President Bola Tinubu has declared that his administration would leverage digital technology to create Nigeria’s desired socio-economic progress that is necessary to transform society.

Tinubu said his administration is determined to use education and technology to improve the lives of the citizens, affirming that education is central to uplifting Nigerians.

The president made the vow while receiving a delegation from Google (West Africa) led by its Director, Olumide Balogun, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Wednesday, August 16, 2023.

He said: “We are here to shape our tomorrow, today, and I’m going to do it. Our youths represent over 65 per cent of the yearning development age in Nigeria.

“We take education very seriously, and that is the foremost tool we have against poverty.

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“The digital economy and telecommunications represent the future, and we are determined to promote it.

“Your partnership with us to make it a serious development in our economic programme is what is desirable. Our youths have the skills, they are brilliant, and they are good people.”

President Tinubu, however, called on Google to partner with the government on the use of data in the public sector to enhance service delivery.

Tinubu added: “We have been evaluating different proposals on database development, and you have critical information that can equally help the poor leverage on the use of data.

“The authentication of transaction integrity across the country to service over 200 million people is not a joke.”

Tinubu, therefore, promised to bring more youths into the administration to further drive his transformative efforts and called on Google to “come on board” as a frontline partner in development.

In his remarks, the Director of Google West Africa, Olumide Balogun, told President Tinubu that the delegation came to Nigeria to reassure the government that the company is committed to supporting its laudable efforts through the deployment of modern digital technology.

The Google Regional Director stated that the deployment of data technology enhances the efficiency and productivity of businesses with a commitment that Google will give Nigeria a N1.2 billion grant as well as train 20,000 women and children with requisite skills to establish new digital tech job opportunities.

The Star