The Federal Government is partnering with Microsoft Corporation to accelerate Nigeria’s resolve towards a more digital economy.
This is in line with the Economic Sustainability Plan of the Muhammadu Buhari administration, said a statement by Laolu Akande, the spokesman for the Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo.
In a dual announcement on Monday by both the government and the tech giant, no less than five million Nigerians would benefit from a digital upskilling programme.
Locations in each of the six geopolitical zones would also enjoy active internet connection and cloud services courtesy of the digital transformation plan.
Speaking in a formal video announcement of the partnership with the tech giant, Professor Osinbajo stated that the government was committed to leveraging innovation and technology to bring better outcomes across a wide area of governance concerns.
“Indeed, it is with this in mind that we have sought constructive partnerships that bridge the knowledge, skills and technology gap that exist in most of our communities,” he said.
The Vice President added, “This launch is indicative of our commitment to this and will involve collaboration with various government agencies as implementing partners, including the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Nigerian Institute of Cultural Orientation, and various other local partners.
“We intend that these initiatives become institutions in their own rights and make a real impact in the lives of our citizens going forward.”
On his part, Smith said Microsoft believed in the future of Nigeria and was excited as a company to add to its investments.
He noted that the company partnered with Tek experts to create a Customer Support Centre – a centre in Lagos that employed over 1,600 people in 2018.
The tech company chief explained that they had another opportunity to broaden their investment even more by creating the African Development Centre.
The centre, according to him, will employ over 200 software developers and engineers by the end of 2021 – people who are creating technology and Microsoft products to serve not only the people of Nigeria but the people of the world.
“All of these is giving us the kind of confidence to want to invest even more, and one of the things that we have recognised as a company is the need to grow with communities and countries and not just buying for ourselves,” Smith said.
On the new partnership with the Federal Government, he stated, “We are embarking on a series of broad-based, really multifaceted investments to better serve Nigeria in three areas of internet connectivity, digital skilling, and digital transformation.
“We will be providing digital skills to five million Nigerians over the next three years, and along the way, creating 27,000 new jobs during the same period
