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Enabling Environment for Nigeria Content Development in the ICT Sector (2)
This summary of the enabling environment and government actions to support it reveals the breadth and complexity of factors that analysts and practitioners have identified as important to putting in place the conditions that can enhance productivity and support content development. However, the table also makes clear that government is not the only actor involved in contributing to an enabling environment. As the governance terminology reflects, societal problem-solving, the production of public goods and social capital formation are not the sole purview of government actors.
Factors that Affect Content Development
Businesses thrive when products and services are produced and finished products marketed profitably. This ensures stock movement, as more goods will be produced and hence healthy return on investment. When the volume of sales is large, then more profit could be made, and some of it ploughed back to research. The product of research into indigenous content, affects content development. Thus any factor that limits the production and profitable marketing of finished goods will impact content development not only in ICT industry but also in other industries. Some of these factors are very apparent while some are opaque. I shall try to list some of them here.
a. Inconsistent Policy
b. Lack of Continuity
c. Infrastructure Development
d. Staffing
e. Finance
f. Multiple Taxation
g. Dumping
h. Lack of Transparency in Government
: Nigeria is a largely a government driven economy, so any hiccup in government affects the ICT industry. A case in point is the ongoing tussle over the over the signing into law the 2008 budget. The country is in a state of economic standstill. This negatively affects all sectors of the economy. Also transparency and accountability in all dealings with government reduces the cost of doing business. : Dumping of subsidised and therefore cheap foreign ICT tools impacts the local ICT industry negatively as a level playing field is lacking. : Multiple taxation from all the tiers of government is stifling return on investment and scaring potential investors. The case of MR. BIGGS and Lagos State Government LAASA is a case in point. Collection of advertisement and Signage fees is constitutionally vested on the Local Governments, but LASG Assembly in her wisdom last year passed a new law vesting it on LAASA – presto the fee became convoluted and quadrupled. : Most financial institutions in Nigeria encourage trade financing instead of investing in the productive sector of the economy – hence they tend toward financing LPOs. Manufacturing industries have long gestation period and thus require long term financing which is rarely available. : We are yet to attain e-workforce hence skills of new employees need to be updated as our institutions do not produce products with requisite skills compatible with the knowledge economy. Considerable resource has to be ploughed into equipping them to be functional. : The decay in the infrastructure in the country is mind bugling. We have to sink our own borehole, generate our own power, bear the brunt of impassable roads with the attendant accelerated wear and tear to vehicles, provide our own security, etc. The list is enormous. Under such conditions our products cannot compete in pricing with products from countries where infrastructure is better. : We are all aware of the reversal of some policies of the previous administration. Though we applaud some of them, especially were some of the transactions were done fraudulently in the first place; but a wrong signal has been sent to both local and foreign investors – your investment in this country may not be safe. : A policy an investor considers favourable for particular industry may lead him to raise capital and invest resources into bringing such industry to fruition after a comprehensive feasibility studies. And in Nigeria, this could be expensive as he has to also invest in so many ancillary sectors that are not directly related to the industry. Any policy reversal may put all in the investment in jeopardy. Leading to great loss. Such an investor will need a lot of convincing to ever venture into any project again in the country.
Negative Effects of Such Factors
a. Labour
: No need rehashing that the industry needs skilled force. Educational institutions as presently represented cannot produce the manpower needed in the knowledge economy. So resources are expended to skill these staff.
We at Zinox are contributing our own quota in this direction. Zinox:
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Has entered into partnership with Kansas State University in the US to streamline the curricula of two departments in the University of Lagos in line with what obtains in the knowledge economy. The partnership also involves the updating of lecturers skills so that they positively impact their students.
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Has under the Computerise Nigeria Initiative, provided ICT tools to teachers and lecturers of institutions of learning at subsidised prices and favourable payment terms.
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Under the Computerise Nigeria Initiative, the Zinox-Student Computer Ownership Project (Z-Scope) project was conceived to catch the work force young. Under it students are encouraged to own and use computers by providing them with subsidised ICT tools at favourable payment terms.
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Has also under the Computerise Nigeria Initiative been impacting the already employed workforce with by also extending ownership of ICT tools at subsidised rates and favourable payment terms.
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All these initiatives of Zinox involves much expenditure of resources, but the most saddening thing is that we are not encouraged by people defaulting after the initial deposit.
to be continued
We are also encouraging professional associations like NBA, NMA, ICAN, etc to encourage their members to own ICT systems under the terms explained above.
In a spirited and visionary appeal, the Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa CCIE, has issued a compelling invitation to global investors to explore Nigeria’s burgeoning digital economy, describing it as a land of opportunity powered by a youthful, tech-savvy, and highly innovative population.
The DG made this known when he engaged with global key players in the IT sector, including startups and investors during a GITEX Breakfast meeting at the GITEX Africa 2025 which is currently being held in Marrakech, Morocco.
Speaking ahead of GITEX Nigeria 2025, a major technology and investment conference set to take place from September 1 to 4 in Abuja and Lagos, Inuwa painted a vibrant picture of Nigeria’s digital landscape where according to him, innovation meets opportunity, and where government commitment aligns with grassroots entrepreneurial drive.
“Nigeria is a country with a large, youthful, innovative, creative, and highly competent workforce, where startups and scale-ups can continuously thrive, and where entrepreneurial spirit and technological advancement shape and create the landscape,” he stated.
He emphasised that Nigeria, with over 70% of its population under the age of 25, holds one of the youngest populations globally, positioning it as a talent hub for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The NITDA boss further noted that the government’s vision aims to elevate Nigeria into an emerging global digital economy through comprehensive reforms, infrastructure investment, and an aggressive digital literacy agenda.
“The president is also bullish about building our digital infrastructure and wants to establish our digital sovereignty, providing a platform for our citizens to develop digital offerings that Nigeria can take to the world,” he said.
While outlining initiatives aimed at embedding digital skills across the formal education system and enhancing national digital capabilities, he noted that the nation is not just teaching young people to consume technology but empowering them to create it.
Recognising the importance of digital sovereignty, Inuwa added “We are also promoting cloud adoption because you cannot succeed today with on-prem infrastructure, but you need to be on the cloud, and you need to have agility.”
Underscoring the significance of Nigeria and Africa’s digital native population and boundless talent, Inuwa mentioned that the continent should not just participate in the Fourth Industrial Revolution but should lead.
He disclosed that the GITEX Nigeria conference is set to be a milestone moment with Abuja which is the nation’s policy capital, hosting discussions on investor-friendly reforms and policy frameworks, and Lagos, the home to Africa’s most vibrant startup ecosystem, showcasing the energy, innovation, and investment potentials.
“We have the talent and we have the digital native population and we are nurturing an innovative and entrepreneurial ecosystem because we need to challenge the status quo, we need to use technology to disrupt the way we do things and we need to create a collective intelligence where people work with technology to make lives better and that is the Nigeria we are creating,” he concluded.
In his remark, the sales director of ZOHO, Mr Vijayaragavan Venugopal stated that Zoho has been predominantly focusing on the African market for the last 7 years and has witnessed tremendous growth in the African market, with Nigeria leading at the forefront.
“We are happy that we are going to be there in Nigeria along with GITEX and the event will not only empower the Nigeria market but the whole of Africa and it is going to be an opportunity to gather amongst each other, talk about tech, and grow together in the entire African market,” he said.
While giving her remark, the CEO of Alami Capital, Olu Olufemi White, highlighted the importance of investing in startups that center people in their solutions and challenged traditional investment approaches that ignore the human element.
Expressing her commitment to transforming communities through thoughtful and strategic innovation, she emphasised the need for impactful, innovative, and scalable ventures while however, noting that technology can only thrive with reliable energy and sustainable finance.
Appealing to everyone for active participation at the forthcoming GITEX Nigeria while making reference to the market activity from Google, Cisco, and Flutterwave, White said “You can start to see what happens when you support us. Please don’t wait till we become big and the rest of the world begins to tell our stories, we want you to tell it for us and we want to walk and work hand in hand with you to build the nation of our dreams.”
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reassured investors affected by the collapse of the Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) a digital trading platform that their funds will be recovered, though the process may take time.
Speaking on Channels TV’s Morning Brief on April 16, EFCC spokesperson Dele Oyewale emphasized the agency’s proactive measures in profiling CBEX and alerting Nigerians about potential Ponzi schemes prior to its crash.
Oyewale highlighted the EFCC’s ongoing collaboration with Interpol and international development agencies to bring the perpetrators to justice.
He assured the public that the commission remains committed to safeguarding investors and ensuring accountability.
The EFCC had previously listed 58 Ponzi scheme companies in March, warning Nigerians to exercise caution with unregistered investment platforms.
Despite the challenges, Oyewale reiterated the commission’s dedication to recovering funds and preventing future occurrences.
This development underscores the importance of vigilance and due diligence in financial investments, as the EFCC continues its efforts to protect Nigerians from fraudulent schemes.
National Orientation Agency (NOA) has revealed that an investigation by its Community Orientation and Mobilisation Officers (COMO) uncovered unethical practices by some tertiary institutions, in collaboration with certain banks, that are depriving students of their rightful access to the Federal Government Student Loan Fund.
Paul Odenyi, deputy director of Communications and Media, in a statement Sunday, disclosed that several universities and financial institutions have been found engaging in fraudulent activities that prevent students from receiving the loans allocated to them.
Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, director general, NOA, shared these troubling findings following a high-level meeting with Mr. Akintunde Sawyerr, managing director, Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), over the weekend.
According to NOA, preliminary reports led to an urgent intervention from NELFUND after it was discovered that some university officials had deliberately withheld critical details about student loan disbursements.
Further feedback from NOA confirmed that certain institutions, in collusion with banks, have intentionally delayed payments to approved applicants for dubious financial gain.
Additionally, some universities do not acknowledge the disbursements made by NELFUND to students.
Sawyerr confirmed that certain institutions have withheld information about loan payments issued in students’ names while still demanding tuition fees from them.
He warned that NELFUND is ready to take legal action against institutions found guilty of engaging in fraudulent practices.
He stated, “Recent findings by NELFUND have shown that some institutions have received student loan disbursements directly into their accounts yet neglect to inform the affected students or record the payments in their financial records, leading to unnecessary confusion.
“Withholding critical financial information from students is not only unethical but also a breach of the principles on which NELFUND was founded.
“We are prepared to take legal action against any institution engaged in such deceptive practices.”
The investigation revealed that in some instances, universities continued to demand full tuition payments from students, despite having already received the loan funds intended to cover those fees.
According to the NOA, this constitutes a gross violation of student rights and a betrayal of public trust.
Issa-Onilu, therefore, issued a strong warning to the institutions and collaborating financial institutions, demanding an immediate end to these actions.
He also directed all NOA state directorates to intensify feedback collection from students nationwide to aid the Federal Government in identifying and penalising the erring parties.
The NOA emphasised its commitment to transparency, accountability, and ensuring that students benefit fully from the government’s intervention in education financing.
The statement added that the investigation remains ongoing, and further actions are expected in the coming weeks.
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