By Merit Ibe
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has emphasised the need for government to get digital infrastructure right, which will in turn benefit the nation’s ICT, telecommunication sectors and government’s digital economic agenda would be enormous.
Dr Michael Olawale-Cole, President of the chamber, who made the disclosure at the 2022 ICTEL expo themed: “Ensuring Efficient Digital Infrastructure in Nigeria,” noted that the multiplier effects of an effective and efficient digital infrastructure in our country on national development cannot be overemphasised.
Olawale-Cole eulogised government’s good initiatives, but lamented that implementation was poor, this he said has necessitated the desire to make a difference with the 2022 ICTEL expo.
“As some of us are already aware, the federal government has announced a target of $40 billion private capital investment in digital infrastructure by 2025, besides facilitating about $1 billion in private equity.
“Just last week, the Federal government inaugurated the National Council on Infrastructure, with a plan of doubling Nigeria’s infrastructure stock of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the prevailing 35 per cent to about 70 per cent. The issue has always not been with good initiatives, but in their implementation. That remains a big concern to us as a Chamber, hence the desire to make a difference with the 2022 ICTEL EXPO.
“The 2022 ICTEL EXPO is giving deserved focus to Digital Infrastructure because, over the decades, next to corruption, poor infrastructure is Nigeria’s greatest socio-economic development challenge…”
The ones commonly focused on are Power, Roads, Water. We dare say however that, as critical as the listed ones and indeed others not listed are, if Nigeria gets Digital Infrastructure right, the benefits to the nation’s ICT and Telecommunication sectors and on government’s digital economy agenda would be enormous.
“Indeed, the multiplier effects of an effective and efficient digital infrastructure in our country on national development cannot be overemphasized.
This is clearly because virtually everything is now done electronically, thereby making issues like Access, Internet of Things, Right of Way, Broadband Penetration, Policies, Regulation, Cyber Security etc matters of great concern.
“The questions then include: Where are we in Digital Infrastructure? What are the challenges and the way forward? And who does what, and when?
Clearly therefore, ladies and gentlemen, the 2022 ICTEL EXPO is providing a great opportunity to influence national discourse on digital infrastructure in Nigeria.
“As an advocacy group and a lead promoter of Small and Medium Enterprises, we appreciate the significance of this to business growth and sustainability and we are ready to lend necessary support to the actualization of this.”