Agenda Setting for Dr Bosun Tijani – Minister of Communications | Innovation | Digital Economy (I)

President Bola Tinubu scored an important goal with the appointment of Dr Bosun Tijani as the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.

Some section of the ecosystem had fears that he (Dr Bosun Tijani) may not get a portfolio that will enable him create remarkable impacts. President Tinubu has cleared the doubts.

Another section believed that the President was going to split the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, but he ended up adding innovation to the portfolio! Isn’t that a Maradona dribble (all respect to the late Argentine – football legend).

Dr Bosun Tijani takes the saddle at the Ministry with a lot of experience and industry players believe his expertise over the years will come to fore.

In a series of chat with industry player, Techeconomy spoke to Mr. Uche Aniche, the convener of StartupSouth and one of the leading voices in the ecosystem.

Uche Aniche’s agenda for the Minister:

“First, congratulations to Dr. Tijani. I have already told him so much is expected of him. We are not in doubt that he will bring innovation to Ministry which will trickle down to the ecosystem. The political will is now critical in the implementation of ideas he will bring. His portfolio covers Communications which means he will be in charge of the telecommunications industry.

“There is a lot that needs to happen; internet penetration needs to grow. I am sure he knows that already. He has been involved in conversations in that regard. He must think pan-Nigeria. I am confident he will bring his good judgement to it.

As it concerns Digital Economy, Aniche said that centralization is important. He was championing ‘Trickle-Down’ model at some point.

“He wanted a Lagos-focused approach that trickles down to other part of the country. I am sure with his later expansion with CC-Hub, I am sure he has expanded the horizons and views for ‘Trickle-Down’. When he came for StartupSouth4 in Owerri he was championing specialization for cities. Bosun is not someone you would want to tell what to do; he has been part of the ecosystem. The only thing we want to say is: There is a lot of work to be done. He needs to get the right people around him.

Aniche believes that Tinubu’s administration short-term plan for the startup ecosystem should focus on creating enabling environment, to encourage innovation.

“We need more innovation in the way the ecosystem is regulated. We want to see creative, innovative and proactive regulatory environment that factors in the innovative nature of the ecosystem. We know that regulation does not precede innovation. It is actually the other way round. We must encourage people to innovate.

“When you have that in place, more investors would want to come in. However, he can work-out funding model with the finance minister and SEC (Securities and Exchange Commission).

“Bosun is a pro-Nigerian person. He believes in startups domiciling in Nigeria. Therefore, he needs to speak to the Finance Ministry to see if there are adjustments to make for exit opportunities in the NSE (Nigerian Stock Exchange), for instance. This will enable some startups to get listed on the stock market.

“Under his tenure we are looking forward to genuine talent development process. We need talents that can tackle local problems and those we can ‘ship’ abroad to strengthen the naira. In all, we wish Bosun a very productive experience as a Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria”, Aniche said.

Victor ‘Gbenga Afolabi sets agenda for the new Minister

Victor ‘Gbenga Afolabi, Group CEO, Hazon Holdings, promoters of Eko Innovation Centre, also has a message for the Minister.

The Curator of Art of Technology Lagos (AoT), believes that Dr Tijani should speed up efforts toward the domestication and operationalization of the Nigeria Startup Act across the 36 States and the FCT.

Ex-President Muhammadu Buhari in October 19, 2023 signed into Law, the Nigeria Startup Bill (NSB), developed by the administration to provide stable legal framework and incentives for technology innovation.

According to Afolabi, President Tinubu’s government should work towards implementing the Act which provides for establishing innovation hubs, startup fund, technology parks, and other support structures that will help startups thrive in the Nigerian economy.

He also called for the harmonization of mandates and functions of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) ‘to avoid duplication and confusion.

As we continue with the series on agenda setting for the newly appointed Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, we want to hear from you too…drop you comment:

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