Corruption and poor infrastructure have been highlighted as Nigeria’s most serious socioeconomic development challenges.
Dr Michael Olawale-Cole, President of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) stated this in Lagos on Wednesday at the 2022 ICTEL EXPO with the theme “Ensuring Efficient Digital Infrastructure in Nigeria.”
He stated that the EXPO is giving due attention to digital infrastructure, and that the country will benefit greatly from developing the appropriate digital infrastructure.
He said: “The 2022 ICTEL EXPO is giving deserved focus to Digital Infrastructure because, over the decades, poor infrastructure has been Nigeria’s greatest socioeconomic development challenge, second only to corruption. The most common ones are power, roads, and water.
“We dare say however that, as critical as the listed ones and indeed others not listed are, if Nigeria gets Digital Infrastructure right, the benefits to the nation’s ICT and Telecommunication sectors and on government’s digital economy agenda would be enormous.
“Indeed, the multiplier effects of an effective and efficient digital infrastructure in our country on national development cannot be overemphasized.
This is clearly because virtually everything is now done electronically, thereby making issues like access, internet of things, Right of Way, broadband penetration, policies, regulation, cyber security etc matters of great concern.”
Olawale-Cole emphasized the need to adequately interrogate the present state of Nigeria regarding digital infrastructure, evaluate the challenges and chart the way forward.
“The questions then include: Where are we in Digital Infrastructure? What are the challenges and the way forward? And who does what, and when?
Clearly therefore, the 2022 ICTEL EXPO is providing a great opportunity to influence national discourse on digital infrastructure in Nigeria,” he stated.
The LCCI president recalled that the Federal government inaugurated the National Council on Infrastructure last week, with a plan of doubling Nigeria’s infrastructure stock of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) from the prevailing 35 per cent to about 70 per cent.
However, he noted that, “the issue has always not been with good initiatives, but in their implementation. That remains a big concern to us as a Chamber, hence the desire to make a difference with the 2022 ICTEL EXPO”.
