Stakeholders canvass digital economy bill to drive development

Nasarawa State Government said it has set up a mechanism across the 13 local government areas of the state to checkmate the activities of website hackers, vowing to arrest and prosecute anybody caught hacking into government websites, private organisations’ websites and individual owners’ accounts in the state. Governor Abdullahi Sule made the statement while speaking […]

Nasarawa State Government said it has set up a mechanism across the 13 local government areas of the state to checkmate the activities of website hackers, vowing to arrest and prosecute anybody caught hacking into government websites, private organisations’ websites and individual owners’ accounts in the state.

Governor Abdullahi Sule made the statement while speaking at the end of Stakeholders Engagement on the National Digital Economy Bill in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital on Friday.

The governor, who was represented by Jafaru Yakubu, Permanent Secretary, General Administration, Office of the Secretary to the State Government, explained that the purpose of the engagement was to deliberate on the bill and gather insights from stakeholders to align it with Nigeria’s digital development project.

Daily Trust reports that the engagement was organised by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, in conjunction with the Nasarawa State Government, the National Information Technology Development Agency, Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill Stakeholders Engagement and the Nigeria Digital Identification for Development Project.

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He stated that the bill signals a bold step for Nigeria, saying it will promote service delivery, openness, and accountability in public service provision.

He narrated that the bill would also promote and grow Nigeria’s economy and support effective e-governance, in addition to expert-oriented capacity, improved national trade and services balance.

According to him, the bill would accelerate digital transformation for public institutions to ensure efficient service delivery.

He noted that the engagement reinforces collaboration by bringing everyone together to meet the diverse needs of citizens and institutions across Nigeria.

The Speaker, Nasarawa State House of Assembly, Danladi Jato, represented by the Majority Leader, Yakubu Suleiman, appreciated Governor Sule for graciously allowing the workshop to take place and the Director General of the Nasarawa State Information Technology and Digital Economy Agency for his effort in creating awareness and engaging civil servants in the state on the danger of cyber security.

 

On his part, Haruna Sani, Director General of Nasarawa State Information Technology and Digital Economy Agency (NASITDEA), said the gathering marks a significant step towards harnessing the transformative power of digital technologies to drive economic growth, improve governance, and enhance the quality of life for the citizens of the state.

Stakeholders in the tech space industry who spoke at the event canvassed support for the National Digital Economy bill, saying when amended and passed into law, it would align Nigeria with other developed countries exploiting the digital economy for development.