‘Nigeria well positioned for digital economy’

The 4G LTE broadband provider also described the Nigeria’s digital economy as huge, and will impact virtually all segments of the economy. The word, ‘Digital Economy’ was coined by Don Tapscott in 1995 to imply an economy chiefly triggered by digital computing technologies. The Managing Director, Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, Mr. Michiel Buitelaar called on […]

The 4G LTE broadband provider also described the Nigeria’s digital economy as huge, and will impact virtually all segments of the economy.
The word, ‘Digital Economy’ was coined by Don Tapscott in 1995 to imply an economy chiefly triggered by digital computing technologies.
The Managing Director, Smile Communications Nigeria Limited, Mr. Michiel Buitelaar called on the incoming administration of Muhammed Buhari to leverage on potentials of digital economy for national sustainably.
Buitelaar who spoke during a panel discussion at the sixth (6th) Annual Pan-African 1:1 Investor Conference organized by Renaissance Capital in Lagos said unlocking the dividends of digital economy becomes imperative in the face of dwindling oil revenue with increasingly pressure on the economy evident in budgets deficit, infrastructural deficit, high unemployment rate, harsh business environment, corruption, amongst others.
He identified infrastructural advancement as overriding factor for the immediate expansion of sectors such as agriculture, transportation, banking & finance, health-care/medicine, and education.
He said that Smile Commu-nications aligns itself with the key statistics expected for the Nigerian Digital Economy by 2018 as released by the Federal Ministry of Communication Technology, especially for the emergence of an industry that is less fragmented.
According to the country’s target, the industry expects to attain 30 per cent broadband penetration by 2018 from the present less than 10 per cent.
The Smile MD said, “There are various advantages the digital economic providers have over the traditional. However, to make this happen faster, there are catalysts required for it to even drive other sectors outside the ICT. Digital economy will be the driver of the agricultural, transport, health-care/medicine, education, banking & finance, among others. In our company, for instance, we are talking to companies in those sectors and one recently said that ‘the software is eating the world’.”
Specifically on expected broadband impact on digital economy, Buitelaar, extolled the outgoing administration of President Goodluck Jonathan for approving the National Broadband Plan (NBP), expressing confidence in the Buhari government’s compelling posture for firm implementation of the plans.