First, it is essential to state that Akwa Ibom was the
first State in Nigeria to establish and enthrone a State Information (IT)
Policy and created a Science and Technology Office at the Cabinet level –
represented by a Commissioner.
True to type, the State has also become the first to appoint a
full-fledged ICT professional as SSG. Indeed, the ‘first kid on the block’
concept in contemporary development is not new. Chief Obafemi Awolowo applied it
in 1955 when he enthroned ‘Free Education’ in the South-West and Bill Gates of MS
and Steve Jobs of Apple PC applied it to fire and light-up the accelerated
development of global ICT ecosystem.
It was year 2003 – sitting on the dark windows of a
Night Bus to Uyo – I headed into an adventure of the unknown. The mission was
to explore the e-Readiness of Akwa Ibom State ICT development. Oblivious of the
challenges before me, delighting from the bus on arrival on the early morning
the next day, I was welcomed by a refreshing breeze full of rich oxygen
engulfed in a distant voice of ‘Welcome to Uyo’. It was at that moment that I
realized that my mission was to lay a foundation for ICT as the most strategic
imperative for the sustainable development and competitiveness of the State in
the very near future.
Today, that future is here – giving us the privilege
to look back and advance our evaluation as proof of concept for assessing 21st
Century development and growth at the State level. Before we evaluate the
advantages of Akwa Ibom State as one of the very first to establish an IT
Policy, let’s look at the future of ICT e-readiness of Akwa Ibom State in view
of the current state of things.
Based on my assessment of the ICT landscape in
Akwa Ibom 2016-2018, the state will be one of the most advanced ICT Smart-State
in Nigeria and indeed perhaps the first to deploy Robots for Education, Health,
State Security, Essential public service, etc for sustainable development (derived
from her current advantages of small population of 5.4m, enormous resources and
abundant intelligent pioneers with ‘Can-do Sprit’); Readiness for acceleration
of robust ICT infrastructure development, with respect to State-wide Broadband
Internet access, State of the Art Fibre Optics Network for state security and
youth empowerment will unleash monumental innovation beyond basic imagination.
The
State would harness the advantages of Internet of Things and Nano Technologies
as diversification strategy of Akwa Ibom economy from Oil & Gas to
Information Intelligence resources in preparation for Information Society (IS).
Before other States realize the ICT State of Things in
Akwa Ibom, the environment would have propelled the State from the shadows of ‘Smart-City’
to the villa to the metropolis of Smart-States by 2030.
This would be actualized
by intensifying AI and Machine to Machine (M2M) Solutions strategies and
multiply the dividend to her people exponentially. The secret of all these is
hidden on the probability that the State government will promote the
establishment State Innovation development Fund for Software Engineering
Institutes (SDI), Code-accelerator based Education, Innovation Hubs, Critical Local
Data centres, ICT Research Centres, etc – leading to position Akwa Ibom as the
first destination for ICT Skill Resources and solutions to serve the nation and
the ICT-hungry African market.
Today, as we speak, many States in Nigeria are yet to develop State ICT
policy and their ICT development funding mechanisms are at the lowest bottom of
the budget ladder.
Flash back, the same scenario was experienced in 1955, when
Chief Obafemi Awolowo established Free-Eduction in the South West Region of
Nigeria, while others were asleep – making the South West the current leader in
the statistical spread of those who can read, write and educated all through
West Africa and beyond. That is not all, the South West ICT agenda of
empowering many millions of its citizenry with ICT competence of ‘how to code’
will further put the region many miles ahead of the others in the next decades.
That is where Akwa Ibom will stand tall amongst equals in the emerging creative
society. The State has done well in ICT spend and investment over the years.
Moving forward with the deserved appointment of Dr,
Emmanuel Ekuwem - an exceptional IT Professional and renowned Tele
Communications expert as the State Secretary of Government of Akwa Ibom State, the
expectations are that Akwa Ibom State will undoubtedly become the first address
for ICT knowledge advancement, solutions, services and creative dimensions for
the sustainable future.
The current landscape ICT advantage of Akwa-Ibom State
was conceptualised in 2003. This established the State Information Technology
(IT) and Science and Technology (S&T) Policies respectively. These sets of
policy frameworks were aimed at: Creating knowledge and innovation clusters for
strategic and sustainable development of the State. Retooling the workforce in
readiness for e-Government programs designed to meet the basic and central
needs of the State.
Finetuning
leadership and governance operations. Discovering and enthroning new knowledge
resources to serve core business–commercialisation activities. Reposition the State’s ICT brand to engage national
and International entrepreneurial and innovation culture. Engaging knowledge workers and core Stakeholders to relocate
to the State for the real mission of adding sustainable value State development
and prosperity.
In the
beginning, the central goals include but not limited to the following: Transform
Akwa Ibom through ICT. Conceptualize the establishment of Akwa Ibom State’s ICT
Policy and premier Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Park as the
central Hub and strategic platform for transforming and accelerating the
development and advancement of new Knowledge Resources to empower existing
start-ups, small and medium scale businesses and industries. Apply R&D to
understand and master the secrets behind accelerated ICT, future applications and
related Technology development curves in innovation, electronics, advanced
materials business and e-Government development. Develop and built new
Entrepreneurs and Techno-preneurs Culture.
While wishing
Akwa Ibom State well in pursuance of her sustainable ICT mission, there is need
to invigorate and apply design-thinking process to accelerate Youth employment
through ICT knowledge empowerment and the commercialization of innovative State
technologies. Above all, there is need to improve and protect the State’s
Critical ICT Infrastructure, business incubation, knowledge coaching, skills
development, strategic relationship networks and access to capital.
For the
records, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem shared the vision with professional advice at the
founding stage of the State’s IT Policy. Those who were in the line of fire for
actualizing the establishment of the foundation of Akwa Ibom State’s ICT vision
and mission at the critical stage include but now limited to the
followings: Obong. Victor Attah– First
and Former Executive Governor of Akwa Ibom State. Dr. Linus Asuqor First Commissioner for S &T, Chris Uwaje
of Connect Technologies as Lead Consultant, Obong. Effangga, former PS of
S&T. Prof. Ntuen (Department of Human Machine, North Carolina University,
USA, Chief Ebitimi Banigo: Former
Federal Minister for S&T, Prof. Akpan Ekpo , former VC of Uni Uyo,
Yinka Tanimowo, Gbenga Sesan as technical support and others too numerous to
mention. Time for other States to learn ans share from Akwa Ibom’s ICT strategy
and experience.
*Contributed by Chris Uwaje, aka, Oracle of IT industry and former president, Institute of Software Professionals of Nigeria (ISPON).
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