Nigeria Prepares For The Digital Age
Advancements in technology are changing global business and social interactions. JONAH IBOMA examines recent steps taken by Nigeria to meet these global trends.
In 2003 and 2005, the United Nations, realising the increasing role that Information and Communications Technology played globally, organised the World Summit of Information Society in Switzerland and Tunisia.
The summit, held under the auspices the International Telecommunications Union, sought to establish the position of various countries in the world in the adoption of digital tools in their economic and social endeavours and also prescribed solutions to bridging the digital divide between them.
A number of initiatives were started to increase teledensity, Internet access and the ability of nations to deliver reliable ICT services. The Digital Solidarity Fund, a scheme created to help countries with very little access to ICTs, was created at the end of the summit. Also, the global trade body of firms dealing in GSM technology started the Emerging Markets Handset scheme, which initially delivered the sub-$50 handset and has since gone on to deliver sub-$40 handsets as well.
A number of other initiatives, some private and others national and regional, have come on stream since the summit was concluded. One was the International Telecommunications Union’s Plenipotentiary conference held in Turkey in December 2006.
One of the conclusions reached by African delegates at the conference, which is the highest level meeting for decision-making in the ITU, was that current television transmission services based on analogue technology, should be phased out by 2020. According to the agreement, broadcasting using Ultra High Frequency should be phased out by 2015 while that of Very High Frequency should be done away with by 2020.
Also, the increasing convergence of telecommunications and broadcasting led to debate on whether the ITU should retain its name or whether it should be changed to accommodate Information Technology.
Following this meeting, Nigeria’s Ministry of Information and Communications recently called stakeholders together for deliberations on the issues, mandating attendees to come up with ways that the country could meet global expectations.
At the end of discussions, stakeholders agreed that Nigeria needed to review both the national IT and telecoms policies in order to keep abreast of global trends and meet national aspirations.
Two principal reasons identified for the conclusion at a three-day workshop that ended in Kaduna on Saturday, were that current policies on the sectors had been operational for a long time and that some of the targets set at their beginning had not been met.
In calling for the review of the telecoms policy, the Director, Licensing, Nigerian Communications Commission, Mrs. Mary Uduma, noted that sticking to outdated methods would not help the country, adding that Nigeria needed to quickly flow with global developments.
Also, the Director, Technical Services, National Information Technology Development Agency, Dr. Ashiru Daura, noted that in order to meet Nigeria’s IT objectives, a number of things were imperative. These, he said, included a strong and refocused NITDA, an enabling environment of regulatory policies, legislation, standardisation, critical mass of IT professionals, total public sector support as well as a vibrant and motivated private sector with access to national and international markets.
Stakeholders also concluded that the Ministry of Information and Communications should develop initiatives that would encourage more young people to acquire ICT skills such as web design and the creation of local content.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of the Digital Bridge Institute, Dr. Olasupo Ogunfemi, this was one way of rapidly creating wealth among the youths and popularising the Nigerian domain name.
According to him, if the youths are well trained, they could easily be engaged by various ministries on full or part time basis to help update their websites regularly.
It was also stated that the rural telephony programme being promoted by the Ministry of Communications, should be targeted at unserved and underserved areas and should exploit to the fullest, the possibility of using solar and other alternative sources of energy for its power solutions.
Another issue raised was that of regulation of the IT and telecoms sectors under the age of technology convergence. Both NITDA and the NCC were open to the idea that some form of collaboration and coordination was necessary for better performance in the country.
An important conslusion of the event was that in consonance with good governance, the government should avoid impromptu projects that are in conflict with the overall vision and plans for the ICT sector in Nigeria.
Also, in the light of the need to increase the safety of lives and property, it was recommended that the government should take steps to establish a Coast Radio Station to meet the global objectives of global maritime distress and safety system for the safety of life at sea in the maritime industry.
In 2003 and 2005, the United Nations, realising the increasing role that Information and Communications Technology played globally, organised the World Summit of Information Society in Switzerland and Tunisia.
The summit, held under the auspices the International Telecommunications Union, sought to establish the position of various countries in the world in the adoption of digital tools in their economic and social endeavours and also prescribed solutions to bridging the digital divide between them.
A number of initiatives were started to increase teledensity, Internet access and the ability of nations to deliver reliable ICT services. The Digital Solidarity Fund, a scheme created to help countries with very little access to ICTs, was created at the end of the summit. Also, the global trade body of firms dealing in GSM technology started the Emerging Markets Handset scheme, which initially delivered the sub-$50 handset and has since gone on to deliver sub-$40 handsets as well.
A number of other initiatives, some private and others national and regional, have come on stream since the summit was concluded. One was the International Telecommunications Union’s Plenipotentiary conference held in Turkey in December 2006.
One of the conclusions reached by African delegates at the conference, which is the highest level meeting for decision-making in the ITU, was that current television transmission services based on analogue technology, should be phased out by 2020. According to the agreement, broadcasting using Ultra High Frequency should be phased out by 2015 while that of Very High Frequency should be done away with by 2020.
Also, the increasing convergence of telecommunications and broadcasting led to debate on whether the ITU should retain its name or whether it should be changed to accommodate Information Technology.
Following this meeting, Nigeria’s Ministry of Information and Communications recently called stakeholders together for deliberations on the issues, mandating attendees to come up with ways that the country could meet global expectations.
At the end of discussions, stakeholders agreed that Nigeria needed to review both the national IT and telecoms policies in order to keep abreast of global trends and meet national aspirations.
Two principal reasons identified for the conclusion at a three-day workshop that ended in Kaduna on Saturday, were that current policies on the sectors had been operational for a long time and that some of the targets set at their beginning had not been met.
In calling for the review of the telecoms policy, the Director, Licensing, Nigerian Communications Commission, Mrs. Mary Uduma, noted that sticking to outdated methods would not help the country, adding that Nigeria needed to quickly flow with global developments.
Also, the Director, Technical Services, National Information Technology Development Agency, Dr. Ashiru Daura, noted that in order to meet Nigeria’s IT objectives, a number of things were imperative. These, he said, included a strong and refocused NITDA, an enabling environment of regulatory policies, legislation, standardisation, critical mass of IT professionals, total public sector support as well as a vibrant and motivated private sector with access to national and international markets.
Stakeholders also concluded that the Ministry of Information and Communications should develop initiatives that would encourage more young people to acquire ICT skills such as web design and the creation of local content.
According to the Chief Executive Officer of the Digital Bridge Institute, Dr. Olasupo Ogunfemi, this was one way of rapidly creating wealth among the youths and popularising the Nigerian domain name.
According to him, if the youths are well trained, they could easily be engaged by various ministries on full or part time basis to help update their websites regularly.
It was also stated that the rural telephony programme being promoted by the Ministry of Communications, should be targeted at unserved and underserved areas and should exploit to the fullest, the possibility of using solar and other alternative sources of energy for its power solutions.
Another issue raised was that of regulation of the IT and telecoms sectors under the age of technology convergence. Both NITDA and the NCC were open to the idea that some form of collaboration and coordination was necessary for better performance in the country.
An important conslusion of the event was that in consonance with good governance, the government should avoid impromptu projects that are in conflict with the overall vision and plans for the ICT sector in Nigeria.
Also, in the light of the need to increase the safety of lives and property, it was recommended that the government should take steps to establish a Coast Radio Station to meet the global objectives of global maritime distress and safety system for the safety of life at sea in the maritime industry.
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