Ndukwe Advices S.East Govts. to Embrace ICT

Ernest Ndukwe, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications(NCC) has enjoined various levels of governments in the South-Eastern part of the country to ensure that their citizens are not left out of the ongoing ICT revolution.
Ndukwe who spoke during the South-East Economic Summit organized by Sun Newspapers in Owerri said as the Federal Government is already playing its role, States and Local Governments must take responsibility for ensuring that their citizens have access to this vital tool of modern age.
“I hereby call on governments of the South-East to do whatever is necessary to ensure that the region is not left out in the information of revolution of today,” he echoed.
He told the summit that no one can claim to be educated in today’s world without the knowledge of the computer. “Our leaders must ensure that all schools and colleges, polytechnics and universities are adequately equipped with computers and Internet facilities. This must go by side ensuring that all parts of the states are adequately covered by telephones, Internet and broadband signals and by so doing, our people can be empowered to use their full potentials.”
Elaborating on the need for the various levels of government to partake of the ICT revolution, Ndukwe regretted that the Commission has received reports with regards to some areas of the country where governments at various levels create bottlenecks for the telecom operators in the deployment of ICT facilities - either by imposing arbitrary taxes or obstructing the right of way of the operators.
“Let me therefore enjoin governments of the South-East from State to Local Government and Community levels to assist the operators in achieving a faster roll out, to enable their citizens reap the benefits that accrue from ICTs,” he said.
The NCC boss also took a cursory look at how ICTs can be leveraged upon for the development of the South-East, and indeed all parts of Nigeria; in the areas of education, health care provisioning, businesses, among others.
After analysing the direct relationship between ICTs and modern economic development, he concluded that if it has been widely acknowledged that ICT is a base infrastructure for socio-economic development in the modern society, governments at all levels must of necessity, be seeking to encourage faster deployments of ICTs in their jurisdictions.
Ndukwe advised that ICT infrastructure should be treated as an essential public infrastructure and also protected by the communities and states wherever they are installed.
“To ensure that technology is adequately harnessed and services deepened, the Commission will continue to pay special attention to the key parts of the telecom regulatory framework that facilitates investment and technology innovation.”