Experts in the Information and Communications Technology
(ICT) industry have decried attempts by policy makers to find a lasting
solution to the development challenges facing the country without a significant
role for ICT. In their view, ICT is pivotal to the development of any nation
and as such, any development model without a concrete plan for ICT’s
contribution is doomed to fail. Much of the developed world’s economies are
underpinned by ICT even as it takes the front row in the development agenda of
emerging market economies including the BRICS.
Brazil, Russia, India,
China and South Africa (the BRICS) have built their economic development models
around ICT. The importance of ICT in economic development is evident in the
industrial and technological hubs of Shanghai in China, Bangalore in India, Sao
Polo in Brazil, Johannesburg in South Africa and Moscow in Russia. These
centers are known for their technological advances in the realm of aero, automobile,
computer software and ICT technologies.
Importance of ICT
Over the last few years, ICT industry has grown to be
one of the biggest contributors to economic growth and development. Studies put
ICT spending globally in 2011 at over $1.6trillion while global value of ICT
opportunities is estimated at over $200trillion. “ICT contributes meaningfully
to knowledge management, allowing seamless communication of information and
intelligence for real time production around the world,” says the President of
Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON).
ICT has been the main driver of globalization even as
it made the world smaller; reducing communication costs and time between
hitherto distant places. The birth of the internet spurned new industries even
as it brought to life new media. Information dissemination has not been this
fast prior to the advent of the internet. Indeed, ICT has revolutionized and
shaped most industries/sectors; including defense, education and the financial
services sectors. The defense and financial services sectors of advanced
economies rely heavily on ICT for critical activities and has become a backbone
of these sectors.
Challenges of ICT in
Nigeria
As most developing countries are harnessing ICT for
development, experts say Nigeria is yet to fully engage and leverage on ICT for
national development. They outline several challenges hampering the effective
deployment of ICT for development purpose, some of which include;
legal, regulatory and institutional challenges. Piracy, according to a
commercial lawyer, will continue to take its toll on ICT development in the
country if nothing urgent is done by government. The infringement on
Intellectual Property (IP) rights has prompted the call for a national IP and
innovative knowledge strategy. “We must become a nation of IP creators and
owners to progress” he says. According to him, bridging the digital divide
means finding a niche in the global division of labour and championing a
Nigerian knowledge engagement in the software domain; so that the country will
move up in the value-chain of knowledge development in ICT.
“Software development is the driver of economies
worldwide and will certainly enhance employment generation,” says former
Executive Vice Chairman of Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC). Aside
employment generation, computer developer says development of software will
generate revenue for the country.
Cyber security challenge arising from frequent hacking
of ATM and bank accounts poses significant challenge to ICT development as
potential users of ICT powered devices and services shy away. This has been a
knotty issue for ICT experts in Nigeria over the years. The recent registration
of SIM cards by NCC across the country has given a ray of hope as observers say
the exercise will significantly tackle a frontier of cyber crime.
Though Nigeria has made tremendous progress in
accepting and deploying ICT, it is still a far cry from the potential. With
about 160million people and high computer illiteracy rate, analysts believe
Nigeria can do better if more effort is put into enlightenment campaign and
capacity building. “A lot more can be done to improve ICT through awareness,”
says a software vendor.
On the way forward, observers commend government’s
efforts to promote electronic payments system in the country. More importantly,
they urge the government to intensify effort to provide infrastructure that
would support ICT development such as electricity and also move to check
cybercrime. “There is a growing and active hacking network in the country. We
must move to check them before they outgrow the security apparatus such as the
deadly Ananymous and LuzSec global hacking network,” says a cyber security
expert.