Experts advocate new initiatives on ICT growth

Nigeria need to convert her teeming unemployed graduates into locally and internationally employable ICT professionals by providing incentives for them to attend short term hands on skill based training.

This was the view of Mr Samuel Fatiregun, a U.K based Chattered information Technolgy professional and the author of a new book on ICT for the Nigerian market “A practical guide to software Testing,” at the launch of the book in Lagos recently.

Fatiregun contended that at a position of 137 out of 175 countries surveyed on technology growth Nigeria need to wake up from her slumber and promote ICT through multiple initiatives, saying a situation where the country professionals and industry such as banks develop software from India need to be urgently reversed by empowering the youths.

The Head IT RT Briscoe Nigeria plc, Mr Keji Olubuade, who was the Book reviewer also said Nigeria is currently far from becoming a digital nation because the country’s IT policies are not effective.

He said Government needs to redirect our youths on the path of greatness, saying there is no country in world making progress that has not set good IT policies.

He also contends that there should be incentives and others for IT companies. “We are in an era of business datas and a lit of inventions that Nigeria is yet to tap into.  We are missing a lot, our youths have been lost to crime, these are the youths that can propel this nation to greatness, he said.

According to him, revenue that should come into the country to develop infrastructure and other things are being lost to foreigners. “We outsource our jobs to Indians and other foreigners. We need to get our policies right, we need to understand that IT is something we need to get to the promise land”.