The Senate has reassured Nigerians of transparent legislation to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s digital transformation agenda.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, gave the commitment while declaring open a one-day public hearing on the National Digital Economy and E-Governance Bill 2025, organized by the joint ICT committees of both chambers of the National Assembly.
Represented by the Deputy Majority Leader, Senator Oyilola Ashiru, the Senate President noted that the public hearing is not just a mere legislative exercise, but a deliberate effort to build a system that will boost Nigeria’s economic growth through digital innovation.
In his submission on the bill, the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy Dr Bosun Tijani said Government has invested in different kind of infrastructure with this bill for technology to help grow the economy.
He added that the whole goal is that through this bill, the can support Mr. President’s agenda of creating a $1 trillion economy for Nigeria.
He said now that the country has a President in place that is committed to deepening basic infrastructure which is why the president is backing the deployment of 90,000 kilometers of fiber optic network.
According to the minister with this development the Government is saying the 20 million Nigerians that are in areas that are not connected to any form of telecommunications at all should now be connected,
Earlier the Chairman Senate Committee on ICT Senator Shuaib Afolabi said the objective of the bill is to provide regulatory clarity for electronic transactions in the country.
Senator Afolabi further said other objective of the bill is to mandate government agencies to digitize their operations for the citizens to have easier access to government services.
In his remarks , the Chairman of House Committee on ICT , Hon Adedeji Olajide said the bill when passed into law, would bring about , digital transformation of the country .
All stakeholders present at the public hearing like National Communication Commission ( NCC), Nigeria Communication Satellite ( NICOMSAT) , Nigeria Postal Services ( NIPOST) , Galaxy Backbone , Office of the Head of Service etc ., supported the legislation.
Cov/ Bashir M
