CONVERSATIONS ON NIGERIA'S DIGITAL ECONOMY Nigeria has a huge potential for developing a digital economy similar to that of India. In this paper, I discuss routes to developing Nigeria's digital economy. #Technology #ICT #DigitalIncubation #DigitalEconomy #TechnologyHub #ECommerce #EGovernance #DigitalMusic #MovieStreaming

1. Developing Nigeria’s
Digital Economy
Bolaji Okusaga

2. Content
SN SUBJECT SLIDE
1. Driving Nigeria’s Digital Economy 3 - 7
2. Manifestations of the Digital Economy 8 - 17
3. Regulating Nigeria’s Digital Economy 18 - 25
4. Plans and Ideas 26 - 48
5. Strengthening Nigeria’s Digital Economy – Key Initiatives 49 - 54

3. 1. Driving
Nigeria’s Digital
Economy

4. Current Trends in Telecoms Industry - Nigeria
TREND
• Nigeria is becoming a
Communications
intensive economy, with
high demand for new,
mobile technologies in
support of the
increasingly based service
economy
• Increased demand for
bandwidth to satisfy
connectivity needs
POLICY
• Moves towards regional
harmonization in policy
and planning
• Need to develop a proper
regulatory model for
Nigeria’s Digital Economy.
INVESTMENT
• Increased
telecommunications and
ICT investments
• Investment in Data
Services –
• Submarine cables – Glo
1, Main 1, etc.
• Move from 3G to 4G and
5G
• As Data becomes a
competitive advantage

5. 5
Stable Monopoly Reforms Emerge Reforms Deepen Industry Consolidation Dynamic Competition
1 2 3 4 5
 Government rules and
runs the market through
NITEL
 Government is obliged
to provide mainly voice
services to the public &
corporate entities
 Business environment
unavailable and
unattractive to private
/independent investors
 Government sets prices
at artificially low levels
Little or No Competition Competition Begins Competition Heats-Up Competitive Stake-out Occurs Market Competition
 Liberalisation of the telecoms
sector begins with the entrant of
small, niche but indigenous CDMA
technology driven PTOs
 Restrictive operating licenses
issued to encourage small players
(mainly fixed wireless /wireline) in
regional clusters
 Product differentiation and active
price movements characterize the
market
 Budding competition: Industry
players adopt new product, price
and operational strategies
different from the National Carrier
 Dearth of relevant skills becomes
apparent
 Prices of user devices /products
becomes extremely high
especially for GSM technology
driven SIM /user devices
 Full liberalisation of the
industry takes place: mobile
and FWA operators hold
sway
 Regional barriers broken:
operators have unlimited
access within frequency
band to capture markets
across the country
 Big 3 mobile players
displace existing small niche
PTOs through product /price
differentiation
 Data and video services
complements voice services
 Dearth of skills and technical
capabilities deepens
 Stiff price competition hold
sway ; intense price
movements
 Customers get very
sophisticated and there is
proliferation of products and
services offered e.g.
corporate data services and
VPN services
 New entrants: foreign &
domestic; pockets of small
scale M&A begins
 Increased investments in
network infrastructure and
customer retention
programmes
 Cost reduction innovation–
MNP, collocation,
infrastructure sharing
 Industry consolidation brings
about teething issues: billing
inadequacies, revenue
leakages, network capacity
saturation, etc
 Prices of products /services
and ARPU declining ; SIM
becomes free
 The marketplace is now mature
and successful players raise their
game with above-peer QoS,
product differentiation, and flexi
price platforms
 Mega M&A deals characterize the
industry
 Responsive competitors thrive
through new growth frontiers e.g.
IPTV, MVNO models and
customer segment-specific value-
added services
 Network infrastructure
collocation and more focus on
marketing & customer retention
strategies
 Market leadership is determined
by VAS & innovative products
 Subscribers begins to pay
premium prices for sophisticated
products; prices begins to rise
PTO – Private Telephony Network, FWA – Fixed Wireless Access, VPN – Virtual Private Network, QoS – Quality of Service, M&A – Mergers & Acquisitions, IPTV – Internet Protocol-driven Television, MVNO – Mobile Virtual
Network Operators, VAS – Value Added Services, CDMA – Code Division Multiple Access, GSM – Global System for Mobile Telecommunications, ARPU – Average Revenue Per User
As the market
maturity level
moves from stage
4 to 5, the industry
will begin to lead
growth in the
Macro-Economy
given the
convergence that
ICT will drive
across industries –
hence the need for
a focus on the
Digital Economy
Credit: Accenture
ICT Industry Growth Phases Industry is moving from 4th to 5th Stage

6. The Move towards the Digitization of Nigeria’s Economy
• Taking bold steps to place
digital and technology at
the very heart of Nigeria’s
Economy
PURPOSE
• The proper regulation ad
enablement of innovative
digital services which
aggregate data and
augment distribution
infrastructure
PLUG • Digital technology at the
heart of possibilities
• Driving the Macro-
Economy and raising ICT
contribution to GDP.
PLAN

7. Components of the Digital Economy
• This refers to the transfer of
goodsand services using
internet enabled platforms
with transactions done
using computer mediated
networks.
E-Commerce
• This refers to the process
aid digital enablement of
government and businesses
via computer-mediated
networks
E-Business
• This refers to the
Infrastructure upon which
the Digital Economy is built.
• This include:
• Hardware
• Software
• Telecom networks
• Telecom Devices /
Computers
• Human capital
E-Business Infrastructure
• Digital economy is about transforming the many facets of government service
delivery, business interactions and transactions and enabling economic innovations.
• In doing this, three things are critical:

8. 2. Footprints of
the Digital
Economy

9. Commerce
The Dynamics
• The retail industry in Nigeria has become increasingly sophisticated, evolving from open-air
markets to modern malls and online shops, mainly due to a growing population of
urbanization and emerging middle class.
• Online shopping has become quite popular due to its relative convenience and the
reasonable prices of goods and services available.
Recent Developments
• The increase in internet penetration in Nigeria has created huge opportunities for the online
retail markets, hence the rise of stiff competition in the e-commerce industry in Nigeria.
• The CBN cashless policy has further driven the e-commerce and online shopping industry, as
it seeks to reduce the use of physical cash while adopting various electronic mode of payment
like the JumiaPay.

10. Types of E-Commerce Players in Nigeria
B2B (Business to
Business)
• This refers to e-
commerce activities
between businesses.
• Quill.com
• www.ferguson.com
B2C (Business to
Consumer)
• This refers to e-
commerce activities
between a business and
a consumer.
• Jumia, Kaymu and
Jumia, Cheki
C2B (Consumer to
Business)
• This type of e-commerce
usually refers more to
services rather than
goods.
• Jobberman.com
C2C (Consumer to
Consumer)
• This type of e-commerce
is made up of online
classifieds
• Jiji
• Cars-45
• Autochecks

11. Business
E-
Business
Creation of E-Business Platform
Enabling businesses better manage
data and automation of business
processes
Creating collaboration and
networking platforms that deliver
business possibilities at the speed of
thought

12. Payment and Financial Services
E-Payment
and Digital
Banking
Creation of E-payment Platforms
from Banks to Switches, Carriers and
Fintechs such as Interswitch, Paga,
Paystack and Flutterwave
Creating a Cashless Economy and
supporting E-business and E-
commerce
Driving better efficiency in payment
and transaction system

13. Government
E-
Governance
Creation of E-Governance Platform
Partnerships with States and Local
Governments to drive adoption
Driving better efficiency in
government using Technology and
Data.

14. Healthcare
Telemedicine
Creation of Telemedicine Platforms
Enabling Industry partnership with
groups such as Nigeria Medical
Association and Flying Doctors
Nigeria
Driving better access to medical
care using Data

15. Education
Remote
Learning
Creation of Remote Learning
Platforms
Enabling learning possibilities using
networked access with products
such as Ulesson, Roducate, Unicap
and National Open University on E-
Learning
Making learning accessible through
enabling E-learning

16. Creative Economy
Tech-Enabled
Music and
Movies
Streaming
Creation of Digital Entertainment
Platforms such as Music and Movies
Streaming Services
Products such as Iroko, Netflix and
Spotify
Enabling digital film and music
distribution in Nigeria

17. Agriculture
Tech-
Enabled
Agric
Platforms
Creation of digitally enabled Agric
Platforms
With platforms such as Farm
Crowdy and other Tech Agric
Platforms
Story-telling on digitally enabling
Agriculture

18. 3. Regulate to
Develop
Nigeria’s Digital
Economy

19. The Four Pillars of Digital Transformation
Data
Being able to mine
data is critical to
driving Digital
Transformation.
Insight
To be able to draw
insight from Data
derived, we must
clean it.
Idea
Given observable
patterns of
behaviour derived
from clean and
analysed data,
intervention ideas
begin to emerge.
Expression
Intervention
strategies are
expressed and
market
connections are
made

20. Market - What is Driving the Digital Economy
Information as
Asset
In this age of interactivity,
information as moved from
being a process commodity
to a critical business asset.
Speed as
Competitive
Advantage
Beyond the use of
information technology to
improve productivity and
efficiency, speed to market
and optimize supply chains
are part of the demands.
Customers as
Value Innovators
Customers demand to co-
create value and delivery
process.
Aggregating Information + Reducing Complexities + Driving Down Costs = EFFICIENCY

21. Regulation - Driving Nigeria’s Digital Transformation
Current State
Analogue
systems and
Manual
Operations
Creating a
Regulatory
Model
A participatory
regulatory
model that
drives digital
adoption
End-State
A Regulatory
model which
enables the
operators
deliver the
gains of the
Digital
Economy

22. Data Management in Nigeria
Current Context
• As at May 2020, 42 million
Nigerians have been
captured in the National
Identity Number database
Bridging the Gap
• Huge gap exist for a
proper identity and data
management system in
Nigeria
Connecting Identity
and Data to Economic
Possibilities
• Financial Inclusion and the
creation of a Digital
Economy is dependent on
proper data and Identity
Management

23. Market Linkages
Telecommunications
Services
Infrastructure
ICT
Government, Business,
SME, Manufacturing
Business/Finance
Travel Agents, Other
Sectors
Consumers
• HNI, HIP, MIP, LIP
Hardware/
Software/Data/
Information
Agents
Resellers Distributors
Vendors
Provider
Enabler
Enterprise End-Users
Individual End-Users
OEM Supplier / Consultants

24. Enabling Products and Service Delivery in the New Economy
Regulating the New
Economy
• NCC is positioned to take
advantage of new changes
within the Industry and is
poised to lead conversations
on the following fronts:
• Development of Local
Technology and solutions to
local problems within the
Data capturing and
verification value chain
• Home-grown innovations
and local applications and
alignment.
Bridging the Gap
Identity and Access
Management (IAM) is a
supporting structure of
business processes,
technologies, and policies that
allow the management of
digital or electronic identities.
Know your customer is the
process of a business verifying
the identity of its clients and
assessing their suitability, along
with the potential risks of illegal
intentions towards the business
relationship.

25. Driving the Regulatory Process
Regulating Service Experience
• Create a seamless experience
Regulating Product Delivery
• Become the Customer Champion
Business Process
Remodel to suit
new possibilities

26. 4. Mapping
Ideas to Action

27. Campaign Rationale
Secure the operating
environment for the economic
objectives.
•Drive the intervention plan and create a win-win
scenario for the players in the new economy
•A Pivot for the Economy
•An enabler of Business and Investments
•A booster of technology and innovations
Create a effective policy and
Regulatory stance on the
Digital Economy.
•Avoid friction with policy makers as well create a
space
•Stakeholder sessions
Opening Nigeria to the World – Driving a digital Economy

28. Driving the Activity Process
Elicit support
from Market
• Capture new
opportunities
Engender
goodwill
• Drive partnerships
Earn the
respect of
Business
Community
• Articulate
Proposition and
build Following
Display
Innovation
• Increase visibility
through Media and
Cross Industry
engagements
WIN MIND AND MARKET SHARE
AID REGULATORY SUCCESS

29. Success Factors
Demonstrate
Short- and long-term
benefits of the new
economy
Drive up communication
on the policy and
accompanying projects
Articulate
The positives on the policy
and accompanying projects
such as :
• Development of
infrastructure and economy
• Creating massive job
opportunities
Communicate

30. Strategy - Communicating the New Economy Road-map
Ensuring Access
• Ensure ease of accessibility
through effective structure,
process and strategic
communication programmes.
Engendering connection
• Understand and tap into the
Media.
• Work in alliance with key
players in the new economy
for endorsement and support.
Bridging the Gap
Create a communications
structure around the
Digital economy Road-
map that connects with
the public and achieves
the desired purpose.
Entrench and sustain a
platform for
communications
management.

31. Target Stakeholders Groups
Media
Projection Amplification
Industry
Acceptance Alignment Endorsement
Market
Participation Buy-in
Government
Policy Legislation Appropriation

32. Government
Primary
• Presidency
• Members of
the
Executive
and National
Assembly
Decision Makers
Informed and active
on issues regarding
The Industry
Legislative Platform
Project
Enabler
Business and
Goal-Oriented
Follow Financial
and Investment
Trends
Has a Linked-in
Profile and Follows
conversations
Read
Newspapers and
Magazines
Policy Makers
Approving
Authority

33. Investment
Savvy
Educated and enlightened
(either through formal
education or self training)
Highly Inquisitive
and innovative
Entrepreneurial
Super conscious
(health, politics,
social, environment
issues etc.)
Always asks the
question WIIFM?
Known to favour
policies that create a
Private-sector led
Economy
Very active in the
media, reads emails
and follow the News
Market
Secondary
• Investors
• Partners
• Analysts and
Opinion
Leaders
Market
Operators

34. Industry
Nigeria
Internet
Group
E-Payment
Providers
Association
of Nigeria
(E-PPAN)
FinTech
Association of
Nigeria (Fintech
NGR
The Telecom
Consumers’
Parliament
The National
Association
of Telecom
subscribers
(NATCOMS)
Socio-
Economic
Rights &
Accountabili
ty Project
(SERAP)
Consumer
Rights
Advocacy of
Nigeria
(CRANN)
• Third Party Advocates and critical Industry Groups will also form the bulk of our target
audience
• Rights Advocates to work closely with the media on a contextual and proactive
campaign
• Target groups are:

35. Media
Op-ed Editors
ICT Editors/
Correspondents
Business Editors
Public
Commentators/
Opinionates
• Media Advocates to give vent to activities also help amplify the positive
actions of the NCC on the Digital Economy
• Critical media beats for the campaign are:

36. Broad Road-map
Phase One
• Strategy Session
• Define
Regulatory
purview for
Digital Economy
• Understanding
the industry -
Research and
Study
• Outline the
roadmap
• Milestone
Publication on
New economy
Phase two
• Stakeholder
Session
• Digital Economy
week with Open
discussion on
policy and
innovations
• Digital economy
roundtables
• Facilitation of
partnerships with
strategic
stakeholders and
OEM
engagements
• Digital economy
boot camp
Phase three
• Industry Events
• Business
Interactions
• Develop training
platforms for
entrepreneurs
and business
owners within
the digital
economy
• Mentorship and
facilitation Digital
Economy value-
chain

37. Research - Understanding the Reality
Interaction with
relevant
documents
Questionnaire
development
Questionnaire
administration
Data analysis I &
findings
Discussion of
findings
Key Questions
• Who are our stakeholders?
• What are the gaps for opportunities?
• What issues matter most to and are top priority?
• What is our role?
• What are the implications of stakeholder perceptions and issues on our goal?
• What sources do our priority stakeholders rely on for information?
Process

38. Conducting the survey
Rationale:
• Design a research methodology that will capture the essence of fact finding.
• Identify Regulators with need for strategic relationships.
• Develop strategies to gain better mileage.
Key Consideration:
• Understand the industry potentials
• Identify the industry needs
• Consider entire population and Determine Representative Population
Locations:
• South-west
• South-south
• South-east
• North-east
• North-central
• North-west

39. Strategy Session
Policy
Analysis
Expert
Opinions
Market
Reviews
Education on
Regulatory
Purview
Address Grey Areas in Policy and Legislation
Define Priorities
Set Target and Adopt Road-map for Implementation

40. • Development of a
Digital economy
Road-map Fact
Sheet”
• The Fact Sheet
- Handy resource for
the Media and other
stakeholders
• Outreaches –
Targeting,
Technology, Business
and Economic Groups
• Preliminary
meetings/parleys with
key sectors and interest
groups
• Online outreach: an
interactive portal which
will be a repository for
policies and initiatives
• Strategic partnerships
for industry event
facilitation
Stakeholder Engagement – Handy Resource

41. Stakeholder Session
• Create a Bi – annual stakeholder session to
strategically introduce and gaining
commitment based on business objectives.
• Open the vent for a strong dialogue on the
future of Digital Economy industry
• The event will have its first edition virtually
and subsequently physical due to COVID-19
social distance guidelines
• Breakout sessions with stakeholders
discussing investments, infrastructure,
incentives and policies respectively with
regards to Digital economy.

42. •Select Prospects and Partners for
participation
•Fintech
•Agrotech
•Telemedicine
•E-commerce
•Etc.
Direction
•Registration to be open to innovate
developers, youth population and
etc.
•Create a microsite for registration
and invite target prospects and
partners for boot camp
Presentations
•PLATFORM: NCC Proprietary Events
Detail •Bi – annual y Events looking at
Digital economy and New
Innovations
•Bi –Annual NCC Events
Frequency
Digital Economy Boot camp

43. Digital Economy Boot camp
NCC – Driving Digital Economy
Opening
• Participants Registrations
• Cock-tails
• Meet and Greet
Presentation
• Introducing the event and new economy
• Case-Studies
• Localizing the Context
Wrap-up
• Questions and Answer
• Media Interviews
• Sign-ups

44. Digital Economy Week
• Organize a platform where issues surrounding
the new economy will be discussed.
• This will be bi-annual event to bring together
players and promoters of the industry
• Panel discussions to feature investors,
government and companies who operate within
the Digital economy and ICT
• Keynote speaker:
• Minister of Communications and Digital
Economy, Isa Pantami
• Umar Danbatta, Vice Chairman NCC
• Exhibitions and summit to encourage investors
into Nigeria’s digital economy sector

45. The Attendees
MSMEs and
Tech Start-ups Fintech Agrotech E-business E- Government
Industry associations
• Regulators and market operators within the Nigerian Digital Economy
• Information and Technology Association of Nigeria
• Computer Professionals of Nigeria
• Standards Organization of Nigeria
Print Media
• Print Journalists cut across
major national and regional
tier 1 and 2 newspapers
from various desks, and
dedicated IT, youth and
Lifestyle magazines
Electronic media
• NTA Network, Channels
TV, FRCN, Cool FM,
Wazobia FM and etc.
Online Media
• Lifestyle bloggers –
Linda Ikeji, Bella Naija,
IT Realms and etc.

46. Other Platforms for industry engagements
• Tap into key Local, Regional and Global
ICT Events
• Set-up Strategic Investment
• Speaking opportunities – ranging from
business to projects – to provide
platforms to market NCC stance on
Digital economy
• Speakers will include:
• The Vice Chairman
• Strategic Heads of Parastals under
the Ministry of communication
and Digital Economy
• Platforms
• The Economist
Conferences & The Annual
Nigerian Economic
Summits
• Summits & Exhibitions
• Partnership with key
institutional blocs – NESG,
Information and
Technology Association of
Nigeria.

47. Communication Support Areas
Training and Boot
Camp
• Engaging the key players in
the industry
• Profiling and Credentials
Presentation
Agenda setting –
content development
• Establishing a press bureau
where all content relevant to
the project are developed
and made available to the
media
• Media platforms:
• Features
• Sponsored Editorials
• Initiatives / Quick Wins
Announcement
Stakeholder session
• Partnership with industry
events
• Setting up proprietary events
• Leverage event activities in
the media

48. Media Selection
Target
Media
Primary Targets:
Policy Makers and Business
Community
Radio:
News and ICT
Online:
Social, Blogs and New sites
TV:
News, Business and Tech, ICT
Secondary Targets:
ICT and General Public
Print:
Tier One and Two Papers
TV:
News, Business and ICT
Radio:
Local and Network stations

49. 5. Strengthening
Nigeria’s Digital
Economy – Key
Initiatives

50. Moving from Policy to Action
Branded
Initiatives
and
Projects
Development of Branded
Initiatives and Projects
targeted at developing
Nigeria’s Digital Economy
Initiatives and Projects to
be divided into two types:
• Development Projects
• Institutional Initiatives

51. Youths and SMEs in ICT
Corporate Organisations,
Venture Capital & Foreign
Investors
Other Relevant Bodies
- Students
- Software developers
- Programmers
- Entrepreneurs in ICT e.t c
- Venture capital firms
- Governments investing in ICT
- Technology Companies
- Angel Investors / Other Sponsors
- Sectorial Groups with the
ICT Sector
- Chamber of Commerce,
- NGOs, Universities e.t.c.
- Tech Journalist and
Bloggers
Target Groups for Key Initiatives

52. The Projects and Initiatives
Nigerian Digital Economy Initiatives
The Nigerian Digital
Schools Project
The Nigerian Smart
City Initiative
Regional Digital Hubs
Project
Nigerian Technology
Start-up Expo and
Investment Pitch
Initiative
Development Development
Institutional Institutional

53. Synopsis of Key Projects and Initiatives
NO PROJECT DIRECTION MECHANICS
1. The Nigerian
Digital
Schools
Project
Development of Digital Capabilities
in select Secondary Schools in
Nigeria with the Establishment of
Digital Labs where Students are
taught Coding and exposed to the
rudiments of the Digital Economy
Selection of a Group of Schools across the Six
Geo-political Regions of Nigeria for a Digital
Schools Project Pilot
Sponsorship for Project will be draw from the
following Sources
1. Telecoms Networks
2. Telecommunications Device Makers and
OEMs
3. Software Companies – Microsoft, Cisco, etc.
4. Banks, Fintechs, E-Commerce Companies
2. The Nigerian
Smart City
Initiative
Set-up of a Smart City close to
Abuja driven by High-speed Internet
for IoT possibilities for
Transportation, Healthcare,
Industrial Parks and Technology
Production
Abuja already has a Centi-city close to the Abuja
Airport Project originally planned as a Smart City.
NCC to buy into the project with a blueprint for
achieving a Smart City status for Project. Do a
global road-show to drive tax free investments
by technology companies in the City.

54. No Project Direction Mechanics
3. Regional Digital Hubs
Project - Tapping into
South-South Cooperation
Platform
Setting up of Regional Digital Hubs to
complement Technology Hubs set-up
under Mobola Johnson as ICT Minister.
The Digital Hubs will however be
different from the Tech Incubation Hubs
set-up under Mobola Johnson as this
will have Tech Experts from Asia as
Curators and Trainers.
Digital Hubs to train young
Nigerians and grant global
exposure through affiliation
with Schools in China, Korea,
Japan and India
4. Nigerian Technology
Start-up Expo and
Investment Pitch Initiative
- In partnership with key
Silicon Valley Companies
and Investors
An Annual Expo and Pitch session
targeted at exposing Nigerian Tech
Inventors to the world.
An Exhibitor meet Investor
event where Inventions in the
Digital space are pitched, and
the best inventions are
selected for Investment
Synopsis of Key Projects and Initiatives

55. Thank you.
Bolaji Okusaga
Precise Platforms