PNGI Hosts Digital Intelligence Masterclass as Prince Clem Agba Champions Youth-Led Nation-Building
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In a resounding call for Nigeria’s youth to leverage digital skills for national development, Prince Clem Ikanade Agba CON, Immediate Past Minister of State for Budget and National Planning, delivered the keynote address at the Digital Intelligence and Data Leadership Masterclass 2026, held at Jabi Lake Mall, Abuja.
Organised by the Progressive Next Generation Initiative (PNGI), the masterclass, themed “Shaping the Next Generation of Digital Leaders,” attracted young Nigerians eager to acquire skills in content creation, digital marketing, social media strategy, e-commerce, and data analytics.
Addressing a packed auditorium, Prince Agba began by commending the organisers:
“I sincerely thank the Progressive Next Generation Initiative (PNGI) and its partners for organising this programme. The theme, ‘Shaping the Next Generation of Digital Leaders,’ is one I hold close to my heart, and I will explain why.”
Highlighting the economic significance of digital literacy, he stressed that the digital economy is more than an opportunity—it is a necessity for Nigeria’s growing population:
“We have millions of young Nigerians entering the labour market every year, many of whom are highly educated and deeply talented. The traditional economy, as it exists today, simply cannot absorb them all, but the digital economy does not have those same constraints.” 
Prince Agba cited concrete examples of how digital tools remove barriers, saying:
“A young person in Maiduguri can build a YouTube channel that reaches audiences in Lagos, London, and New York; a woman running a small business in Calabar can use Instagram and Facebook to sell products across the country without a physical shop; a data analyst in Kano can work for clients anywhere in the world from a laptop.”
He underlined that the masterclass was not merely about career skills, but nation-building skills, drawing from his personal experience as a former minister:
“Every meaningful decision we made during that period was driven by data and technology. We built a research laboratory that modelled economic scenarios to shape the National Development Plan. We launched Eyemark, a mobile and web application that allowed citizens to monitor Federal Capital Projects from their phones. None of these would have been possible without digital tools and the people who knew how to use them.” 
Prince Agba also addressed the rising impact of artificial intelligence, noting recent global developments:
“Last Friday, an AI company called Anthropic announced a new security tool that can scan millions of lines of computer code, find security weaknesses that human experts have missed for years, and suggest how to fix them. Within hours, some of the biggest cybersecurity companies in the world saw their stock prices crash… The world is not waiting, it is moving, and it is moving fast.”
He painted a vivid picture of AI’s potential to transform governance and public service delivery in Nigeria:
“Imagine a state government that needs to reach five million citizens about a public health campaign or an agricultural programme… Today, AI voice agents can make phone calls in over 32 languages, understand natural conversation, and handle hundreds of calls at the same time. The data from each call can be captured and analysed automatically by other AI agents, then presented to decision-makers in real time.”
Prince Agba concluded with a direct challenge to the participants:
“Do not leave here today and use what you have learned only to grow your follower count. That has its place, but think bigger. Think about how data collection can improve the primary healthcare centre in your local government area. Think about how AI can help smallholder farmers solve their harvest and post-harvest problems. The tools are now available; what matters is the ambition of the people using them.”
The keynote resonated with the theme of youth-led nation-building, with Prince Agba emphasising that the digital revolution is already underway and young Nigerians have the capacity to shape it:
“The digital revolution will not wait for us to be ready. It is already here. I believe the young Nigerians in this room have the capacity to be shapers of this new era, not spectators. Today’s masterclass is a step in that direction.”
PNGI Convener Comrade Jeffery Omoh Ozemegwa praised the attendees and hailed the as inspirational and action-oriented, noting that the programme aims to replicate across all six geopolitical zones, ensuring that Nigeria’s youth are equipped to lead in the digital age.
