Ayomidele Oluwasusi

Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima, has declared the West African country is ready to overtake the world in terms of economy and technology.

Shettima, 57, made this on Tuesday when he launched the AI Expertise Blockchain and Technology Training and Outsourcing Initiative in Dutse, the Jigawa State capital, as part of Nigeria’s strategy for digital transformation and leadership in Africa.

According to reports, the AI Expertise Blockchain and Technology Training and Outsourcing Initiative, a partnership with tech company Gluwa, aims to train 1,000 Nigerians annually in artificial intelligence, blockchain, and other cutting-edge technologies.

Speaking during the launch of the Initiative at the Yakubu Gowon National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) Orientation Camp, Fanisau, Dutse, the Vice President called on Nigerian youths to embrace the initiative, which he said is important for the nation’s economic future.

“We are not merely catching up with the rest of the world; we are poised to overtake them. This initiative offers its beneficiaries the chance to become part of a global workforce, driving innovation that will shape our future,” Shettima said.

He noted Jigawa State’s pioneering role in digital technology adoption, calling the programme “a homecoming ceremony for those who have eased our journey through the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

The vice-president also outlined the federal government’s broader vision, saying, “we are adopting this initiative across the nation to create a network of tech hubs that will power Nigeria’s economic growth for decades to come.”

He commended the partnership with Gluwa, stating that it aligns with President Tinubu’s agenda to revolutionize Nigeria’s digital technology sphere.

Shettima, who served as a governor in terror-ravaged North-Eastern Borno State, acknowledged Gluwa’s significant impact, even as he applauded the firm for its empowerment of Aella Microfinance Bank, resulting in the disbursement of over N100 billion to two million Nigerians.

Addressing the global implications of the Initiative, he said: “Our aspiration remains to transform Nigeria into a premier destination for technology outsourcing, creating a model that combines global expertise with local talent.”

Governor, Malam Umar Namadi of Jigawa, a north-west state, noted the importance of the initiative, describing it as a rare opportunity at the doorstep of the youths.

Namadi called on the population to “venture into the Digital World of ICT Outsourcing and reap all the benefits that it offers, particularly in terms of job creation and opportunities to contribute to the growth of our economy.”

The governor said that Jigawa has a history with ICT education.

He said: “The State is blessed with hundreds of thousands of ICT-savvy and qualified youths in various fields of information and communication technology. This is courtesy of our very reputable Informatics Institute established more than two decades ago.”

Namadi said the new initiative aligns with both the federal government’s Renewed Hope Agenda and Jigawa State’s 12-Point Agenda, prioritizing digital technologies and innovation.

The governor further announced the establishment of a new ICT & Digital Economy Agency, saying, “More than ever before, we are determined to reposition Jigawa State as a major ICT hub in Nigeria.”

Shettima had earlier launched the 4th edition of the Expanded National Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) Clinic, disclosing that President Bola Tinubu has ordered that a grant of N150,000 should be given to each of the business owners in the state as the federal government’s support to MSMEs across the country.

According to him, the N150,000 grant for each of the MSMEs as directed by the President was an outright grant that does not require beneficiaries to repay.

His words: “Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to announce that His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu, has mandated that a grant of N150,000 each be awarded to outstanding exhibiting MSMEs at today’s event. Rest assured that this is an outright grant, and the beneficiaries will not need to repay it”.

The Expanded National MSME Clinics is one of the federal government’s strategies for ease of doing business in Nigeria through a series of business forums organized across the country to provide on-the-spot solutions to challenges confronting MSMEs, with the first, second, and third editions launched in Benue, Ogun, and Ekiti States respectively earlier this year.

Shettima said, that as the very foundation of the nation’s economy, the MSMEs sub-sector has remained a top priority of the Tinubu administration, noting that they not only represent 96 percent of all businesses in Nigeria and contribute over 45 percent to its GDP but also provide a crucial lifeline to 80 percent of the nation’s workforce.

“We recognize your essence, and that’s why we are establishing MSME clinics across the nation. These clinics will act as incubators for small businesses and offer alternative financing. They will also ensure that you have the support and resources you need to compete and thrive,” he added.

Noting that the prosperity of small businesses is the prosperity of Nigeria and their downturn is the downturn of Nigeria, the Vice President urged the business owners not to harbor any fear, saying the Tinubu administration will not rest until each of them is in a vantage position to access the support and capital made available for them.

Earlier in his remarks, Jigawa State Governor, Malam Umar Namadi, thanked the Federal Government for providing dividends of democracy for the people of the state through the MSME Clinics and related projects scattered across the area.

Namadi urged existing and aspiring small business owners in the state to take advantage of services provided through the Clinics, describing the initiative as a rare opportunity for operators in the sector in the state.

He said the state government is aligning with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda through the ‘Greater Jigawa’ initiative that provides social protection services and projects for the people.

The high point of the event at the Mallam Aminu Kano Triangle was the inspection of exhibition pavilions by MSMEs in the State and the inauguration of the Jigawa Retail Empowerment Shops.

Earlier on arrival in Dutse, Shettima, who was received by the Governor and other dignitaries, proceeded to the Sumore Farm in Madobi where he inaugurated the 10-Hectare, Solar-powered irrigation farm.

He also inaugurated the 1,435 J-AGRO Agricultural Extension Agents and the distribution of agricultural inputs under the NG CARES Fadama Programme, benefiting over 26,000 individuals, with 30 percent being women.

The Vice President also flagged off the Palliative Shop initiative at Yalwawa before proceeding to the Dutse Ultra Modern market where he commissioned a 120KVA Solar Plant.

Shettima said the solar unit is to ensure “that the entire market receives a minimum of eight hours of electricity per day during market hours.”

Nigeria is facing its worst economic crisis in decades, with skyrocketing inflation, a national currency in free-fall and millions of people struggling to buy food. Only two years ago Africa’s biggest economy, Nigeria is projected to drop to fourth place this year.

The pain is widespread. Unions strike to protest salaries of around $20 a month. People die in stampedes, desperate for free sacks of rice. Hospitals are overrun with women wracked by spasms from calcium deficiencies.

The crisis is largely believed to be rooted in two major changes implemented by a president elected 14 months ago: the partial removal of fuel subsidies and the floating of the currency, which together have caused major price rises.

A nation of entrepreneurs, Nigeria’s more than 200 million citizens are skilled at managing in tough circumstances, without the services states usually provide. They generate their own electricity and source their own water. They take up arms and defend their communities when the armed forces cannot. They negotiate with armed kidnappers when family members are abducted.

But right now, their resourcefulness is being stretched to the limit.

Some folks are planning protests to voice their concerns about the economic situation, including rising inflation and poverty, under President Tinubu’s administration.

The protests are expected to happen in the north and other parts of the country, but residents and leaders of the south-eastern region, inhabited by the Igbo ethnic group – have made it clear that they are not going to be part of the mass action.

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