National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Funmilayo Ojo
Nigerian content creators will now be able to monetize their work thanks to a new feature that Meta Platforms Incorporated, managed by Sir Nick Clegg, a former UK deputy prime minister and Meta’s president of global affairs, is introducing to its Instagram app.
The functionality will allow native content creators to make a living off of the app and will be introduced in June 2024.
When the group visited President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja on Thursday, Clegg made this revelation.
“To strengthen our partnerships, we have a lot to do with Nigeria,” Clegg continued.
In his speech, Tinubu said that his administration is positioning Nigeria as the continent’s leader in information and communications technology.
In order to meet these objectives, the President stated that the Federal Government is continuing to invest in digital technology in order to improve small business sustainability and increase opportunities in various industries.
The President said that Nigeria cannot afford to fall behind in this era of rapid technological breakthroughs, according to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale.
Consequently, his government is strengthening alliances, expanding capacity, and creating new avenues for opportunity in the field of information and communications technology.
In terms of digital technology, Nigeria is positioned to lead Africa; we have talented youths and skilled hands to realize our objective, according to the message addressed to Meta by President Tinubu.
The most valuable resource in Nigeria’s armory, according to the president, is its young. Therefore, his administration is advancing different areas in information and communications technology, to boost partnerships.
According to the statement entitled, ‘President Tinubu to Meta’, Nigeria is poise to lead Africa in digital technology; we have gifted youths and capable hands to actualise our vision’.
He said the Nigerian youths are the key asset in Nigeria’s arsenal. His government is training three million Nigerian youths in digital technology through 3MTT program before deploying them to innovation areas nationally.
“For us in Nigeria, we have a vibrant, gifted, and resourceful youth population. Recognizing that the future is most likely to be AI-enabled, we have to prepare our youth and make them ready to compete and participate in the global economy.
“I can assure you that Nigeria is open for business. We want to lead the African continent in digital technology. Data is valuable to our development.
“We are ready to cooperate on technological advancements. It is the only way to go. We need a collaboration that will be a win-win for all,” President Tinubu said.
He however explained the importance of technology in driving small businesses, which he is prepared to ensure every technology is deployed, and used for the growth for a vast majority of micro-businesses to expand mass prosperity along the way.
According to Tinubu, “What interests me is the use of technology in the development of small businesses.
“We need to make the business environment more conducive for you and more profitable for us as well.
“I hope we can collaborate and continue to promote our mutual interests.”
Meanwhile the Clegg appreciated the President for the order he issued, which helped the landing of the Meta-backed deep-sea cable in Nigeria, respectively.
He said, “It is an extraordinary infrastructure project. When it comes on stream in the first quarter of 2025, it will be twice as much as the capacity of all subsea cables that exist.
“We buried the cable 50 percent deeper than any other subsea cables under the seabed. It is more powerful and more extensive in terms of its geographical connectivity.
“It could yield up to 37 billion dollars’ worth of increase in economic activity in the next two or three years across the African continent.”
