ICT is solution to unemployment – Zinox boss

On September 7, 2011 · In Technology

By Prince Osuagwu

The chairman of Zinox Technologies Limited, Leo Stan Ekeh, has called on the economic team set up by the President Jonathan to invest heavily in Information and Communications Technology as a means of generating digital activities that would drastically reduce the number of unemployed youths.

Ekeh who was a guest of the Lagos Business School last week, spoke as a panelist at the Nigeria-India partnership forum tagged Unlocking Opportunities for Entrepreneurs.

He expressed support for the Federal Government’s resolve to tackle youth unemployment but cautioned against tackling the problem through the conventional methods of stimulus and empowerment based on cash injections.

The Zinox Chairman said that the Government should concentrate on providing subsidized internet access all over the country, saying that the internet access would in turn, create tremendous networking opportunities and lead to digital activities that would generate employment and income.

He directed the country’s attention to India where an emphasis on ICT has turned the economy into the outsourcing capital of the world.

Ekeh also highlighted that today’s global youth restiveness demands that nations must invent ICT based approaches to engage the youth and gain the stability required for development.

He advised the Okonjo Iweala led economic team to begin the process of engaging ICT professionals in Nigeria immediately if the desire to make youth employment the arrow head of the policy is to be achieved.

Commenting on the Nigeria India partnership, Ekeh advised Nigeria to learn how India has managed its multi-ethnic and multi-religious backgrounds, and the work ethics that has produced the Indian pre-eminence.

He said that once these cultures were enshrined in the consciousness of Nigerians, success was just around the corner, because India and Nigeria share many things in common.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/09/ict-is-solution-to-unemployment-zinox-boss/#disqus_thread

The Zinox Chairman said that
the Government should
concentrate on providing
subsidized internet access all
over the country, saying that
the internet access would in turn, create tremendous
networking opportunities and
lead to digital activities that
would generate employment
and income.

Subsidizing hard ware and cost of training too would go a long way.