28th October, 2022
By Ijeoma Olorunfemi
The Federal Government has launched the Digital Economy Industry Working Group (DEIWG) to facilitate the digital economy agenda.
Prof. Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy inaugurated the group at the closing ceremony of the Digital Nigeria Conference and Exhibition organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abuja.
Pantami, while inaugurating the group, charged the members to ensure the digital economy agenda was achieved through their efforts in line with the desire of President Muhammadu Buhari.
He further said that Nigeria was doing well in the Ease of Doing Business despite the challenges that the government was working seriously to address.
According to the Minister, reducing the challenges to the Ease of Doing Business will ensure the success of the recent Nigerian Start-up Act(NSA) approved by Buhari on Oct. 19.
“When the administration of Buhari started, the global ranking of Nigeria on the Ease of Doing Business was 170, but recently we have moved 39 steps higher to 131.
“The government had initiated and implemented over 160 reforms and registering a business in Nigeria now takes less than 48 hours.”
He added that the ministry would soon inaugurate a committee for the swift implementation of the NSA.
The DEIWG has the Minister as the Chairman, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of NITDA as well as other Chief Executives of agencies under the ministry as members.
Members from the private sector include Mr Laoye Jaiyeola, Chief executive officer of NESG, as Private Sector Co-Chair and Ms Funke Opeke of MainOne, Mr Sim Shagaya of the lesson, among others.
NAN