President Bola Tinubu said on Monday in Abuja that the federal government will continue to prioritize the development of the digital economy to enhance youth empowerment and job creation. The President made the pledge while receiving a report titled "Digital Economy, Youth Empowerment and Sustainable Job Creation in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities," presented by participants of the Senior Executive Course 46 National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Kuru.

In their eight-point recommendation, the course participants urged the Federal government to expedite the enactment of the Digital Economy and e-Governance Bill 2024 and encourage states to waive the Right of Way fees on deployment of telecoms infrastructure. The 96 participants also recommended that the President issue an Executive Order mandating all MDAs to migrate to the OneGov.ng portal. They advocated adopting a Quintuple-Helix Model to promote the digital economy, youth empowerment, and sustainable job creation.

Responding, President Tinubu directed the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy to coordinate with the group and present their recommendations to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and the Head of the Civil Service for streamlined implementation. Highlighting the importance of data in national planning, President Tinubu told the meeting he had earlier met with officials from the National Population Commission (NPC) to discuss the upcoming census.

Prof. Ayo Omotayo, the Director-General of NIPSS, said during the year-long engagement, course participants undertook study tours across Nigeria and abroad, exploring the theme of their study.The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, announced that the Digital Economy Bill, currently before the National Assembly, will undergo public hearings in all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) before its passage in the second quarter of 2025.According to him, this is the first time legislation will be subjected to such an extensive review.

Regarding Right of Way fees, the Minister disclosed that 11 states have responded to the federal government's request to waive the charges, a move aimed at facilitating broadband infrastructure expansion.He expressed optimism that all states in the Federation would comply with this initiative before the end of the second year of the Tinubu administration.