By Angeline Mgbele, Bureau Chief, Northern Nigeria
Policy makers and stakeholders in the digital economy ecosystem in the West African sub-region will converge in Abuja from January 31 to February 1 for the Digital Economy Regional Conference to discuss the future of digital economy and intensify regional public private partnerships (PPPs)for the region.
According to a statement on the website of the Commission authored by its Director of Public Affairs(DPA), Reuben Muoka, the event is being hosted by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy(FMoCDE) on behalf of the Federal Government of Nigeria, in collaboration with the World Bank.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, who will deliver the keynote address at the event will be joined by his Federal Capital Territory (FCT) counterpart, Mallam Mohammed Bello, to welcome Ministers and top government officials from the subregion.
The Conference, with the theme “Positioning West Africa’s Digital Economy for the Future”, will provide a platform for countries in the region to discuss issues that will strengthen the digital economies in West Africa and by extension the continent of Africa.
The Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy said the conference will also create an avenue for peer review to accelerate digital transformation and increase collaboration to secure partnerships within the region to strengthen the innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem while intensifying regional public-private partnerships for digital economy funding, research, and development.
It is expected that the gathering will also provide an opportunity to showcase the progress made in the development of digital economy in the West African sub-region, identify winning strategies, discuss challenges, and prepare for the future in addition to creating awareness of the region’s needs in the areas of policies and framework for the digital economy and attracting private sponsors for digital transformation in the region.
