School Curriculum Needs Reappraisal-Sonuga

Jinmi Sonuga is manager (Infrastructure Project), Business Unusual Limited. Sonuga’s experience expands to Technical Business Development & Strategy; CTO Executive Support and CTO Executive Business Management all at Vodafone UK.
He also worked as Project Manager, MainOne Cable Company; Production Engineer, Bidmine PLC; Process Improvement, SORTEX LTD; Head of Technical Sales & Program Management, MainOne Cable Company.
He led the Business Unusual team that provided consultancy assistants for the presidential committee on broadband road map for Nigeria.
Sonuga spoke to peter ugwu on a number of issues 

Overview of Business Unusual
Business Unusual is into consultancy and project management practice based in the UK and Nigeria and passionate about delivering value, enhancing performance, and promoting sustainable developments by deploying a practical and hands-on approach to business challenges.
We deliver large scale infrastructure projects. Many consultancies utilise standard methodologies irrespective of the specific business challenge.
At Business Unusual we recognise that every business challenge has a unique element to it which needs to be properly understood so that the appropriate solution is deployed. We focus on executing what is right for your business and not just maintain business as usual.

Business Unusual’s Experience and Services Reach
Our experience and services cut across blue chip organisations to government departments and the SME sector. Our core focus is offering services that provide transformation and penetration of businesses into huge growth markets like Nigeria.
Today, Business Unusual specializes particularly in supporting invested start-ups. Because of our experience we know entrepreneurs are often faced with challenges and risks they may not be aware of so that they are either unable to mitigate the risk, or maximise the opportunity.
In short we help you manage risk and assure success. Sustainable growth and people development is also a key part of our ethos.
We believe that improved performance can only be sustained by developing and adequately equipping resources for the challenges at hand and to come. We do not strive to entrench ourselves but to leave capability within the organisations where we work.

Assessment of Consultancy in Nigeria Telecom Sector
It is challenging but growing at the same time. It is getting better, because individuals and companies are valuing intellectual property now than what we saw in the past, through their ability to bring people into the definition of solutions to challenges companies face.
Especially in Nigeria, we have very peculiar problems even in our peculiar environment, thus, we need help who can help think outside the box.
It is not just about coming up with earthshaking, lovely looking documents; companies must peg discussions on practical and realizable ideas that can lead straight to the implementation stage.

Place of Business Unusual in Developing Nigeria’s Broadband Master Plan
We worked hand in hand with the committee to bring out the excellent product. All hands were on deck, working round the clock, because we tried to make sure the document buys into the ideas of the National ICT Policy and programmes of the ministry of Communications technology and to bring out a document that the operators, the licensees, industry stakeholders and the general public could fall back on.
As the Minister has presented to the stakeholders, the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) and others concerned at the administrative level will take concerted steps to see the dreams and aspirations contained in the document are realized.

Human Capital Development to Drive the Sector, How Can That Be Achieved?
Human capacity development in the industry is still developing still. We have so many deltas through before we can get to the stage we expect our selves to be.
The essence is to first of all recognize the need, plan towards achieving the goals and work strictly in line with the blueprint.
The truth is that until we have Nigeria youths employable and employed to productively contribute to the GDP and the environment, the society and the economy in general, there will never be enough.

How Can Local Content in Telecom Develop Like The Oil And Gas?
Local content is one of the areas that need to be corrected in the industry. Local content in the ICT is not the same as in the oil and gas.
 In the oil and gas sector we refer to Nigerians participating (actively) as skilled workforce in the whole value chain of the oil and gas sector, whether upstream, downstream or drilling of oil.
The policy arose as a result of many qualified Nigerians not giving their places in the determination of how things are management in the sector. 
Thus, to address the apathy, Nigerian government came up with such beautiful document and it is working.
However, with the case of the federal government coming up with broadband policy and other programmes is to empower Nigerians; to develop local need and globally relevant solutions.
The solutions can be for hosting, distribution online via the cloud and other means; meaning not just Nollywood, which is the driver of the Nigerian contents now. But we are looking at software, locally designed, developed and distributed worldwide.
For instance, we can have specific language site such as Hausa for local communities in Kano, who at present we expect to surf the net and read everything in English language.
Of course, the reading value will be low. So, local content in IT can come as a way of educational material peculiar to Nigerian environment. 
In essence, local content in the telecomm industry should focus on helping Nigerians demonstrate material developed by Nigerians for the consumption by the rest of the world.

Disconnect between Entrepreneurs and the Government
There are various channels to reach the government now. The website is there, especially now a single portal has been created to integrate the activities of the government for easier access of information.
The Federal Ministry of Communication Technology has done a fantastic thing by being the first ministry to provide that singular portal for the public to interact with the government.
That is an aspect of local content, because you would want to have direct not more than one degree separation interaction with the government.
It is a sure way to build our civic engagements. It portends that you must not know somebody in the Ministry or somebody who knows somebody before you can get through to those in the helm of affairs, rather you go to the central portal and make your request.
Is it driver’s licence, passport, or other services, from the comfort of one’s home he can get information on that.
So, the local apps developers can follow that platform or approach the incubation centre(s) and pre-incubation hubs and send their requests, they will get to relevant agencies via the Ministry.

Rating the Synergy between Private and Public Sectors in Driving IT Sector
In telecom sector, the synergy is improving. The evidences are there; what we in the private sector have been able to produce and achieve for the country so far shows that there have been tremendous improvement.
Government has also embraced stakeholders’ representation in articulating agenda for the sector; in other words, professional advices, thoughts, criticisms are taken into cognition by the Government in a very interactive and cordial manner.

Infrastructural Deficit and Harsh Operational Environment
I will pick up one issue that everybody is emphasizing on its negative impact on the sector. That has to do with broadband deployment and the unfriendly attitude of some state and Local Governments as regards arbitrary charges in the process of allocation of Right of Way (RoW).
Now, in the broadband document presented recently to the President Goodluck Jonathan, the Ministry and the stakeholders by the Committee, it is obvious we are not trying to harsh the same thing rather the Federal Government said it is trying to resolve issues.
The Federal Ministries of Works and Communication Technology have strategically worked out acceptable rate regime that will govern the process throughout the country. 
And concerned should ensure they participate in removing such bottleneck, because no State or Local Government in Nigeria that would appreciate if it is not covered in the master plan or denied access to the infrastructure.
Government cannot do everything, at the same time the private sector cannot fund everything. In the report, every tier of Government has its assigned roles.
Even the citizens have roles to play; if there is an infrastructure that is faulty or damaged, report it. If you are the one damaging it, stop it! These are kind of things we must come together to tackle.
If Government should build road at a particular area and the residents allow people to damage the road, of course, common sense should tell us that before Government will come back to repair or rehabilitate the road, it has to make sure others have benefited; so, every infrastructure that serve the public should be protected by every member of the public. It is a global responsibility for all Nigeria.
We have to create enabling environment for the sustainability of what we desire. Still on infrastructure, there is a National Integrated Infrastructure Master Plan (NIIM) that is going on right now.
The Ministry of Communication Technology, the Petroleum Ministry, private sectors, et cetera, are giving their input towards having a wholestic approach, so it is all about getting the basics done, not balloted agenda.
I think with that we will get the power working, the road motorable, and broadband will get to everybody.
Why the industry players are emphasizing on getting broadband available everywhere is because of the cost benefit to the country. For instance, it will reduce traffic, hence one can stay at the comfort of his room transact business or go to nearby access centre and get their work done.

Reappraising School Curriculum
It is absolutely important that the curricula are reappraised to reflect the present IT agenda in the country. If we are looking at providing broadband infrastructure in schools, why do we need to build libraries to put physical books?
Unless we want to showcase books of longevities, like archives, historical artifacts, among others, most of the other data should be online.
Therefore, the curriculum should be revised to incorporate modern teaching and learning techniques and also focus on improving the number of ICT professionals we have in the country. Those are the kind of discussions going on at the level of technical working group.





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