President Muhammadu Buhari has renamed the Ministry of Communications following the request by the new Minister, Dr Isa Ali Pantami.
It will now be known as the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
” The Ministry which supervises the ICT Sector has been renamed The Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to further expand its mandate to capture the goals of digitalisation of the Nigerian economy in line with the Economic Growth and Recovery Plan (EGRP), one of the key agenda of the present administration,” the Government announced on Wednesday night in a statement.
The statement signed by the Deputy Director of Press in the Ministry, Mrs Philomena Oshodin, quoted the Minister as saying that the former name was not only limiting in pursuing the objectives of a digital economy, but obsolete as it did not reflect the the trends as emphasized by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).
She said: ” ICT contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) stood at 13.85% in the second quarter of 2019. The change of nomenclature will propel the Ministry to reposition its strategic objectives as laid out in the priority areas of this administration while accelerating growth and social inclusion”.
“Dr Pantami cited examples of global and African economies like Scotland, Thailand, Tunisia, Benin Republic and Burkina Faso among others who have adopted deliberate strategies and created Ministries of Digital Economy in line with global best practice, and especially the European Union which has a commissioner for Digital Economy.
“In a letter containing his approval, the President noted that the request is in line with global best practice which will further reflect the priorities of his administration. The approved name has been announced and adopted by the Federal Executive Council today, 23rd October 2019.”