African youth and the continent’s future will shape the planet in coming decades, and technology is the key to unlock that potential, said Nigeria’s Vice President Yemi Osinbajo during the Google for Nigeria event in Lagos.

“In Nigeria, we cannot train our nearly 200 million young people by 2045, in classrooms alone,” said Osinbajo, a keynote speaker during the Google rollout of new products that include a WiFi network serving five cities by the end of next year.

Those improvements will bridge gaps in education and the economy that result in inequality and exclusion, create jobs, and deliver a “real chance of better quality of life” for Nigerians, he said.

“Our goal is to create a data-driven digital economy; one that will lead the way not just in Africa, but globally as well,” Osinbajo added. “And I believe strongly that Nigeria is on the right path. We have the people, the talent, we have a government that sees the potential very clearly, and is showing the determination to unlock that potential.”

Nigeria becomes the fifth nation, and the first in Africa, to partner on the Google Station program. It’s meant to address barriers that, according to Google, still keep almost two-thirds of all Africans without access to the Internet.

The hotspots at shopping malls, travel hubs and other public locations are the latest in a series of products and initiatives designed to improve technology education, innovation and access on the African continent.

To learn more, see the Google for Africa link.

Image: Yemi Osinbajo