The ministerial nominee from Gombe state, Isa Pantami, has said investors are wary of Nigeria because the country’s image has been badly portrayed.
The director-general of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) said this during his screening at the Senate on Friday.
He said if positioned and promoted, the information technology (IT) sector could attract investors who would create hubs, employ Nigerians and reduce the rate of unemployment.
“Our image is worse than the reality,” he said.
Pantami said since he assumed office in 2016 as director-general of NITDA, the agency has saved the country over N16 billion.
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“We have enforced local content policies which have helped in discouraging procurement of foreign IT products except when we cannot produce such goods in Nigeria,” he said.
“We have increased the number of Original Equipment Manufacturers to 265,000 and established IT hubs in 246 institutions across the country.”
On the Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), Pantami said it would perform better if commercialised.
The director-general said if the organisation is privatised, Nigeria’s security would be put in “private institutions hand.”