Nigeria’s ICT performance index 2010 and expectations for 2011

How has the Nigerian ICT vision, mission and strategies faired as crafted and enunciated under the National Policy for information Technology Development and the Telecommunications Act 2003? Indeed, a great and challenging question. How have we faired? Answer is Yes and NO! Reason, we should have done better! The decades-long mission and goal has been to find repeatable, predictable processes that improve nation building, national productivity and quality – aimed at creation of abundant wealth. Some try to systematize or formalize the seemingly unruly task of delivering IT development. Others apply traditional project management techniques to deploying IT deliverables. Some to many budget IT out of context and deliver them late or over budget. With large numbers of embedded IT-related projects during the 2010 assessment year, one could have overtly given kudos to the nation. But the bottom-line with hindsight now reveals that, those kudos are for “not meeting their expectations in terms of functionality, cost, or delivery schedule, effective project management”. With ease, ICT Nigeria would have fared better if the political will to drive,enforce and sustain the vision of creating a model whose focal point is anchored on technology process improvement – composed of line practitioners who have varied skills and potential to conquer global competitiveness. Yes, Nigeria ICT profession and industry has done well individually in ICT consumption engineering and marketing! Just like other Domain of our development landscape, we have developed special appetite for conscious consumption for new IT gargets – especially in Telecommunications. Yes, we have continued to run after the “products of technology” but we have abandoned the principles of technology and alienated by the real Technology (Concept and process)! In summary, the ICT industry has done well in further creating awareness through conferences, seminars, and workshop. However, a close study will reveal that majority of those workshops are covertly organised platforms aimed at promoting physical technology and increasing the market shares of ICT products devoid of the real content of technology knowledge. The beneficiaries of these awareness platforms are the misled kids whose future remain uncertain in the ocean of ICT Product Support Certification. No doubt, the ICT market has grown, but users have abandoned the ICT tools and devices after acquisition! Those computers and associated devices remain un-used and therefore does not contribute to national productivity and development. Fueled by this tools usability abandonment is the prone factor of diminishing power supply nation-wide and the failed-maintenance culture at home – leading to infrastructure decay. All the above ICT development meltdown have a common source: the nation is yet to fully understand the future potentials, benefits an consequences of the emerging Cyberspace – inspite of Wikileaks Cyber power and revelations. Four major areas where ICT Nigeria has failed in 2010 and should be focused upon in 2011 are: Software Engineering Development, Retooling the Nigerian Workforce with core ICT skill sets and capability; the National ICT Gateway project and National IT Legislation/Security Framework – all of which are critical to the future IT development process, security and success story. Finally, for 2011. the nation should concentrate on building ICT Innovation and knowledge Clusters with particular reference to Software Development Parks and Information Technology Knowledge Parks.  Also, the Nigerian IT professional and industry must imbibe collaborative and partnership strategies and re-connect with the education institutions. taken from http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/01/nigerias-ict-performance-index-2010-and-expectations-for-2011/