Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 elections, Atiku Abubakar, has commended the House of Representatives and Senate for their bipartisan efforts in passing the Nigeria Startup Bill.
The former vice president also called upon President Muhammadu Buhari to sign the Bill into law.
In a statement on Monday, Atiku said the Nigerian start-up space is one of the largest in Africa, and Nigeria has become a key destination on our continent for Tech talent, with the ICT sub-sector contributing approximately 18.44% of Nigeria’s GDP as of the end of Q2 in 2022.
He further asserted that the ICT industry is a critical part of his national development plan and framework to ensure economic growth and diversification in the coming years.
The PDP flagbearer said his administration intends to enthrone a disruptive economic agenda that will position ICT at the forefront of his policy development strategy and ensure that digital technologies and innovations in ICT, and IT-enabled products and services, are given an enabling environment to drive and help build new digital economy notably in areas such as E-commerce, IT manufacturing, ICT enabled outsourcing, the broader start-up ecosystem and other emerging technologies.
“My administration will ensure that the gap is bridged between established/Start-up Tech companies and the nation’s regulators to provide a thriving tech ecosystem that enhances competitiveness, innovation and job growth for our growing youth population,” Atiku buttressed.
He reiterated the need to transition into an E-government system to reduce expenditure costs, improve workflow management, service delivery and overall efficiency.
According to him, this shift will also provide opportunities for the ICT industry to innovate and develop solutions for government digital services as we build a new and enhanced futuristic economy.