West Africa needs to harmonise ICT policies – Zinox boss

Chairman, Zinox Technologies Group, Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh has re-echoed the need to harmonise the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policies in the West Africa sub-region.

Dr. Ekeh who spoke at the recently ended West African ICT (WAFICT 2010) Congress in Lagos, was represented by the Managing Director, Zinox Computers, Mr. Emomine Mukoro, noted that there is a need for harmonisation of the operating and policy environment of West African countries if the sub-region is ever going to make more progress.

This, he said, would help remove the various bottlenecks that continue to impede the actual development of ICT in these countries.

He predicted that West Africa may require another 500 years to reach where countries of Europe and America are presently, mostly if they refuse to harmonise industry-based policies.

“This paradigm shift in both regulatory and investment climates should not be cosmetic but be backed by genuine intentions,” he said.

Equally speaking, the General Manager, Customer Care of MTN Nigeria Mr. Akin
Braithwaite, pointed out that on the need to appropriately educate consumers by operators and businesses in the ICT sector.

Dwelling on Business Growth as Corollary of the Chemistry of Customer Care, he said the customer must be educated to retain his or her total loyalty.

Braithwaite insisted that the customer must not be perceived as just as a common peach when one does not need care or attention or the misconception in most organisations where the customer care unit is seen as a cost centre unit that must be treated with levity.

In his part, President, Nigerian Internet Group (NIG), Mr. Lanre Ajayi, identified the enormous work that still needs to be done by Nigerian companies especially in the area of data, in spite of the large number of voice subscribers.

According to him, despite this aspect of success, African Internet penetration has remained behind and suggested an urgent step to remedy this situation.

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