The ICTEL Expo continued today with discussion sessions focusing on the role of ICT in driving economic growth in the present, as well as the possibilities of an interconnected future for Nigeria’s cities. In two breakout sessions, discussion panels made up of top industry experts and government officials charted a course for the furtherance of economic development in the country in the information age.
In her presentation, Funke Opeke, CEO of Main One, emphasised the importance of connectivity to economic development in today’s world. To illustrate her point, she referred to available statistics which indicate a 1.3% increase in the GDP of developing countries for every 10% growth in broadband coverage. According to Ms Opeke, opportunities for growth lie in electronic banking, e-commerce, distance learning, the creation of service centres and local data. She noted that Nigerians still rely on foreign operators in these niches to provide ICT services for them, but should take it upon themselves to fashion out locally based solutions as an alternative. This point was alluded to by Mr Tayo Ashiru, Main One’s head of marketing, in his contribution. Mr Ashiru, who was also one of the discussants, bewailed Nigeria’s apparent preoccupation with consuming web content and suggested that tackling the developmental challenges of the country would require a shift towards the production of local content and the promotion of local enterprise via this means.
Discussions were, on the whole, centred on long-term themes. The Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Professor Umar Danbatta, spoke about government’s efforts at sustaining information technology’s role in economic growth in Nigeria- a role made all the more conspicuous by the comparatively weak performance of other sectors in recent times. He, as well as other members of the panel, talked about the new doors that could be opened up for young, tech-savvy Nigerians with the evolution of smart cities. Frederick Udoaka, Business Development Director at Rack Centre, acknowledged that there could be downsides to a truly interconnected community, as the concept of the smart city entailed; but he was upbeat about the gains to be made by moving in the direction of greater communication between of individuals and their communities, locations and devices, which modern internet connectivity makes possible.
Some of the other panellists at the ICTEL Expo Hackathon include Ebi Atawordi, General Manager, Uber Nigeria; Dr Bayero Agabi, President of the Transatlantic Media Company; Mr Bernard Ewah, Head, e-Government and IT Infrastructure Security Services, NITDA; and Mrs Florence Seriki, CEO Omatek Computers.
The ICTEL Expo 2016 continues on Thursday with the Social Media Jury and the Event Gala and Award Night, at the Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, Lagos. The event is organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
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