The Federal Government of Nigeria,as part of its participation at the just-concluded G20 Summit joined forces with the Indian government to understudy their digital economy,share knowledge and foster more collaborations.
The move was to ensure that the vision of President Bola Tinubu of creating one million digital jobs by 2025 was achievable.
This, Mrs Hadiza Umar, Head, Corporate Affairs and External Relations of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), said in a statement on Thursday.
Dr Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy was represented by Kashifu Inuwa, Director General of NITDA in India.
Inuwa met with Dr Madan Tripathi, the Director General of the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT), India to drive the discuss.
The discussions covered topics ranging from digital skills development to cybersecurity and innovation.
Speaking on behalf Tijani, Inuwa expressed his optimism about the prospects of mutual growth, while underscoring the importance of leveraging India’s vast expertise in digital technologies to bolster Nigeria’s digital economy.
Leaders from both Nigeria and India emphasised that the partnership was not only about bilateral cooperation but also about contributing to the broader global digital ecosystem.
They believed that by joining forces, they could accelerate their respective digital transformations while also playing a more influential role in shaping the global tech space.
In a related development, the Nigerian delegation paid a working visit to the headquarters of the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM).
Shivendra Singh, Vice President, Global Trade Development,highlighted India’s thriving software and service industry, which had earned a global reputation for excellence.
Singh expressed his enthusiasm for working with Nigeria to identify trade partners and explore synergies that could benefit both nations.
He also acknowledged Nigeria’s growing influence in Africa’s technology ecosystem and expressed the willingness to facilitate collaboration and knowledge exchange between Nigerian and Indian tech companies.
Inuwa reiterated that Nigeria was committed to building a robust digital economy.
He also spoke about the government’s initiatives to support tech innovation, foster a vibrant startup ecosystem in Nigeria and the need for international partnerships to accelerate Nigeria’s progress in the digital space.
Following the positive meetings, the Nigerian and Indian teams agreed to build an execution plan on the identified areas of cooperation.
The areas included skills development, technology transfer, business partnerships aimed at strengthening bilateral relations and promoting sustainable digital economy development.