The Executive Vice Chairman Nigerian Communications Commission, Professor Umar Danbatta is optimistic that exploring the opportunities in the digital economy has the potentials of eradicating poverty in Nigeria.
According to him, to avert the birth of a new type of poverty (Information Poverty), the ICT gap (digital divide) between the developed and developing nations must be bridged adding that the unequal distribution of access, resources and opportunities in this new economy portends danger.
Danbatta made this remark while speaking on the topic: “Poverty Eradication in Nigeria: Leveraging Opportunities in a Digital Economy” at the 9th Lagos Public Relations Stakeholders’ Conference on Leadership and Poverty Eradication, said further that most developing countries, particularly those with large populations, inadequate infrastructure has made it difficult to participate as equal partners in the worldwide enterprise of knowledge production and dissemination.
He called on Nigerians to explore opportunities in the Digital Economy to eradicate poverty in the country saying that Nigeria like most developing nations is not enjoying the full benefits of the ICT revolution due to inadequate telecommunication infrastructure, capacity to maintain existing infrastructure
Danbatta who represented by the Head of Corporate Communications of the NCC, Mrs Nnena Ukoha, said: “A nation’s development is measured in economic terms such as per capita income, Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and Gross National Product (GNP), among other indices.
“Indices such as level of literacy, social development, human capital development, cultural innovation and technological preparedness are not regarded as a measure of development. If we must tap into the ICT revolution, then it is time for a paradigm shift! The traditional economic terms are not a reflection of the new age of the Digital Economy.“
On efforts made by the Nigerian government, the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) to ensure that telecommunications services are accessible to the widest number of people (and communities) at affordable prices.
He pledged that the Commission would continue to support the vision of the present government to put Nigeria amongst the top twenty in the comity of Nations and to align our developmental goals in keeping with the seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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