By Olubunmi Adeniyi
Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative (in picture) says that it is clear that ICT policy implementation in the country is more urgent than ever before and the government must ensure that this should be given higher priority because of its potential for accelerating transformation of the society. Photo credit: Elon University
Lagos. December 20, 2012: Gbenga Sesan, Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative (PIN) has encouraged Nigerian youth to get engaged in the implementation of the National Information and Communication Technology (ICT) policy to accelerate the country’s development process.
Sesan made this statement on Monday at the Review of the Nigerian National ICT Policy event orgainised by Mobile Monday, a global community of mobile industry visionaries, developers, and young entrepreneurs in Lagos.
Stating the importance of the ICT Policy, he said ICT’s potential for political, social and economic transformation cannot be overemphasised, adding that it is very important that the nation claims and captures its space of necessitating more investments in the sector.
According to him, it is clear that ICT policy implementation in the country is more urgent than ever before and the government must ensure that this should be given higher priority because of its potential for accelerating transformation of the society.
Sesan notes that cybercrime is progressively increasing; calling for regulated and guided interventions to ICT related issues.
While reviewing the policy, he lists the provision of the national ICT Policy document to include, local content, broadband deployment, research, outsourcing, capacity building, open data and monitoring and reviewing framework.
In the area of capacity building, Sesan says that the Ministry of Communication Technology has started doing quite a number of things around this by engaging the private and public sector.
On the open data side, the policy has been drafted in such a way that it promotes openness and also encourages hackers to build services and application around such.
He also identifies that the research segment of the Policy requires the academia and the industry to work together adding that this area provides an exciting opportunity for Nigerian youths to fully engage and explore their talents.
Government will need to involve young professionals to assist with research and technical support to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of ICTs in undertaking governance activities in the country, he adds.
On the monitoring and reviewing aspect, he adds that “this is the point where you need to engage actively. If we are ever going to promote innovation in the ICT sector, we need to get involved and engage with the government.”
“How to do you engage? You engage by writing, showing up at government organised events or meetings and being specific about your idea”, he adds.
