Topic: I took a proposal to my State Governor to accept Bitcoin Technology (Read 1181 times)

Niger State where I come from, one of Nigeria's nineteen northern states and known for its vast landmass, is not isolated from the challenges facing the region.

According to statistics, the unemployment rate in Nigeria is on the rise as shown in the statistical diagram below. The northern part of Nigeria also contribute to the rate of unemployment and a significant lack of skills among young people.

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Following the 2023 general elections, Niger State formed a new government with a clear agenda and manifesto to promote and support technology hubs across the state. This commitment was later extended to encompass the financial technology (Fintech) sector.

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Since I joined this forum, I have been encouraged to take the knowledge I have gathered over here and in life to my people especially to my younger ones back home having recognized the global adoption of Bitcoin technology, I took the initiative to propose to the state Governor the introduction of Bitcoin technology into our secondary school system as a core entrepreneurship subject.

By introducing Bitcoin technology, it will benefit our students in so many ways. Firstly, it will equips them with essential skills for the future. In an increasingly digital world, understanding cryptocurrencies and blockchain technology is becoming crucial. If the government can implement my initiative of providing this knowledge at the secondary school level, we will empower our students to be more competitive and prepared for the evolving market.

Submission of Proposal Letter and My Visit to the Governor's Office

On September 12, 2023, at around 11 AM, I submitted my letter of proposal to the Governor and with the help of the Chief of Staff and through our cordial relationship, we were invited to meet with the Governor on September 13, 2023.

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The images above shows the written proposed letter, when it was submitted and the final acknowledge copy.


The Governor's Commendation

Yesterday being the September 13, 2023, I had the privilege of meeting with the Governor himself. During my meeting with His Excellency, the Governor expressed keen interest in my innovative idea and commended my efforts. He called it a laudable effort that will bring about a monumental technological advancement to the state.

He assured me that he would consider my proposal and pledged to include technological advancements like this in his future policies. As a sign of his support and encouragement, the Governor extended an executive handshake.

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Taking Executive handshake with my State Governor

My plan on how to make this a reality should the governor gives a call back for implementation

1. We would organize a retreat with the relevant government and non governmental stakeholders

Aim: To enlighten the governor and other stakeholders on the fundamental knowledge they need to know about the Bitcoin technology.

Process: We will invite Bitcoin experts within and outside the state to attend this retreat programme as panelists as we pick and discuss the relevant topics.

2. Upon the success of the retreat programme, we will organize a Train-the-Trainer bootcamp programme.

Aim: From the independent research  I've been able to gather that there are about 500 secondary schools in Niger state. To get at least 2 teachers per school trained on how the Bitcoin technology operate wherein the secondary school teachers captured to carry out the trade subject across various schools will be trained on the basic knowledge of the Bitcoin technology. This is similar to the CISCO Networking Academy Program implemented in various unity schools.

Process: Invite resource persons to the state to train the trainers who are in turn the teachers that will go into the classes.

These are the plans i have mapped out should the governor gives a call back for implementation. I am open to more suggestions on this forum to commiserates my ideas in actualizing this.

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In conclusion, my proposal to integrate Bitcoin technology into secondary school education in Niger State has received a positive response from the state government.

I am optimistic that this initiative will not only provide valuable skills to our youth but also contribute to the broader goal of promoting technology and entrepreneurship in our region. As I eagerly await further developments, I remain committed to working towards a brighter and more technologically advanced future for my state and my country at large.

Indeed ops have gained a lot of commendations for this sigler actions,  and many of us have been waiting for the next up dates from the ops to know what the current developments are and how we as a community can engage in this discussions professionally,  I know this thread is going to turn into a big discussions just like what we have with the El Salvador Bitcoin adoption thread also in this board.

Since this have to do with government and bitcoin adoption,  the topic have gone beyond just a discussion but have transformed into something bigger,  with soon-to-be more documents to support the claims,  I hope the ops get back to this thread soon with new updates on this development.

To be completely honest, the action performed by Op is outstanding. Is there any new information regarding the action OP took at this time? Is there anything constructive the OP can think of to put his suggestion about the Bitcoin or cryptocurrency market he is currently a part of into practice?

Is there a set day or month when it will be implemented for the citizens of the OP's nation? Because of the good growth in adoption of Bitcoin and cryptocurrencies that will occur if that is implemented.

Wow that's great op. That's a big job and it's very admirable to do that. The topic of Bitcoin has now spread worldwide and many people are optimistic about Bitcoin. And Bitcoin has become a much easier payment medium for the youth. Because various restrictions, limitations, liabilities in the banking sector are becoming a major reason for youths to become more focused on Bitcoin. So the work you have done is really appreciable.

Nice job, OP!

This will help high school students learn about blockchain, which is great. But the teacher/trainer should also talk to them about the dangers of investing in Bitcoin because they're just starting their journey to college.
I once tried to convince a store owner to accept Bitcoin as payment, but they ignored me. After that, I didn't try that again.

The restriction in the use of Bitcoin and other digital assets in Nigeria was effective under the past administration headed by Mohammadu Buhari. It was under his directive that they froze the accounts of a lot of crypto-based companies and fintech start-ups. Conversely, this new administration that took over government this year have shown willingness to allow digital assets to thrive. I captured one of their directives in this thread where the central bank have directed all banks to lift the restrictions placed on companies and individuals involved in cryptocurrency business.

So far, there have been a surge in Bitcoin awareness in Nigeria as Nigeria have remained at the top in countries with highest search of the phrases ‘cryptocurrency’, ‘invest in crypto’ and ‘buy crypto’ according to this article published by Coingecko

Great initiative brother. I want to acknowledge your creativity and boldness. I want to suggest that you consult an educational curriculum expert to design the learning experience for the student. And it should be simple to understand.

Introducing these employed youths to Bitcoin will not reduce unemployment because it might not give a them steady income. The best option will be to teach these youths skills that will help them get jobs. Bitcoin can now come in when they have saved money to invest. But no knowledge is a waste,  therefore I commend your effort.  

But you have to prepare to face some problems. This may include regulatory problems since banks are restricted from dealing with bitcoin in Nigeria. The central government might see this move as an attack on their stance on Bitcoin. Politicians are corrupt, so expect the governor's aides to ask for kickbacks before you can get the needed sponsorship or assistance. Most students might not have access to Android phones or computers to do the practical aspect of Bitcoin education.

We will keep pushing until our nation becomes Bitcoin-friendly.

What is most important is even more important than a state-wide adoption, in some regions around the world, even though Bitcoin is not publicly adopted by the government but the citizens of such countries still engage in Bitcoin and take advantage of its numerous advantages.

Very interesting stuff op. I applaud your effort to try and help improve BTC adoption to some extent even though I have no clue about the Nigerian government's stance related to BTC and cryptocurrencies in general.

This one post in this forum sheds some positive light on your country which is mostly recognised for negativity(Scammers etc).

Same here. It was really surprising that some regular individual had a courage to propose something which are deemed to be illegal. Let's only hope that the request of the OP will be approved. For sure many people are then going to be proud of him. We can't just expect things like this to happen but if we really wanted to, we can also follow the footsteps of the OP. The government, or their officials can still think and talk about it and maybe approve it but it could take time. If in case Bitcoin is already fully legal on our country, there might still be people who are skeptical, or don't know about it. We can also encourage them here.

You built your case up so well and presented the analysis that it seems almost difficult for the Governor of your province to ignore you. I like the points that you raised in your proposal particularly the issue of unemployment. Bitcoin means free and the government has to see it too. We already know that public awareness towards bitcoin is growing and you have played your role in the spread of it. I would be happy to get an update on this. You can send me a PM if you will be unable to share it with the community for whatever the reason may be.

That's crazy AF.
Here, we all just keep murmuring about adoption and all and you guys are actually doing something in order to not just let BTC be adopted in the place alone, but also be taught to the students so that they understand the technology and divert their time and energy into crypto as well in order to wide-handedly welcome this industry and take their economy to the next level. Hats off to you buddy for what you did (and are still doing) and kept BTC ahead of everything. 🙏

Your concerns are valid mate. However, every government has its own policy directions which will either align or go in contrast with the past government. I'm optimistic that this new government will reverse their policies to accommodate the Bitcoin technology because this is a world-class idea that's evolving across the league of nations. It will take this government few critical thinking to readopt the Bitcoin technology. I also trust that there are team of young and modern technocrats that form this government from the executives, legislatives and the judiciary.

If the state Governor is 49 he is a young man who already the importance of bitcoin, this was the reason it was possible for op to have  access to the governor to summit the proposal. I so fancy the step op took to take this proposal to the desk of the state Governor.

 

A child in Secondary school is more than qualified to have some information about bitcoins. It can really help them to make decisions earlier. If the state has a young governor who understands the benefits that the knowledge of bitcoins and cryptocurrency will have on the children of the state will not delay in accepting this proposal to have it introduced to secondary school students. I really like it. When I joined this forum, I was inspired to make promotional stickers for bitcoin, it helped a lot of people, this your initiative and plan will help a lot more people and a good thing is that it is from an early age.

When a man follows the righteous path, he gets a future and for him the law and government of the country are always by his side. A man always follows the righteous path.  He will always get everyone's support and I am very happy to see it, I salute him.