Ode, represented at the occasion by the Minister of State in the ministry, Alhaji Dasuki Nakande, noted that Nigeria is on the leading edge of ICT for development (ICT4D) on the continent, based on the result of the strong commitment by the government. This, he said, was inspired by the conviction that ICT4D is pivotal to national economic transformation as well as the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
Nigeria, Odey said, is poised to compete in the global economy in addition to engaging and supporting the evolution of a new world social and economic order. According to him, this could be achieved by taking advantage presented by ICT by leveraging on expansion opportunities within the sector to accelerate development in the country.
He emphasised that given the strategic importance of ICT to the development of the world's economies, especially the new emerging economies such as Nigeria, the government has put in place a framework to ensure dimensional and exponential socio-economic development through an integrated multi-sector ICT development plan.
Odey further said that the federal government has demonstrated commitment to ICT by reviewing and enacting national legislation; the ratification of international agreements and treaties on communications, the creation of enabling environment for foreign direct investment (FDI) in addition to provision of communications infrastructure. He said, in order to underscore government's dedication to sustainable ICT4D, growth objectives for the sector have been entrenched and integrated not just in the administration's seven points agenda, but also the national economic empowerment and development strategy documents.
In addition, Odey said that taking a cursory review of the Nigeria's profile in the communications sector in the last decade confirms the fact that the nation is prepared to take advantage of the boom in the ICT sector to improve upon the lives of the citizens.
"We are striving to improve on past performances in the sector by encouraging wholesome corporate governance based on global best practices to forge and strengthen a competitive ICT environment," he said.
Odey pointed out that Nigeria's leadership in the ICT within the continent, would undoubtedly impact positively on other countries in Africa. He cited an example with the involvement of Globacom in the Republic of Benin as a GSM service provider. "It is our expectation that Nigeria's profile in ICT would increase by leaps and bounds," the minister said.
Meanwhile, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, has ascribed the boom in the Nigeria's telecom space in the last seven years to openness to the market by the agency.
Speaking at the one-day session on Nigeria tagged 'ICT Nigeria', at the 2008 ITU Telecom Africa held in Cairo, Egypt, Ndukwe said Nigeria has become an investment hotspot for Information and Communication Technology (ICT)-related solution providers the world over.
He also said that with the average growth rate annually fixed at six million, Nigerian telecom market has consistently attracted investors and growth in ICT and telecommunications particularly.
According to him, "As at March 2008, Nigeria attained 42 million telephone lines," while estimated 12,000 people engaged as workforce. The growth seen within the last seven years, he emphasised, has transformed less than 600,000 telephones in 1999 to 42 million in the first quarter of 2008. Openness in market approach, he said, has resulted in liberalisation of the industry and cheering growth in the number of investing public that developed interests in the most populous country in Africa in the year 2000. He added that despite all the success stories about Nigerian telecom boom, there is a need to revitalise the infrastructure to aid deployment.
The commission, he said, would remain steadfast in carrying out its duties with good policy implementation guidelines. NCC, he said, would not relent in paying special attention to operators' service monitoring, tariff and consumer protection.
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