There are strong indications that Nigeria is well situated for another exciting decade of Information and Communications Technology for Development (ICT4D) growth as the telecom subsector contributed estimated 80 per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the last 10 years.
This indication emerged at the Nigerian Telecoms Award at the weekend in Lagos put together by Logica Media Group.
She said the expection is high that by 2021, ICT would impact positively the way Nigerians work and live.
“I believe very strongly that we are well positioned for another exciting 10 years of growth and development in the ICT industry that will positively impact the way Nigerians work and live,” she declared.
She noted that the year 2000 was an indication that another enviable era of telecommunications operations in Nigeria was in the offing, mostly with the launch of the National Telecommunications Policy.
“This laudable direction crystalised into the licensing and establishment of GSM operations in Nigeria in 2001,” she said.
Today, Mrs. Johnson said, Nigeria is celebrated as one of the fastest growing telecoms market in the world with a subscriber base of over 90 million and still counting.
The telecoms sector, she noted, contributed about 80 per cent to the GDP which exceeded the contributions of manufacturing, banking and solid minerals put together.
“All this in 10 years and indeed with these achievements we cannot afford to rest on our laurels,” she charged Nigerians. Stressing that there is still much work to be done as the nation moves herself and the citizens to the technology age.
Nigeria, she pointed out, is slowly making the migration from a voice based telecoms market to one that has embedded data communications and all that it takes to bring about socio-economic development.
Though she regretted that the Information Technology sector of the ICT industry in the country has not experienced the same and size of growth of the telecommunications segment, adding that it is the responsibility of governemnt to put in place the policies and enabling environment that will replicate the phenomenal success that have been seen in telecoms in the information technology sub-sector.
She assured that the creation of the new Ministry of Communication Technology, is an indication that President Goodluck Jonathan recognition of the role that ICT would play in the socio-economic develoopment of Nigeria moving forward, especially to the technology age as a way and manner that delights Nigerians regardless of status, wealth and geographic location.
Remmy NwekeITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
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