Nigeria requires a new national Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Policy to address digital new inclusion and emerging trends in the industry.
The President, Nigeria Computer Society, Prof. Adesola Aderoumu, gave the advice in his welcome address at the 27th National Conference of the society which commended today at the University of Ibadan, Oyo State.
According to him, the new policy should cover ICT infrastructure, broadband Internet, Fibre optic communication and local content prioritization.
Prof. Aderoumu explained that to bridge digital divide, access, affordability and application are three key areas of action require quick attention.
He said, “Access has to do with speed Internet access being available to all members of society such that people who cannot afford the digital technologies can do so for free in public places. Application implies that digital technologies and services are usable by people with varying levels of digital skills and abilities, including people with disabilities. For overall sustainable national development, nobody should be left behind.
NCS is the umbrella body of all IT professionals and organizations in Nigeria, with more than 20,000 members and major interest groups (ISPON, ITAN, ISPAN, WiTSoN, ITSSP, AITP, NITPCS) as well as one hundred thousand Student body- NACOSS.
Aderounmu described the conference as timely because a IT deployment and development in Nigeria continues to grow, experiences and benefits of IT and internet have not been widely spread.
The Conference which starts today will run through Thursday 19th of July, 2018, at International Conference Centre University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria, under the theme “Digital Inclusion: Opportunities, Challenges, and Strategies”.
The conference focuses on important issues related to the theme and sub themes such as: Poverty Eradication and Job Creation in the rural Economy. Other topics are Internet and Broadband for All, e-agriculture, e-health, e-education for inclusion: Software and Local Content. Digital Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women.
The conference has in attendance high profile dignitaries from government, private and educational sectors, as well as from the international and global IT environment are already seated.
Earlier, the Conference Committee Chairman, Mr Jide Awe said the year’s conference focus on how best to apply digital solutions to development and the role expected of professionals and stakeholders to enable transformation through innovation.
He said progress has been made in the area of ICT’s feature as driving force of innovation and efficiency which is behind improvement in productivity, growth, job creation and the opening of new forms of governance and citizen engagement.
However, benefits of digital technologies are not evenly distributed creating concerns due to multidimensional factors.
Mr. Awe explained that exclusion is where many lack access to digital infrastructure and the benefits it offers due to affordability and other issues hence, the need to address the causes.