The 21st century is the digital age, and in order to maintain a strong economy, it is essential that we invest in and utilize Information and Communications Technologies (ICT). ICT can help create jobs, stimulate economic growth, and promote efficiency and effectiveness in both the private and public sectors.

The economy of Benue State is in a tough spot at the moment and requires urgent attention. We have a strategic development plan to embrace ICT to help turn things around when we are voted into office. Other options, such as the use of emerging technologies to address key challenges, especially insecurity, will also be considered.

If properly exploited, the digital/creative economy has the potential to fix our economy and create millions of jobs for our people in a short period of time, which is exactly what our government will focus on in order to transform Benue State into a leading digital economy that provides a high quality of life for our people, as well as create a state where digital innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship are used to create wealth and prosperity.

The plan is to massively train our people in emerging technologies in order to enable them to obtain digital literacy and skills that prepare them for global opportunities.

The government has a role to play in promoting ICT and ensuring that it is used to its fullest potential. One way we can do this is by investing in ICT infrastructure and providing incentives for businesses to adopt ICT.

Providing training and education in ICT can help individuals acquire the skills needed to work in the tech sector or creative industry, which is often a major driver of economic growth. This can include investing in vocational training programs, offering grants or subsidies for higher education in ICT-related fields, and providing ongoing professional development opportunities.

Encouraging the use of ICT in various sectors of the economy can help create jobs and stimulate economic growth. This can include implementing e-commerce platforms, using ICT to streamline supply chains, and adopting ICT-based solutions in healthcare, education, the creative industry, and other sectors.

In addition, we can create policies and regulations that encourage the adoption of the digital and creative economies. The digital economy is built on the foundations of digital innovation and entrepreneurship. The ecosystem that they create stimulates the creation of innovative businesses that drive the digital economy.

It’s important to keep in mind that creating jobs through ICT may require a long-term, multifaceted approach and may require collaboration with a variety of stakeholders, including the government, professionals, the private sector, educational institutions, and the community.

Mission Statement

The mission of His Excellency, Fr. Alia is to transform Benue State into a leading digital economy that provides quality life and a productive digital economy for all citizens, as well as to create a state where digital innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship are used to create wealth and prosperity for our people. The plan is to massively train our people in emerging technologies in order to enable them to obtain digital literacy and skills that prepare them for global opportunities. Our target is to achieve over 80% digital literacy level in Benue State within the next 4 years.

Father Alia

Key Issues

• The present government in Benue State lacks a clear strategy for utilizing the digital economy as a vehicle for wealth creation.
• Complex procedures and technologies are required in the digital economy.
• Experts and skilled individuals are required to build and maintain the platforms. This is not readily available in Benue State, particularly in rural and semi-rural regions, as the digital economy needs strong infrastructure, high-speed internet, and powerful mobile and cellular networks.
• A lack of awareness
• There is currently no comprehensive data on the state of digital literacy in Benue, but official data on technology adoption, financial inclusion, and broadband penetration in Benue and rural areas indicate that digital literacy is low.

Action Plan

There are many ways that information and communications technology (ICT) can be used to help fix our economy and create jobs. Some of our strategic interventions include:

• • Introduce e-governance into all the operations of government ministries, departments, and agencies
  • Create an official website for government interaction with the people
  • Digitalize security systems for optimum intelligence gathering
  • Install CCTV cameras and military drones in sensitive areas of the state for effective surveillance
  • Encourage e-learning in all educational institutions in the state and government libraries
  • Digitalize the use of files and staff records in all ministries, departments, and agencies of government
  • Integrate digital literacy and skill development into the curriculum of schools in Benue State to fulfill the present and future demands of the digital economy.
  • Facilitate the establishment of an ICT village in the state to equip our youth with 1–3 self-sufficiency skills.
  • Explore the digital and creative economies and ensure 75% digital literacy within the next four years
  • Promote the provision of ICT infrastructure in all schools across the state
  • Propose guidelines, frameworks, and regulations to enhance the digital economy in Benue State
  • Establish digital data generation and storage facilities for use in the state
  • Deploy the use of human managers’ technology for head counts in all ministries, departments, and agencies Deploy the appropriate integrated payroll and personnel information system in the state
  • Issuance of electronic ID cards to all classes of state and local government workers
  • Review existing legislation and facilitate, where necessary, the enactment of laws that would enhance the development of the digital technology sector for economic growth in Benue State.
  • Promote a digital society through digital literacy initiatives that focus on strengthening capability.

Our vision is to make Benue State the digital and creative capital of Africa, as well as create an economically viable and self-sustaining state through the digital revolution, youth empowerment, innovation, creativity, and entrepreneurship.

Father Alia

• Facilitate the passage of relevant legislation that protects the security and protection of digital technology infrastructure.
• Create a conducive environment for the interchange of digital services and digital commodities, by helping all sectors and businesses transition to digital business models and marketplaces.
• Encourage and support the digital training of our people especially the youths, and workers, as well as enable them to acquire cutting edge digital skills
• Our adoption of digital revolutions will create a multiplier effects across critical sectors, aiding job creation, better governance, youth empowerment and overall socio-economic development.
• Create a Digital Skills Database to identify the digitally literate indigenes and their levels of competence. This would make it easy to match skills to jobs opportunities.
• Design and execute effective ICT and digital technology sector regulations in a way that promote economic growth.
• Our main goal is to support a widespread digital literacy program, which will be implemented as soon as possible.
• Develop a framework for digital literacy and skill development that will enable learners to earn globally recognized certificates.
• Development of a thriving digital ecosystem in Benue State that fosters innovation by supporting Innovation Driven Enterprises (IDE) and Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs).
• Encourage and empower local governments to support our goal of achieving 80% digital literacy over the next four years.
• Strengthen public confidence and improve trust in the use of digital technologies and participation in the digital economy
• Accelerate the digitalization of government processes and improve service delivery, transparency and accountability
• Attract and expand digital job opportunities in all areas of the economy.
• Encourage and guarantee that indigenous technology enterprises have access to all government-funded technology programs.
• Ensure that digital literacy is made a mandatory requirement for all government workers in Benue State.
• Create a conducive environment for the public/private sector, civic society, and development partners to facilitate the training of millions of Benue citizens.
• Support the establishment of rural coding academies (RCAs) to satisfy the training needs of people who live in rural areas.
• Support ‘catch-them-young’ initiatives to establish an atmosphere that encourages our kids to learn digital skills from an early age.
• Facilitate the training and retooling of teachers and facilitators at all levels, to enable them serve as support trainers in the digital literacy and skills programme
• Review and strengthen cyber-security mechanisms to ensure that our people are always secure online
• We will take deliberate steps to encourage a critical mass development of this sector within the state, particularly in the areas of advertising, arts and crafts, design, fashion, film, video, photography, music, performing arts, publishing, journalism, web development, mobile app development, research and development, software, computer games, electronic publishing, TV and radio, and so on.

Our government will collaborate with the private sector and development partners to invest predominantly in digital, entrepreneurship, vocational, and management training programs, as well as innovative tech-enabled ideas in the “new economy,” with the goal of creating wealth for youths and increasing economic activity in the state.
Father Alia