By Emeka Aginam
While other developed countries are actively participating in the internet governance, poor participation of business leaders from Nigeria and the rest of the African continent is worrying stakeholders in the African Information Communication Technology ecosystem.

From left: Dr. Sola Afolabi, Team Leader, Accelerated Trade in West Africa, Dr. Peter Jack, Director, National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA and Dr. Jonson Olufuye and Waudo Signanga, Chairman, Kenyan Computer Society in Abuja at the just concluded African ICT Alliance, (AfICTA) Chief Executive Officer Round Table in partnership with Internet Corporation Assigned Names and Numbers, ICANN. Photo by Emeka Aginam.

This development, according to keen observers if allowed to continue will affect African continent from reaping the benefits of promise of the digital economy.

The Internet Governance Forum, IGF, is a community that facilitates a common understanding of how to maximize Internet opportunities and address risks and challenges that arise.

But despite equal opportunities given to every country, there has been little or no voice by African business leaders in internet governance.

Just recently, African business leaders including thirty Chief Executive Officers from Nigeria had gathered in Abuja at the Chief Executive Officers round table organized by the African ICT Alliance, (AfICTA) in partnership with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) with the theme “Mobilizing African Business Leaders for the future of the Internet” to discuss the future of the internet.

Domain name registration still a virgin market in Nigeria

In his opening speech, Dr. M.O. Afolabi, former Deputy Executive Secretary, ECOWAS Secretariat who chaired the forum said that domain name registration is still a virgin market in Nigeria and the rest of the African countries.

“This is the time for Nigeria to tap into the opportunity. This is a wake up call for the government. We cannot continue to be consumers of IT services but also producers”he said.

Nigeria to be digitally inclusive society by 2020

Outlining proposed strategic plan for the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, 2015 to 2018, the Director General of the agency, Dr. Peter Jack told the gathering that absence of a national IT master plan, connected government framework, e -government strategy and interoperability framework were part of the challenges facing the agency but assured that NITDA would build an inclusive digital society by 2020.

Earlier in his opening speech the Chairman of AfICTA, Dr Jimson Olufuye told the gathering that while mechanisms for funding exist to bring in NGOs, civil society, and even the technical community and academia to participate in events and relationships, no similar opportunity exists for small businesses, due to existing UN rules and other barriers.

Active engagement of business leaders needed

According to Olufuye, “We believe that the active engagement of business, along side other stakeholders, and with governments will contribute to an outcome at the high level event that recognizes that we can, in the years ahead, achieve the vision of an information society for all, and bring forward those from all developing countries to benefit from the promise of ICTS.

The core challenge:

Marilyn Cade, ICT Strategies mCADE LLC while speaking on the state of the internet said that access was still a core challenge for not only the three billion connected, but the next four billion.

According to her, capacity building, affordable devices and resiliency must be solved for digital economy.

Sustainable development goals, she said must be integrated into post 2015 WSIS agenda to advance Information Society and affect role of business as leaders from developing countries.

For Mary Uduma, former President of Nigeria internet Registration Association NIRA, in her contribution said that it was time Nigeria host IGF.

Nigeria needs to get involved in IGF

“We need to get involved in the internet governance otherwise other developed economies will continue to spy us. There is new business in the internet economy”she said.

Market for top-level domains still poor:

Also speaking, the President of Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, Engr. ;Lanre Ajayi said that the market for top-level domains (ngTLD) was still poor.

Stating that technical handicap in the domain name registration should be addressed, he said that there is huge opportunities in the internet that should be tapped.

Also speaking, the Chairman, Computer Society of Kenya told the gathering that business cannot survive in the internet that is not open.

According to him, ICANN should be private sector led, noting that there was need for security in the internet.

Recommendations:

The forum while bidding for Nigeria to host the 2018 edition of Internet Government Forum in the communiqué after the conference believed that Nigeria and the rest of the African countries have the chance to steer its course and to get the policies right.

Acknowledging the roles played by stakeholders in promoting the Internet and ICT for development in the country, the participants were concerned at the enormous untapped business potential in the internet sphere.With the continuing efforts of government, international organisations and other stakeholders to develop enabling environment for the Internet and ICT for development, the forum also recognised the responsibility of states to respect, protect and fulfil cyber safety.