Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, has asserted that there are more software engineers in Lagos than in the United Kingdom.
Tijani, who was speaking on the number of tech enthusiasts in Nigeria and Africa at large at the Platform’s Independence Anniversary event held in Lagos on Monday, said the youths in Nigeria are the country’s biggest asset.
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,” the Minister said during the event tagged ‘Africa Rising Continent – Nigeria’s Strategic Role’.
Tijani said that with the right support, the techies in the country can reshape the world.
He added: “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 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.”
While noting the country’s human capital, the Minister 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.
Tijani commended Nigerians for their drive to make an impact, saying: “Most Nigerians are always restless no matter how much they have achieved. They always want to contribute”.
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