The Chairman of MTN Nigeria, Dr Ernest Ndukwe, has said the telecom sector now contributes over 16 per cent to the Nigerian Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Speaking at a two-day Premier Capital Markets Day Event, organised by MTN yesterday in Abuja, Ndukwe observed that the firm is fully committed to working with the Federal Government to ensure that Nigeria’s digital economy has its full potential on customers and stakeholders.
He noted that the MTN ecosystem has directly and indirectly created employment for more than two million people, while supporting the livelihood of hundreds of thousands across the country. He said that as the digital ecosystem continues to grow, MTN’s impact on the nation’s economy would continue to increase.
Also speaking, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of MTN Nigeria, Karl Toriola, expressed optimism that the economic challenges in the country will gradually come to an end.
MEANWHILE, the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy’s 3MTT project has gotten a massive support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). The Minister in charge of the ministry, Dr. Bosun Tijani, revealed this via his X (Twitter) handle, yesterday.
Tijani wrote: “We are pleased to announce a partnership with @UNDPNigeria to offer 3,000 paid internships to our 3MTT fellows. These 12-month internships will help fulfill our objective to ensure that participants in the 3MTT programme get placed in roles that will allow them apply the skills they learn in the programme.”
Indeed, going by the implementation plans released by the government in October, the training will be held in three phases. The first phase is expected to accommodate 30,000 people, while the second phase will admit 300,000, and the three million to be completed in the third phase.
In a related development, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has applauded the proposal of the minister to enlist and train three million Nigerians over a period of four years, which will make the country an exporter of digital skills.
Maida, who spoke in Lagos at the City Business News Summit, said the programme, which has already attracted over one million applicants, is capable of increasing Nigeria’s pool of technically-skilled persons in the global market leading to potential employers of digital and technical skills in the international scene to begin to engage more Nigerians.
Speaking on the theme of the summit, ‘Repositioning Nigerian Economy through Telecommunications: 2023 and Beyond,’ NCC boss noted that, in recognition of the rapid pace of technological advancement that is disrupting industries across the globe, Nigeria’s vision is rooted in the belief that embracing this disruption and fostering innovation will propel the nation toward sustainable growth, economic diversification, and enhanced living standards for all Nigerians.
