AfDB will give whatever Nigeria wants — Official

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB) will continue to respond to the demands of African Governments and its private sector customers, the bank’s Head of ICT Operations, Mr Nicholas Williams, said in Lagos on Thursday.

Williams told our correspondent on the sidelines of a Two-Day Indo-African ICT Expo in Lagos, that Nigeria was an “exciting nation’’ in Africa.

“Nigeria is a very exciting place to be, compared with other countries in Africa.

“The AfDB is, therefore, disposed to giving whatever Nigeria needs.

Whatever Nigeria wants, be it infrastructure development and other projects that would need financing.

“We are usually responsive to the demands of governments and our private
sector customers.

“It is really a common turn for the private sector and the governments to approach us with their proposals and with their ideas, before we see how best to support them,’’ he said.

Williams said that the AfDB’s current area of focus was to raise funds for the development of ICT in Nigeria, as well as in other African countries.

The AfDB official noted that there was currently a growing awareness among young Nigerians of the importance of ICT in every aspect of human endeavour.

“There is already an incredible vibrancy in the use of ICT, particularly in the content and application of ICT among Nigerian youths. There is a real recognition of the value of ICT among them.

“Even the Nigerian Government is also recognising the value of ICT, and it is working at creating the environment for the private sector to be actively engaged in ICT sector development,’’ he said.

Williams also said that it was imperative for the Nigerian Government to embrace e-governance, for easy and smooth discussions between it and the citizenry.

He said that e-governance would facilitate a result-oriented two-way communication system for the governments and their citizens.