Gov. Namadi Showcases Digital Successes In Jigawa

By Mohammed Abubakar Dutse

Governor Umar Namadi of Jigawa state has re-affirmed the state’s commitment to digital transformation designed to position the state as a key player in the emerging global digital economy.

The governor, who made the observation while declaring open the 19th Zonal Conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) in Dutse, underscored strategic role the ICT sector plays in the life of an emerging economies like Nigeria.

He cited the establishment of the State ICT & Digital Economy Agency, a government-backed initiative to harness the benefits of the 4th Industrial Revolution.

“Recently, the state established an agency backed by law titled Jigawa State ICT & Digital Economy Agency to ensure that the state is not left behind in reaping the benefits offered by the 4th Industrial Revolution.

“This was borne out of our firm belief that the digital economy is a major driver of innovation, competitiveness, and growth, which are essential for sustainable economic development,” Governor Namadi said.

The governor highlighted the state’s forward-thinking collaboration with GLUWA through the Office of the Vice President, aimed at enhancing the state’s capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI) tagging and blockchain technology.

He maintained that the objectives of the initiative were among others to generate thousands of digital jobs for Jigawa’s youths and to further integrate the state into the global tech landscape.

“Our partnership with GLUWA reflects our commitment to ensuring Jigawa benefits from the ICT revolution,” the governor said.

Namadi also expressed gratitude to ICAN for consistently recognizing the state’s leadership in financial accountability and transparency, assuring that the state would continue to collaborate with ICAN to build capacity within the state’s public sector, particularly in professional accounting.

As the state continues to rank among the top-performing states in the ICAN Accountability Index, the governor reiterated the importance of accountability and transparency in governance.

“As you know, Jigawa is one of the best performing states in this respect, as attested to by our performance in the ICAN Accountability Index, in which the state has consistently continued to be among the top three best performing states.

“Let me also reiterate that Jigawa State Government would continue to collaborate with ICAN in supporting professional accountants in the state public service to build their capacity to enable them to practice the profession in accordance with emerging global best practices and requirements of the Accounting Profession.

“We would continue to sponsor them to attend professional seminars and conferences being organized by the Institute.”