‘Digital economy to aid Nigeria’s attainment of MDGs’

FOR Nigeria to realize the objective of Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), it is critical for the economy to be digitalized.

This was the view of the Chairman of the Africa ICT Alliance, (AfICTA), Dr. Jimson Olufuye, while addressing audience at the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS +10), at the United Nation Headquarters, in New York.

Olufuye, who used the occasion to charge world leaders on the need to imbibe the culture of transparency and accountability, digital economy, noted that without those factors, achieving a sustainable development might not materialize.

According to him, there was need to provide infrastructure to the interiors, more sub-national Internet governance forum, imbibing the culture of transparency and accountability, rule of law, enthronement of multi-stakeholder approach for policy development and possible implementation and streamlining of regulatory frameworks across Africa.

Stating that the digital economy is worth more than $4.3 trillion, he noted that there was need to tackle the issue of high roaming charges and interconnection rates among nations.

According to him, in Nigeria alone, ICT contributes more than 10 per cent to the GDP, adding that its power as an enabler is enhancing productivity across other sectors of the economy.

Noting the need to streamline regulatory frameworks across Africa, he said that, “ensuring that we achieve a true information society is a factor of how enriched national economies are.
“Therefore, every thing possible should be done to promote free speech because it is in free speech creativity evolve and innovation which is key for sustainable development thrive”.