He said the digital economy offers Nigeria an opportunity to diversify.
According to him, the national policy on the digital economy has eight critical pillars, including digital literacy, solid infrastructure, service infrastructure, digital services, and indigenous content.
Pantami, who spoke during a webinar by the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) Digital Economy Policy Commission, said 60 per cent of the world economy will be digitalised by 2022.
Its theme was: Assessing the impact of COVID-19 on the Nigerian digital economy and post-pandemic strategies.
He said the pandemic has necessitated virtual economies and administration, and that it is important to leverage this for the development of the economy.
The Commission’s facilitator, Mr. Bunmi Akinyemiju, Nigeria’s digital space needs to adopt the Triple Helix model of the education sector to deliver a viable digital economy.
He said the model involves regulatory agencies, private and public sectors joining forces.
Noting that COVID-19 has affected the world from a human and economic standpoint, he said the digital economy can help reverse the negative impact on the economy.
According to him, while some businesses have thrived and others suffered, the NESG commission was helping to provide a constant feedback loop.
The webinar featured other experts, Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Prof Umar Danbatta.