Lagos – The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI) has told the Federal Government to enact a legislation that would drive the growth of Information Communication Technology in the country.
The President of the LCCI, Mrs Nike Akande, made the appeal at the unveiling of the 2016 ICTEL Expo in Lagos.
The theme of the Expo, which will hold from July 26 to July 28, is: “Mobility, Technology and the Nigerian Economy’’.
Akande said the sector had potential of becoming a major contributor to the nation’s GDP.
According to her, the chamber in its report of industry survey, said the ICT sector should be a major priority of the government in its diversification effort.
“With a large population of young urban people, Nigeria is likely to see accelerated growth of its digital economy.
“As a market with rising mobile penetration and a negligible fixed band structure, Nigeria has the opportunity to leverage mobile technology to improve social and economic outcome.
“This will be achieved across the consumer sector through e-commerce, financial services sector through mobile banking, mobile insurance, social services, education and health care.”
Akande commended government’s ICT road map that proposed the transition to a “Smart Digital Nigeria’’ to foster ICT growth.
“We call on government to work on an effective implementation of the Road Map before 2019 as proposed.”
According to Akande, the chamber seeks to draw attention to available opportunities in mobile technology and how it has impacted on business processes across the globe.
“Mobile technology is making businesses more instant, relevant and smart.
“The platform provides a veritable opportunity for government and private sector operators to meet and articulate policies that will create employment and boost productivity of ICT sector,” she said.
A former President of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, Dr Chris Uwaje, advised government to upgrade to e-governance in its operations.
He said that electronic governance was the way for governments globally to manage information and data across all sectors of the economy.
Mr Abdullahi Bunuyo, Special Adviser to the Minister of Communications said: “I am glad that LCCI has initiated ICT into its policy programme.
“The ministry is ready to work with the chamber. This smart move of Nigeria’s internet penetration will continue until ICT is fully embraced because it changes our way of doing business.” (NAN)