Oduwole urges digital investment to turn Nigeria's connectivity into real economic gains

Speaking at the Nigeria Digital Connectivity Investment Forum in Abuja on Tuesday, Minister of Industry Jumoke Oduwole stressed that digital infrastructure must translate into productivity and tangible economic opportunities for Nigerians. She noted telecommunications already contributes over 9% to Nigeria's Q1 2026 GDP and cited a World Bank/GSMA study showing mobile broadband coverage reduced extreme poverty by 7% after two+ years. Oduwole highlighted Nigeria's growing digital foundation: over 25 data centers operational/under construction, 1.66 million terabytes of data consumed in July 2026 (up 47% year-on-year per NCC), and leadership in AfCFTA's Digital Trade Protocol as first state party to ratify it.

However, she warned that infrastructure alone won't deliver benefits unless businesses can use connectivity to reach markets, make secure payments, comply with regulations, and provide cross-border services. Oduwole specifically called for investment in data centers, cloud services, fiber, broadband, fintech, cybersecurity, AI, digital logistics, and digitally delivered services to serve Africa's $240 billion digital economy through the AfCFTA. The NCC chief added that the forum aims to identify viable projects and overcome investment obstacles as Nigeria marks 25 years of GSM.

With digital connectivity proven to drive GDP growth and poverty reduction, will you focus on investing in specific digital sectors like data centers or fintech, advocate for better regulatory coordination to enable cross-border trade, or develop skills to participate in Africa's digital service economy?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/09/29/digital-connectivity-must-translate-into-productivity-oduwole/