By Emeka Aginam

Nigeria was ranked low in the 2015 edition of Information and Communication Technology  Development Index, IDI, released recently by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).

Economy

Although the country’s IDI grew from 1.96 per cent in 2010 to 2.61 in 2015, which is still below the five percent global standard, the country was ranked 134th out of 167 countries examined.

This development, according to players in the Nigerian ICT sector has far-reaching implications for a country striving to attain digital economy in the 21st  century global competitiveness.

This is even considering that among all African countries, Nigeria ranked lowest.  Mauritius, which came in second, following closely behind overall first, Korea, ranked highest among African countries. Seychelles was ranked 87th, growing to 4.96 per cent from 3.98 per cent in 2010,  while South Africa was third from the continent, ranking 88th, after moving from 3.65 per cent in 2010 to 4.90 percent in 2015. Tunisia ranked 93rd, rising from 3.62 percent growth in IDI in 2010 to 4.73 percent in 2015.

The latest report by ITU put Morocco at the 99th position. The country moved from 3.55 per cent to 4.47 per cent within the last five years.

Egypt was at the 100th position, growing from 3.48 per cent in 2010 to 4.40 percent. Ghana is next at 109th position. It grew its IDI from 1.98 per cent in 2010 to 3.90 per cent in the last five years.

Other African countries ahead of Nigeria include Algeria at 113th position; Namibia 118th; Kenya 124th; Sudan 126th; Zimbabwe and Lesotho 127th and 128th respectively.

The Republic of Korea was ranked at the top of ITU’s IDI, a composite measurement that ranks the 167 countries according to their level of ICT access, use and skills. Republic of Korea is closely followed by Denmark and Iceland, in second and third place.

According to the report, the IDI top 30 ranking included countries from Europe and high-income nations from other regions including Australia, Bahrain, Barbados, Canada, Hong Kong (China), Japan, Macao (China), New Zealand, Singapore and the United States. Almost all countries surveyed improved their IDI ranking this year.

Following the low ranking for Nigeria, stakeholders in the Nigerian ICT sector have reacted. While many believe that the country can leapfrog from the current stage if broadband policy, infrastructural challenges, among others were resolved, others say that Nigeria at its current state of technology development should not have allowed its ranking dip so abysmally.

Broadband challenges: President of the Nigerian Computer Society, Prof. Sola Aderoumu called for urgent push for comprehensive broadband access all over the country.

Identifying the challenges

“We are calling on the FG to look at the National Broadband Plan, which is the major thing now, identify the challenges and gaps if there are, resolve them and ensure faster implementation. NCS is ready to partner with FG to actualise this”, he explained.

Also speaking, the former Information Technology Association of Nigeria, ITAN, President, Chris Uwaje said that Nigeria’s low ranking in ICT development index showed that the country’s national IT strategy was faulty.

He added that it is not working and will continue to be so until Nigeria actively promotes a Software Technology, backed by legislation .

“We need a national software Policy and legislation now. Also, we must allow IT Professionals to run and implement National IT policy and strategy”, he noted.

For the Chairman of the Africa ICT Alliance, AfICTA, Jimson Olufuye, Nigeria was ranked low principally because it is yet to attain her full potentials in the use of ICTs.