BY Emeka Aginam

While listing measures that would help Nigerian IT sector to be part of digital economy, the Nigerian Computer Society, NCS, has said that effective Infrastructure sharing policy holds the key to broadband penetration in the country.

The NCS President, Sir, Demola Aladokomo while taking stock of the sector recently told IT Journalists that government should also improve the operating environment which affects providers and operators on issues such as cost of doing business, power supply, security, public-private sector interaction and multistakeholder involvement in strategy/policy formulation.

In 2013, promotion of software development, youth innovation and entrepreneurship, local content development, ICT-enabled job creation and e-government, he said, should be the highest priority of the government.

Infrastructure sharing policy
According to the NCS President, broadband strategy needed to address last mile connectivity as well as improving access to underserved/unserved communities. An effective infrastructure sharing policy that improves availability and cost, he added holds promise for improving broadband penetration.

“Government should provide leadership in stimulating innovation growth through the deliberate development and promotion of online and mobile services by government agencies. Creative IT infrastructure schemes for students in the educational sector that engender significant growth in local content development and enterprise should be developed. Student PC ownership scheme is a step in the right direction,” he said.

IT innovation venture capital fund
The IT innovation venture capital fund setup by the Ministry of Communication Technology, he said was applauded, noting that access to capital generally in the ICT sector needed to improve by ensuring the financial sector plays its critical role as part of innovation ecosystem required to create the future. “The issues of quality of service and consumer protection are still work in progress. Regulation and improvement of the operating environment are critical” he expalined.

Legislation
According to him, government should be involved in ensuring there is legislation that provides the country with the legal backing and confidence for a knowledge driven society. More needs to be done to put the right legal and regulatory framework that promotes trust and confidence in IT enabled activities in place, he said.

Role of stakeholders
“Stakeholders will play roles determined by their mandate. All stakeholders have a role to play in the ecosystem – industry players, government, investors, SMES, youth, the populace, etc. Essentially while stakeholders have different interests and varying responsibilities, they should all have the common goals of innovation growth and acceleration of IT development in Nigeria.

Professional and advocacy groups in representing the interests of practitioners and stakeholders will raise pertinent issues, organize events, engage in strategic partnerships and develop initiatives that ensure the country leverages on IT to address developmental challenges.

“With members within the social, education, business and technology communities, professional associations such as the NCS will employ the expertise and capacities of members to ensure that IT is effectively deployed to improve security, poverty eradication, employment generation, local content development, research and youth innovation. In this regard, NCS will address the issue of “e-Government and National Security,” during its annual conference holding in July 2013,” he explained.