Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani believes the country’s youth are its biggest asset, saying with the right support they can reshape the world.
He made the comment while speaking at the Platform’s Independence Anniversary event held in Lagos on Monday. According to him, Africa has a huge youth population with Nigeria having a chunk of that number – many of them tech-savvy.
“If you have a second passport and you live in another country, you would find probably ten software engineers in Lagos before you find one in the UK in your cycle. Or if you are in the US, before you find one software engineer there, you would find ten in Lagos, or in Nairobi, or in Jo’burg. That’s the reality,” he said during the event tagged ‘Africa Rising Continent – Nigeria’s Strategic Role’.
“We are the future. And you know why we are the future here? We are a continent of 1.2 billion and forty per cent of those are young people – across Africa – I believe under the age of 25. And this is where Nigeria is important. It is not just that we show off for the sake of showing off.
“In Nigeria, it is 60 per cent of our 220 million people who are under the age of 25 which means we have the ingredient that is actually going to power the world because these young people are digital natives. And if we give them the resources, they can actually become that engine that the world requires to be able to strive.”
‘Always Want to Contribute’
The minister while noting the country’s human capital, said there are Nigerians in most top academic institutions in the world.
“There is no top academic institution in the world that you don’t see a Nigerian,” he added.
Commending Nigerians for their drive to make an impact, Bosun said, “Most Nigerians are always restless no matter how much they have achieved. They always want to contribute”.