Digital economy has more potentials than oil and gas -NCS President

Can you explain how ICT can help in sustaining the rebased economy?Well, that can be achieved through a focus on creating digital economy because when you talk of digital economy, it is the Information Technology that comes to play and digital economy means that whatever you can get from IT is the best that can […]

Can you explain how ICT can help in sustaining the rebased economy?
Well, that can be achieved through a focus on creating digital economy because when you talk of digital economy, it is the Information Technology that comes to play and digital economy means that whatever you can get from IT is the best that can happen to your nation. Therefore, there is no way  we can survive as a nation without IT, this why we also feel that INEC and a quite number of government agencies where a major input into whatever they are doing is with computers should work with NSC. The digital economy by the time we are fully into it, the country will have more than the oil regime. Today Indian government and people are moving as a result of that.  
Achieving digital economy may be realisable through accessibility and affordability of internet connectivity which can be achieve through broadband penetration, but is Nigeria on track in terms of policies in deploying high speed internet services in the country?
I represent the NSC in the board of the Nigerian Broadband Council, the Chairman of that council is the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson and we have met several times, we divide ourselves into groups and the plan is for government to make broadband connectivity accessible in Nigeria. By the time the broadband system is looked at from the government perspective it will mean that broadband accessibility will be more affordable because it will not be as expensive as it now so whatever we are having now  because it is when the Nigerian government makes broadband accessibility like that of GSM the experience may be the same. Before now we had NITEL but when government took it up by liberating the market and changed their agenda  and the industry is better for it considering how GSM has allow access to telecommunications services in the country am sure by the time the broadband council rolls out and they are able to implement the plans you will see that you don’t need to carry all sorts of gadgets in surfing the internet because with Wi fi connection all over the country, at the airports, motor park, hospitals, schools and all of that you are connected to the internet. It will be cheaper, more inclusive and more accessible.
Is Nigeria on the right tracks of meeting the targets of the approved national broadband policy?
Yes, we will meet up and it is very affirmative.  One problem we may have though may be because of lack of awareness and one thing we are doing is to also educate Nigerians. Let people be educated about broadband first, once Nigerians are educated, you can be sure it might even go beyond the targets.
What are the programmes or mechanism should be put in place for the advancement of the digital economy?
First, there must be capacity development, human capacity development we must be able to boost required skills need for the digitalization of our economy we must be able to develop our children. Secondly, insecurity problem should be solved totally, thirdly, power problem is also very germane and let us agree with the government that these problems will be solved in a short while. One thing that is very clear is that by the time we are into digital economy right inside everyone apart from being computer literate, every government and private organisation will buy into it clearly. The nation should open its doors wider than what it is now we must be able compete with the outside world particularly the broadband we have just mentioned. Then also our exchange rate should be beefed up and quite a number of things.
The Minister of Communi-cation Technology two years ago introduced a computer acquisition scheme programme for secondary schools in Nigeria and since the launch nothing is heard of it again, what is your advice to the ministry on the state of that project now?
Well, I think am aware of that programme, am also aware that there is collaboration between communication technology ministry and ministry of education and I think my advice to government really on that project is that they should really take off as quickly as possible because there is an urgent need for us to educate our children and it is also part of the capacity building we are talking about here. If is part of human capacity development then the project shouldn’t be kept under the carpet.
FG recently announced a new Director General for the Nigerian Technology Development Agency (NITDA), in person of Peter Jack, what do you think should be the focus of the new DG to correct notion that the agency has been underperforming it s tasks?
Before I give answer to that question, let me first give background information that co-incidentally, NSC is a major stakeholder in NITDA and I represent NSC at NITDA board. I will also give you this information that the board whose programmes must be executed by NITDA’s management headed by the DG is such that I think what we are planning to do differently is that NITDA board tends to consider all what I have mentioned particularly digital economy bring to the door steps of every Nigerian the capacity and capability of this IT ducks, the computer we want to bring it to the knowledge of Nigerians. How can we do that? One, computers must be cheaper; the software aspect of it must be developed, the software policy that was developed before must also be enhanced another aspect that is also key is the fact that you cannot do anything without money because if money is not there you cannot do anything so we are also looking into situation whereby every company in Nigeria pays the one percent NITDA fund because today many companies are not paying and therefore a major aspect that is the board is looking into is to make sure that they make available the needed fund an every company that is suppose to pay must pay and if they don’t pay they will be censured by the government. There is also need to develop the capacity at NITDA, the chairman of the board head a press conference in Abuja and that press conference he did mention that restructuring of NITDA is being considered not sending away all staff but making sure that the staff that are trained and they are in the right areas by making them sharper in order to be able to go a along with the current digital economy procedures all over the world then, we are also looking at the situation whereby NITDA’s presence is felt in all 36 states of the federation zonal offices will be there so for Peter jack is an easy work for him to do because the board has plans we also had meeting sometime ago that a number things were not being done before will be now carried out to strengthen NITDA and am sure he is going to address the press on that.
What is NCS is doing in driving local content in IT sector?
I think what is primary is the fact that there will be need for NITDA local content committee to spring into action. That committee is headed by people who are also in this area but one I will admit is that the industry is not really serious about this local content but give us another one to two months am sure  the story will change because NITDA is also at each of those items and by the grace of God, by the time we come up with our policy too and the implementation am very sure that things will definitely change.