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Vice President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Asiwaju Michael Olawale-Cole, has expressed optimism that Nigeria is gradually waking up to Information Communication Technology (ICT).
Olawale-Cole said the number of Nigerians, who are getting aware and responding to ICT was increasing by the day. He made the assertion on the sidelines of the LCCI 2019 Secondary Schools Essay Competition held at the weekend.
The event, which is the 4th in the series since its commencement in 2015, with the theme, “Harnessing the Potential of ICT for Economic Development”, was organised by the chamber to promote knowledge of Nigeria’s economy among youths.
Olawale-Cole said the choice of this year’s theme was aimed at developing the capacity of the average Nigerian child to understand economic issues, awaken intellectual and entrepreneurial instinct inherent in the students and enhance their contribution to the development of the nation.
“For the economy to develop in a faster pace, ICT should be at the front burner; we cannot separate ICT from the growth of the economy. It is a pity that the older generation is expiring; that is why if we can get the younger ones now, our future will be secured in terms of ICT.”
He said having a nation of ICT-conscious people would boost the economy. The LCCI boss, who said the chamber is not just for advocacy, emphasised that the event was part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). As the oldest chamber of commerce in West Africa and Africa, he said it has a duty and task to influence the economy for the better.
In his remarks, an ICT expert, the Managing Director of Kawai Technologies Ltd, Otunba Akinbo Akin-Olugbade, said ICT is the basis of the nation’s future development but lamented that Nigeria was lagging behind. According to him, Nigeria, like most developing countries, is an “information-poor” country.
