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ICT will help Nigeria’s GDP growth

In the previous times, the GDP was rated based on the traditional industries’ contributions. However, nowadays, the global connecting index report shows that every 20 per cent increase in the ICT industry leads to over one per cent increase in the GDP. We do see that the Information and Communications Technology domain is globally driving the digital economy. Before now, raising capital was the focus for businesses, because it was critical in value creation. However, today, capital will become of no effect without knowledge. Knowledge fertilises capital for growth. For example, our lives have changed since the advent of mobile Internet. In the past, we walked outside to flank down taxi, but look at what companies like Uber and Jiji are doing. With your smartphone, it is easy to book for a taxi through an app; sell and buy online, thereby saving costs and time. This is the way the digital economy has totally changed our lives. It is a typical example of how the ICT industry changes the whole system in Nigeria. There is the ‘direct project’ that connects the Galaxy Backbone and the data centre for the Federal Government. If we focus on the farmers at the rural areas, we will see they lack access to predictions about the future economy – the kind of period to farm or carry out their functions. With the kind of projects Huawei is collaborating with the government, these challenges are being surmounted. Suffice to say that the ICT has become business enablers for government to become e-government. Now, governments can have the e-platform in rural areas for farmers to have access to the Internet. That means, the ICT tools create more job opportunities, value and enhance lives. Our innovation and experience centre is also a response to the Nigerian government’s call on driving digital economy. Therefore, we are assisting the government and our partners to create that ecosystem to build a better connected Nigeria. It will not be long for the initiatives to begin to yield even more results and grow the GDP.

In education, for example, we saw that many teachers are limited by facilities at their disposal. There is knowledge out there, which they will want to share from others in developed economies, but it has not been easy for them. This is part of the reason we established the innovation and experience centre in Lagos. The digital platform offers users connectivity to technologies and innovations across the globe. This platform also enables the users to have first hand practical knowledge about their field and even exchange their own ideas, thoughts, visions and motivation with the outside world. Looking at some rural areas, the classrooms to be specific, it is not easy for our teachers to have access to sufficient resources. Now, with what Huawei is doing through cloud technology, the company can remotely access the contents. In other words, they can remotely access the e-education, tap into the knowledge, and better equip the students with the latest technology. If you take a flashback to when President Muhammadu Buhari visited China, you will recall that there were 20 students who joined our e-education programme and they shared their experiences with the President. They were excited about the platform, and they told the President that at home it was impossible.

In the health sector, there are issues with the doctors still attending to health matters in the ‘traditional’ way. It has not been easy for them. Thus, we are initiating an e-health programme so that one can remotely access health solutions. Presently, a patient will first visit the hospital, obtain a card and join a very long queue. This can be transformed digitally; leveraging mobile phones to attend to health documents and other matters. The interesting part of the solution we are bringing is that through video chat, you can remotely book an appointment with the doctor and not be there physically. This will increase efficiency and quality, reducing cost of services too. It will enable the government to serve the people more efficiently. Huawei’s major focus is on building a better ecosystem for our clients and mostly, offering quality services to the citizens of Nigeria while working with the government.

The government should not relent on working with Huawei and other partners to understand the principles of digital economy. The government should not discontinue in its quest to understand what is digital transformation, digital economy and the benefits. Another thing is having the policy to encourage partner companies to form an ecosystem, because Huawei cannot do it alone. For example, if there is a policy to encourage more enterprises to embrace the technologies we have, then more private and public organisations will open their doors to more innovations.



Source: http://punchng.com/ict-will-help-nigerias-gdp-growth-li/

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