President Muhammadu Buhari has called on world leaders to come up with
\nproposals to create a digital world that is accessible, inclusive and safe
\nto all.<\/p>\n
In his keynote speech at the 2019 Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) in Dubai
\non Monday, President Buhari said a certain level of regulation was needed
\nto preserve the integrity of the digital economy.<\/p>\n
The theme of the summit is: \u2018Mapping the Future of Foreign Direct
\nInvestment: Enriching World Economies through Digital Globalization.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Acknowledging that digital globalisation is transforming the world almost
\nevery day with innovations and transformative ideas, the Nigerian leader
\ncautioned that the cyber world would remain a constant threat if left
\nunregulated.<\/p>\n
The President decried the use of the cyberspace to manipulate elections,
\nsubvert the democratic rights of citizens as well as propagate violence.<\/p>\n
He also lamented the steady rise in fake news and cybercrimes,
\nparticularly when platforms are hijacked and manipulated by criminals.<\/p>\n
President Buhari, therefore, called for collective efforts led by both
\npublic and private sector leaders to address the emerging threats of
\ndigital globalisation.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018Today, we have a cyber-world that is intangible but real. This
\nborderless world is powerful, and it impacts the lives of billions of
\npeople, no matter how remote their physical locations are.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018People work in it. People socialise in it. And people invest in it. This
\npresents enormous opportunities. But it also remains a constant threat if
\nleft unregulated.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018On the one hand, it has made the human race more productive and more
\nefficient. Today, we have digital banking, virtual currencies and many
\nsocial platforms that connect people and cultures.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018On the other hand, we have seen platforms hijacked and manipulated as
\nevidenced by the steady rise in fake news and cybercrimes.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018More recently, we are also witnessing the use of the cyberspace to
\nmanipulate elections, subvert the democratic rights of citizens as well as
\npropagate violence.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018In effect, the digital world has become the new frontier for both good
\nand evil. Therefore, the challenge for world leaders must be to ensure
\nthat this space is inclusive, accessible and safe,\u2019\u2019 the President told
\nthe ninth edition of AIM, attended by world leaders in both the public and
\nprivate sectors.<\/p>\n
The President used the occasion to reflect on the digital revolution in
\nNigeria, buoyed by impressive statistics on mobile phone penetration,
\ntechnology hubs and the advent of young entrepreneurs attracting
\ninvestments of over 100 million dollars to the country.<\/p>\n
His words: \u2018\u2018In Nigeria, our mobile phone penetration exceeds eighty per
\ncent. This means the majority of Nigeria\u2019s one hundred and ninety million
\ncitizens are fully connected to this new digital world; especially our
\nyouth.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018Sixty-five per cent or one hundred and seventeen million Nigerians are
\nunder the age of 25 years. These bright minds are the drivers of this
\nemerging digital sector.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018Today, Nigeria has close to ninety technology hubs and every day, new
\nones are coming up and they are all developing solutions for Nigerian, and
\nindeed global problems.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018Already, these young entrepreneurs have attracted investments of over
\none hundred million dollars. A sizeable amount from overseas including
\nSilicon Valley.<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018As many of you from this region are aware, Nigerian start-ups always
\nhave a very impressive outing at the Gulf Information Technology
\nExhibition (GITEX). Many have won prizes.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
President Buhari told the investment summit that as leaders in the public
\nand private sector it was their responsibility to create the enabling
\nenvironment for young people to flourish and reach their full potential.<\/p>\n
He shared the Nigerian experience:<\/p>\n
\u2018\u2018When we came in 2015, we immediately agreed that any future economic
\ngrowth must be inclusive. As the Nigerian youth population is fully
\ndigitalised, it is clear that the idea of having an inclusive economy
\ncannot be achieved without digital inclusion.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
The President announced that Nigeria was working on creating the largest
\ndigital database in Africa, with over thirty million Nigerians and legal
\nresidents already captured in the country\u2019s digital identity system.<\/p>\n
Also, the President highlighted that Nigeria\u2019s public sector reform
\nprogrammes, from procurement to payroll to revenue collections, focus on
\ndigitising key operations.<\/p>\n
He said the recourse to technology and digitisation reinforces the
\nadministration\u2019s objectives of improving efficiency, accountability and
\ntransparency in governance.<\/p>\n
On cybersecurity, President Buhari said Nigeria has taken the lead in
\ncyber policing in West Africa, working with regional and global partners.<\/p>\n
President Muhammadu Buhari has called on world leaders to come up with proposals to create a digital world that is accessible, inclusive and safe to all. In his keynote speech…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":59182,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-66072","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"\n