By The desired impact that the ICT sector requires to replace the oil and gas industry as the next revenue earner for the Nigerian economy can only be achieved through policies that are favourable.
Stakeholders in the sector who spoke at the at The Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (Nitra) Quarterly Forum with focus on the theme: “Local Content Development In Nigeria’s ICT Sector: Stimulant For National Economic Recovery”, advocated for the need by the government to provide policies that would enable the sector lead the economy because of its huge opportunities.
Chairman of the event, 2nd Vice President, Association Of Telecommunication Companies Of Nigeria, Mr. Muyiwa Ogungboye, in his remark said that the benefits of liberalising the telecom and ICT sector would not accrue to Nigerian teeming population until the necessary action is taking by the Nigerian government at all levels.
According to him, to reduce or eradicate the continuous unemployment of Nigerian youth (skilled and unskilled) there is an urgent need to reintroduce the indigenisation policy in the form of local contents policy and our government should as a matter of urgency encourage knowledge and the skills (the know-how) transfer.
While urging the Nigerian government to learn from the Ghana as a case study, Ogungboye who is also the Managing Director of eStream Limited, ISP said that government must introduce protective policy for her citizen in terms of employment and investment.
He said: “majority of the developed countries do not pay lip service to the issue of employment of their citizens. As a matter of fact, they make sure that their nationality is considered for any employment opportunity before any other nationality is considered as goes for South Africa.”
He stated that Nigeria as a nation needs to quickly stop the idea of her citizenry not being given the first consideration even in their own land adding that Nigeria should rework her investment and employment policies.
He disclosed that the liberalisation of the sector has attracted some large investments to the country but the country needs to develop the sector by making it less import dependent saying that the Nigeria Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) was created for that purpose and charged with the responsibility of making the ICT and Telecommunication sector less dependent on importation.
In his keynote address, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of SystemSpecs, Mr. John Obaro, the sponsors of the event said that if Nigeria can create an economy that is sole depends on ICT then the country can do without oil and gas.
He however said that for that to happen, the sector needs reliable regulations that can drive the sector to the level where the sector becomes the major revenue earner for the country.
Obaro who was represented by an Executive Director of SystemSpecs, Dr. Emmanuel Eze disclosed that since inception, SystemSpecs has not engaged the services of a foreigner in the management of its businesses stressing that for the sector to grow, services must not be outsourced to foreigners.
Isaiah Erhiawarien
