NCC LAMENTS SLOW ADOPTION OF ICT IN GOVT INSTITUTIONS

    The NCC said that Nigeria’s ICT initiatives must focus on cyber crimes, cyber security, indigenous software development, digital multimedia platforms, amongst others. The slow adoption of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) among government institutions in particular, is worrying the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). As a result, Nigeria, though already plugged into the ICT ecosystem, is yet to harvest fully the dividends of the ICT revolution sweeping across the world. To correct these lapses, the country’s educational curricula must integrate ICT at all levels of education, stressing that the systems and institutions must be brought into compliance by training and re-training of the people. The Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, made this known at the Beacon of ICT Distinguished Lecture/Awards Series in Lagos. Danbatta, represented by the Executive Commissioner, Sunday Dare, noted that while “our youth have fully embraced ICT, our government, institutions both public and private are still in the process of adopting ICT in their operations and activities. Yet, the future lies in ICT. Nigeria must make deliberate policies that will accelerate ICT penetration.” While regretting the technology weaknesses among public institutions, he however disclosed that government has made some commendable strides in adopting ICT in various aspects of its operations. “However, a more systematic and accelerated approach will yield more dividends; create more opportunities and jobs for the economy and our teeming youth,” he stated. According to him, Nigeria is yet to acquire the full dividends of the ICT revolution. “Nigeria, though already plugged into the ICT ecosystem, is yet to harvest fully the dividends of the ICT revolution sweeping across the world.” Danbatta said that ICT had become a one-stop shop for modern tools of development, innovation, employment opportunities and for a smarter world. He said that as the world moved towards the Fifth Generation (5G) revolution and the Internet of Things (IoT), Nigeria must embrace fully the opportunities offered by the ICT. The NCC EVC said that Nigeria’s ICT initiatives must focus on cyber crimes, cyber security, indigenous software development, digital multimedia platforms, amongst others. Convener of BoICT, Ken Nwogbo, said that the lecture aimed at charting the way forward for the ICT sector and put the country on the global ICT map. Nwogbo said that the awards were to reward best practices and recognise outstanding contributions to the growth of the sector. Meanwhile, the Managing Director, Ericsson Nigeria, Rutger Reman, has said that Nigeria has become central to the entire African digital market such that a progress or otherwise recorded in Nigeria would “surely have serious implications on the entire African economy. “To achieve the desired economy digitisation, there is a need for the regulator and operators in the sector to focus on addressing infrastructure issues while adopting latest models of deploying technology in a way to get more people connected.” Reman said, “Ericsson is positioned to help Nigeria fully digitise each of these sectors for efficiency.” He said with Information and Communications Technology being used to manage each of the sectors, “We now have smart transport, smart buildings, smart travel, smart work, smart agriculture and land use, smart services/smart industry and smart grids including smart homes, among others.***prbxselfnetwork***