NAN-F-8
ICT
By Mike Mbonye
Pretoria(South Africa), Oct. 31, 2016 (NAN) Prof. Olusegun Ojo, a professor in the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, says Nigeria has huge potentials in information technology.
Ojo, the immediate past Executive Dean of the faculty, on Monday told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Pretoria, South Africa, that the sector could create wealth and employment if given necessary encouragement.
“ If the Nigerian political leadership creates a conducive and enabling environment, this can be exploited for wealth and employment generation,’’ he said.
Ojo said that government could use the Elumelu Entrepreneurial Development Initiative as well as similar programmes to fund ICT start-up enterprises.
The don said that developed and developing countries had demonstrated the potentials in ICT for socio-economic development.
Ojo said that the global ICT market was estimated to be $3.8 trillion, with America having 25 per cent share.
This, he said, constituted 7.1 per cent of her Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 11.6 per cent of its private sector employment.
He said emerging economies such as Asia had demonstrated similar trends in exploitation of potentials of ICT.
“ Given its rich and vibrant human resources coupled with entrepreneurial skills, Nigeria cannot be an exception.
“ ICT innovations can be turned into start-up SMEs with non-capital intensive outlay.
“ Indigenous software houses are becoming a common feature of the Nigerian economy,” he said.
Ojo said Nigeria has great potentials to explore developments in ICT and contribute to advances in technology, especially software.
“ Nigerians at home and in the Diaspora are known for ICT innovations, some of which have attracted local and global acclaim,” he said. (NAN)
MEMO/OJO
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(Edited by Mufutau Ojo)