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‎Nigeria has asserted its role as a primary architect of Africa’s digital future with the unveiling of a comprehensive strategy to localize the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS+20)
‎Launched at a high-level side event in New York titled “Re-Imagining Digital Cooperation for Sustainable Development,” the roadmap outlines a multi-pronged approach to infrastructure, governance, and security designed to translate global visions into measurable national progress.
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‎Representing the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, CCIE, the Director of Corporate Planning and Strategy, Dr. Dimie Shively Wariowei, emphasized that robust infrastructure is the bedrock of this localization effort.
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‎To address persistent gaps in rural connectivity and affordability, Nigeria is leveraging a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model. Key highlights include:
‎The 90,000km Fiber Project: In collaboration with the World Bank, Nigeria is deploying a massive fiber-optic network to ensure high-speed internet reaches underserved communities.
‎National Broadband Plan 2.0: With the current plan nearing completion, a renewed five-year strategy is being developed to aggressively scale broadband penetration and stimulate economic growth.
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‎Governance and Cybersecurity: A Multi-Stakeholder Approach
‎Inuwa highlighted that Nigeria’s digital transformation is not a government-only venture. Through the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), the country has successfully fostered a model where the private sector, civil society, and technical communities co-create policy.
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‎On the security front, the administration is prioritizing the protection of its digital borders:
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‎Legislative Reform: A reviewed Cybersecurity Act is currently awaiting parliamentary approval to provide a stronger legal framework for the digital economy.
‎Enhanced measures are being deployed to protect users and critical national infrastructure from evolving cyber threats.
‎A Blueprint for Africa and the Global South
‎The strategy received significant praise from international observers. Ms. Jennifer Chung, Co-Convener of the Informal Multi-Stakeholder Sounding Board (IMSB), commended Nigeria’s “broad-based” delegation and its commitment to tracking progress toward the UN 2030 Agenda and Africa’s Agenda 2063.
‎Chung noted that Nigeria’s challenges—such as affordable connectivity and AI readiness—are mirrored across the Global South. She described Nigeria’s inclusive approach as a “vital blueprint” for other developing nations striving to ensure no region is left behind in the race toward quantum technologies and artificial intelligence.
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‎The WSIS+20 localization strategy cements Nigeria’s ambition to lead digital cooperation across the continent. By focusing on reliable, country-specific data collection and sustained regional engagement, Nigeria aims to ensure that international digital resolutions result in tangible, life-changing impacts for its citizens.
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‎Moving from the “Big Picture” (New York launch) to “Specific Actions” (Fiber project/Cybersecurity) to “Global Validation” (Stakeholder praise).
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‎Action-Oriented Language: Uses words like spearhead, cement, leverage, and accelerate to convey momentum.
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‎Readability: Uses bullet points for technical details, allowing the reader to scan for key statistics like the 90,000km fiber project.
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