President Muhammadu Buhari has said auctioning of the 5G spectrum alone generated $547 million (N243 billion at N445/$), thereby providing more options for funding development.
The president stated this on Tuesday in Abuja when he commissioned the National Shared Services Centre, accompanied by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami.
The centre, which is a one-stop-shop for Ministries, Departments and Agencies to interface with citizens, also houses a Cybersecurity Operations Centre, Network Centre and Call Centre.
Buhari, who lauded the contributions of the digital economy in driving growth, creating employment and generating revenue for the country, said the National Shared Services Centre would provide services that were “swift, secure and seamless’’.
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The president said the Information, Communication and Technology Sector (ICT) had accelerated diversification of the economy with ICT contributing an unprecedented 18.44 per cent to the GDP in Q2, close to three times the 6.33 per cent contribution of the oil sector in the same quarter.
In his remarks, the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy appreciated the president for his support for the digital economy, with turnovers in broadband/Internet penetration, skills acquisition for global competitiveness and infrastructure development, like the fiber optic cable, which was about 15,000kms in 2015, and increased to more than 60,000kms.