http://www.thenationonlineng.com/dynamicpage.asp?id=70094

One of the fundamental themes of the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) that held in Tunis, Tunisia, in 2005, was how to get governments particularly in developing economies key into using ICT for national development.

In the last one decade or so, governments whether in developing or advanced economies have sought to use ICT to advance economic growth by bringing ICT tools to different sectors. In several countries, government institutions: agencies, ministries and parastatals are powered by ICT and decisions are taking at the ‘click of a mouse.’

Virtually everything, every sector has become ‘e-enabled.’ ‘eGovernanace’ has become the mantra of linking government with the citizens through an electronic window making participatory governance a more realistic trend in the new evolving economic order. In more advanced countries, ‘electronic voting has become a norm and winning elections is a function of how you can use ICT to reach the masses as well as how you can connect with the people’s aspirations expressed through email and on virtual social platforms such as ‘Facebook.’

But in more concrete terms as it concerns developing countries such as Nigeria, ICT has offered tremendous opportunities for new skill acquisitions, a whole new spectrum of communication platforms whether voice, video or SMS all delivered within landline or mobile pipes.

For thousands of degree and diploma holders in purely academic fields in the Arts and social sciences, there has been a vertical career change in IT through the numerous ICT training institutions that have become the new grooming grounds to cope with the challenge of the new economic order.

Among policy makers, ICT has come to be recognized as a powerful process since the first phase of the WSIS in Geneva in 2003. The theme of the digital divide has become a recurring one for politicians and the new breed of ‘techno socio-economists’ all over the African continent. Closing the digital divide through massive investment in ICT has become a routine statement among politicians and often there are huge capital vote set aside to address this challenge

Like everything else that have been undermined by corruption on the continent, investment in ICT have become a drain pipe through which billions of naira, public moneys, have been stolen by those in government. In Nigeria, almost every state government has initiated different ICT projects. Noble as these projects appear on paper, in practical terms they are no better than white elephants.

Billion naira worth of ICT projects have been executed by state governments to bring connectivity to government ministries, agencies and the likes. Many ICT Resource Centres have been established in the name of IT empowerment and some states have gone further to put computers in classrooms.

But underneath all these, corruption stinks. Contracts are inflated, partially completed or left unexecuted. Today, many states are littered with ICT resource centres that have become white elephants; sad reminders of our current sordid state; cheerless symbols of our how perverted we have become as a nation; the pointer to the gloomy future where we are headed.

In Edo State, there is the story of how the past government of Lucky Igbenedion gave a N127 million contract to a contractor to supply a 1.2 metre communication dish (VSAT) worth no more than N100, 000. Eventually, the horrified government of Professor Osunbor, who has since been removed from office, had to renegotiate the contract to N7 million. The government didn’t want to cancel the contract outright so as not to step on toes. Today, the dish seats inside Benin City as scrap metal. It never worked well for one day.

What happened in Edo State is a metaphor for what is happening everywhere else at state, local and federal levels. The noble objectives of bringing ICT to drive economic development have been perverted. In ICT, politicians and their cohorts have only found a formidable weapon to loot the national treasury.

I had written three years back in Tunis at the WSIS II that Nigeria and many Africa countries are still not serious about driving development with ICT. I do not have very serious reason to alter my standpoint. Nigeria needs to reexamine its ICT vision and look at how advanced democracies and emerging giants such as China and India have been able to leapfrog their economies using ICT. I do not see how it can achieve genuine economic growth using ICT without first attacking corruption. If this fundamental problem is not addressed the efforts of those in civil society attempting to spread ICT diffusion in Nigeria and elsewhere in Africa may come to naught. Corruption does not enable real growth; even in ICT.

How do you think we can enjoy the benefit of ICT especially to tertiary institution?

akuko iduunoba