The Federal Government has launched a consumer credit system aimed at giving Nigerians access to cheap laptops, internet-enabled devices and other digital tools.
The minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani launched the program on Tuesday in Abuja.
The scheme tagged “Credit for Laptops, Internet, Connectivity and Knowledge Digital Devices (CLICKED),” Tijani said was to deepen digital inclusion and expand access to technology across the country.
He praised President Bola Tinubu and the management of the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) for leading the effort and described it as revolutionary.
He believes that creating a resilient credit ecosystem is laying the groundwork for sustainable economic growth, entrepreneurship and digital transformation.
“Affordable credit empowers people and businesses to acquire productive assets, improve their livelihoods and contribute meaningfully to national development,” Tijani said.
He said “CLICKED and other such initiatives are evidence of the government’s commitment to using technology and new financing models to close the digital divide.”
“There is no other way to create that economy than what we are launching today, when the President, Bola Tinubu, said he wants to create a one trillion dollar economy.
Earlier, the Managing Director of CREDICORP, Mr Uzoma Nwagba, had stated that in the first phase of the scheme, 1,000 locally made computers would be distributed to qualified colleagues across the country.
Nwagba said the deployment began in Abuja with 77 beneficiaries, and the balance devices would be given to qualified fellows in other states in later phases.
The move to prioritise locally made gadgets was in line with the government’s goal to support indigenous manufacturing and generate jobs within the technology ecosystem, he said.
“The intervention will not only bridge the digital divide, it will also empower thousands of young Nigerians to access training opportunities, remote work prospects and technology-driven economic activities,” Nwagba added.
The CLICKED initiative is delivered by CREDICORP, in partnership with the Federal Government’s Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme.
The ceremony was highlighted by the symbolic distribution of computers to some beneficiaries by the Minister.
By DP. Okojie
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