is at a point where it is evolving into one of the nations that will in the next couple of years be regarded as one of the leading digital economies in the world.”
“This is the desire of the Ministry and President Muhammadu Buhari that all agencies under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, private sector and stakeholder companies are working towards Nigeria’s digital Economy.”
“Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) are seen as the main enablers of realising some, if not all, of SDGs such as ending hunger through Agrictech, no poverty through ICT, good health among others,” he said.
Responding, Governor Seyi Makinde, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Mrs Olubamiwo Adeosun, disclosed that his administration understood that ICT was critical to the progress and impact it desired to make since its inception in 2019.
He revealed that his administration was aware that investing in digital economy was important to expanding the state’s economy, which is one of its strategic points, and had put policies and framework on ICT in place by digitising all processes in the state.
Makinde affirmed that his administration would take note of what could be done about creating a ministry of digital economy, as requested by the minister, because it is clear that ICT is the future.
Accelerating artificial intelligence (AI) adoption could increase Africa’s GDP by up to 4% over the next decade, according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
In a report released on Tuesday, titled Africa Can Grow Faster With AI—If It Moves Now, economists from the IMF’s Africa Department say current levels of AI adoption and utilisation are expected to contribute just 0.2% to the region’s GDP over the next 10 years.
However, the report says stronger adoption, supported by the right infrastructure and policies, could raise the economic impact to about 4% by extending AI beyond today’s digitally connected firms.
Martin Schindler and other IMF economists say: “AI adoption in sub-Saharan Africa currently lags well behind every other region. If richer economies race ahead while African firms and governments lag, the productivity gap between the region and the rest of the world will only widen.”
Early signs of AI adoption are emerging across Africa, with countries including Zimbabwe, Kenya, Egypt and Nigeria developing AI strategies.
Telecommunications operators, including Vodacom, Econet, Africell and MTN, are also integrating AI into their operations and networks.
Other examples include chatbots supporting teaching and learning in Nigeria and the South African Revenue Service’s use of data analytics for targeted tax audits.
However, the IMF says AI adoption must extend beyond these early use cases to deliver meaningful economic benefits.
“For the region, AI’s main promise is not about replacing office workers, but boosting productivity across the economy—helping informal firms manage inventory, enabling farmers to increase yields, and supporting mid-sized firms to transition to formality and export readiness,” the report reads.
The IMF is urging governments to prioritise investment in reliable electricity, affordable broadband, data infrastructure and digital skills to support wider AI adoption.
Many African countries, including Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ghana, Nigeria and Cameroon, continue to face electricity shortages, while broadband services remain costly and coverage is uneven.
The Fund believes stronger investment in power, connectivity, regional data infrastructure and digital skills would help unlock AI’s economic potential.
National Population Commission (NPC) has commenced the nationwide digital registration of births and deaths under the Electronic Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (E-CRVS) system to strengthen legal identity management and improve demographic data.
Speaking at a press briefing in Lokoja on Tuesday, Mr Afolabi Yori, federal commissioner representing Kogi, said the initiative became operational nationwide on July 1, through the VitalReg platform.
Yori described the development as a landmark in Nigeria’s civil registration system, noting that it would modernise birth and death registration through a technology-driven platform that meets international standards.
He said the digital platform would improve service delivery, strengthen data integrity and ensure that every birth and death occurring in Nigeria was accurately documented and securely stored.
According to him, civil registration is more than an administrative process, as it provides reliable statistics that support public policy formulation, resource allocation and national development planning.
“Nigeria records an estimated five million births annually, yet millions of births and deaths remain unregistered.
“Birth registration coverage currently stands at about 57 per cent nationwide, while death registration remains below 20 per cent,” he said.
The commissioner said that the commission had established 4,011 functional registration centres across the country’s 774 local government areas and was working to expand the number to about 8,000.
He added that the commission was strengthening collaboration with stakeholders to improve the capacity of registration personnel and ensure prompt documentation of vital events through the VitalReg platform.
Yori said the platform would provide faster registration services, 24-hour online access, digital certificate issuance where applicable, and reduce paperwork, waiting time and unnecessary travel.
He disclosed that the platform was being operated under a Public-Private Partnership with Barnks-forte Technologies Ltd. as the commission’s technical partner to ensure system availability, cybersecurity and continuous technological improvement.
He called on parents, healthcare institutions, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organisations, development partners and the media to support the initiative by encouraging the prompt registration of births and deaths.
Earlier, Samuel Omonakpeme, director in Kogi, NPC State, described the commencement of the digital registration system as another milestone in efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system.
Omonakpeme stated that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s digital transformation agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goal 16.9, which seeks to provide legal identity for all.
He appreciated the Federal Government, the leadership of the commission, UNICEF and other development partners for supporting the implementation of the initiative.
The state director also urged parents, guardians, health institutions, community leaders, religious organisations and the media to mobilise public support for the timely registration of all births and deaths.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported that ICT personnel of the commission, led by Ehimoni Kolawole, conducted a live demonstration of the digital birth registration process using the VitalReg platform.
The demonstration showed that the registration process captures the biodata of both parents, while at least one parent must possess a valid National Identification Number (NIN) to complete the registration of a newborn.
Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) has alerted its customers to a fraudulent message circulating on social media, falsely claiming that electricity consumers can receive an additional 20 per cent bonus units when recharging their prepaid meters through unofficial channels.
In a statement issued by the company’s management on Monday, YEDC described the claim as false and urged customers to disregard the misleading information, stressing that it did not originate from the company.
According to the statement, YEDC does not offer bonus electricity units through individuals, agents, personal bank accounts, phone numbers, or social media contacts.
The company advised customers to purchase electricity tokens only through approved cashless payment platforms, including the YEDC Pay App, OPay, Interswitch, and other authorised vending channels, or to visit the nearest YEDC office for assistance.
YEDC also cautioned customers against sharing their meter details or personal information, or making payments to unauthorised persons claiming to represent the company.
The company further urged customers to rely exclusively on information disseminated through its official communication channels to avoid falling victim to fraud.
The management thanked customers for their continued cooperation and reaffirmed its commitment to serving them.
NDIC Begins Payment to Depositors of 46 Failed Microfinance Banks
Telcos Seek Clear Regulatory Framework on Airtime Credit Services
FG Says Rumours, Fear, Can Crash Banks
MTN Warns Customers against Fake Promo
EU Debunks Fake Compensation Scheme Targeting West African Bank Customers
NRC, Ponzi Scheme Collapses Resulting Loss of Billions of Naira
NASENI Moves to Digitize CCB’s 5m Assets Declaration and Operations
Lebara Nigeria Launches Lebara Play, Africa’s First Telecom-Owned Micro-Drama Platform
Tokenization, Blockchain Technology will Transform Financial Institutions – IMF
EFCC Busts NIS Visa Overstay Racket, Uncovers N700m in an Account
News2 days agoYEDC Warns Customers, Says 20 Percent Electricity Bonus is Scam
News2 days agoPFIPC Probe: Dollar, Pounds Accounts of Fake Agency Inactive – CBN
Broadcasting2 days agoNBC, INEC, Plan Joint Broadcast Monitoring Framework ahead of 2027 Elections
News2 days agoSTEM Africa Fest to Nurture Nigeria’s Future Innovators
E-Financial2 days agoNo Going Back on July 31 Deadline for Insurance Firms’ Recapitalisation – NAICOM
E-Business2 days agoJumia Nigeria Expands Flexible Payment Options with Klump Partnership
E-Business2 days agoLagos Unveils N10m Single-digit Loan Scheme for MSMEs
E-Financial2 days agoCourt Affirms FCCPC’s Power to Regulate Digital Lending