The Minister of Finance, Taiwo Oyedele, has called on Nigerians, businesses and government institutions to make the patronage of made-in-Nigeria goods and services, including digital infrastructure, a national priority.
Oyedele made the call on Monday during a visit to Galaxy Backbone in Abuja, where he stressed the Federal Government’s commitment to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s drive to promote locally made products and services.
The Minister said both public and private-sector investors should increasingly look to Nigerian companies for software, hardware and other digital infrastructure, rather than automatically turning to foreign suppliers.
According to him, patronising made-in-Nigeria digital infrastructure is not only cheaper but can also provide better quality while strengthening the country’s digital economy and technological capacity.
“Mr President wants us to drive this whole thing about buy Nigeria, make Nigeria, and everything about Nigeria,” Oyedele said, noting that many organisations, including some in the public sector, still default to foreign suppliers when sourcing software, hardware and IT infrastructure.
He said some Nigerian organisations that had deliberately chosen made-in-Nigeria technology were spending less while receiving better quality.
Oyedele also linked local patronage of digital infrastructure to data sovereignty and Nigeria’s ability to compete in the global digital economy.
He urged Galaxy Backbone and other Nigerian technology providers to see their work as a national duty, assuring them of the government’s willingness to support and collaborate with the sector to increase its impact.
“The work you do every day” should be seen as a national duty, he said, stressing the importance of sustained support for local digital infrastructure.
Also speaking, the Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, said government and businesses could not effectively upscale without reliable connectivity and secure digital infrastructure.
Adeyanju emphasised the need for sustained investment from both the government and private sector, noting that digital infrastructure is essential to the country’s digital transformation.
“Government cannot effectively digitise without connectivity and secure infrastructure. Businesses cannot scale without digital networks. Innovation, artificial intelligence and the digital economy cannot thrive without reliable infrastructure,” he said.
The remarks highlight the growing importance of local digital infrastructure to Nigeria’s economic transformation, data sovereignty, innovation and the development of a stronger digital economy.
