News
2011: ICT4D Plan Missing as Politicians Chase Shadows
Election fever is sweeping across the country but presidential aspirants are not talking about how to use information and communications technology (ICT) to underpin Nigeria’s regeneration, proffering instead to focus on the same political gimmicks that now sound like broken records, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can now reveal.
Worried ICT professionals described the situation as scary, urging greater focus by the aspirants on ICT to hasten the rebuilding of the country’s economy hobbled by years of mismanagement and neglect.
But politicians seemingly unconcerned have continued to marshal out their governance agenda and leadership qualities and occasionally slinging mud at rivals.
Though all the aspirants anchored their campaigns so far on promises to fight corruption, job creation, improvement on security of lives and properties and the overall improvement in standard of living, none however has said how these would be achieved.
Titi Omo-Ettu, president, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (Atcon) said that the body will task all presidential aspirants for the 2011 general elections on their plans and agenda for Information Communication Technology in Nigeria.
Omo-Ottu noted that the ICT sector can not be ignored because it offers huge businesses, waiting for Nigerian IT professionals to leverage on. He said that his body will invite the presidential candidates of all political parties for the 2011 elections to address its members on plans they have for ICT.
Welcoming the development, Benson Akuche, ICT and investment expert based in the United States of America said “the aspirants have all got off on the wrong foot. At this stage, there is no mention of specific issues. They should be talking in clear terms how they intend to deliver good governance”.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that lack of attention on details can wreck some of the aspirants’ political campaigns particularly now that Nigerians are tired of their oratory and undelivered promises in the past.
Frank Durumba, a direct marketing consultant said that most of the aspirants have launched high tech campaign strategies to woo voters and sell their candidatures but have not said a word about how to tackle the menace of internet scams that have earned the country notoriety as a fraud haven.
“From day one, the aspirants should have been talking cyber policing, fighting online crime and child protection online and so on,” Durumba said.
Also the issue of the licensing process of 2.3 GHz spectrum band that was expected to boost the telecommunications sector has remained unresolved since 2009 and so far, the aspirants have not talked about it.
“I expect to be hearing how an aspirant intends to make broadband internet, the life wire of development. Broadband is already a basic right in some country but has remained largely under developed in Nigeria, because of the unseriousness of successive governments,” Akuche added.
Elsewhere, taxation on ICT is hurting fresh investment in the only thriving sector and no aspirant has said anything about how to address the indiscriminate quest for internally generated revenue from the telecoms industry by all tiers of government.
Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunication of Nigeria, (Alton) said even as revenue sources are critical for the development of Nigeria, telecom companies are constantly harassed, their base stations and offices locked indiscriminately by governments.
“With respect, our major challenge stem from the activities of States and Local Governments. Members have brought documents evidencing requests for taxes and levies that are, in our view, outside of what is prescribed by law,” he added.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek also gathered that redesigning the educational curriculum, creation of ICT parks/innovation hubs to create new ICT entrepreneurs capable of leap-frogging the country’s growth should have formed part of the agenda of the aspirants.
According to Deji Kadiri, managing director of ZeeSoft Nigeria Limited, ICT presents Nigeria the rare chance to join the league of the fastest developing countries of the world.
“If the aspirants are not talking about ICT, it is scary in my opinion because this is one area that Nigeria can quickly leverage on to join the league of industrialised nations like South Korea and Singapore. The investment here is minimal compared to setting up a motor manufacturing plant,” Kadiri said.
Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) has warned Nigerians against transacting with three fake Nigerian firms, citing fraudulent incorporation documents and registration numbers not issued by the commission.
According to the CAC, these companies are using fake certificates of incorporation with two different RC numbers each, none of which exist in the commission’s official records.
The affected companies are SPEF Cooperative Society Ltd with RC Numbers 1265884 and 512862, UPIL Staff Cooperative Society Ltd with RC Numbers 1265837 and 553220, and PREM Staff Cooperative Society Ltd with RC Numbers 1265844 and 545901.
The CAC warns that any Nigerian conducting business with these entities does so at their own risk.
“Anyone that transacts any business with the above-mentioned companies does so at their own risk,” the commission warned.
The commission further advised potential partners and investors to verify registration details directly through its official portal before signing contracts or making payments.
Similarly, the CAC, in a bid to enhance its services, introduced an AI-powered business registration platform on July 3, designed to streamline incorporations.
This new system offers instant name reservations, automated business-name suggestions, and same-day registration using a National Identification Number (NIN).
Additionally, the commission plans to review its service fees starting August 1, aiming to make its services more efficient and cost-effective.
The African Development Bank, in partnership with the International Labour Organization, has launched a transformative system to mainstream youth employment, skills development, and entrepreneurship across its investments.
The approach, called the Youth, Jobs and Skills Marker System, is aligned with the Bank’s latest Ten-Year Strategy, which places Africa’s young people at the center of development efforts to maximize the impact of every dollar invested, turning demographics into a dividend.
The Marker System ensures that Bank projects spanning diverse sectors, such as agriculture, transport, energy, water, and education, systematically incorporate components that enhance youth employability, foster entrepreneurship, and build market-relevant skills.
“The Youth, Jobs and Skills Marker System is about ensuring Africa’s young people have a real say and active role in building sustainable economies and creating jobs – not as passive recipients of youth programs,” said Dr. Beth Dunford, the Bank’s Vice President for Agriculture, Human and Social Development. “This transformation of Bank practices and systems is a step toward making sure our investments have a positive impact on Africa’s young women and men.”
The integrated system has three focus areas:
Youth: Supporting youth-led micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises through targeted investments and operational integration.
Skills: Expanding access to practical, market-driven training and apprenticeships to enhance career prospects.
Jobs: Ensuring Bank-funded projects create sustainable job opportunities, particularly by developing youth skills for employability and the promotion of youth-led businesses in priority value chains.
Each year, around 10 to 12 million young Africans enter the labor market, which offers only three million formal jobs annually. The Bank will prioritize youth entrepreneurship and mobilize private sector partnerships to strengthen industry-oriented skills training as well as job creation over the coming decade.
“[This initiative] is very important because it allows us to significantly contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #8 that includes decent work for all,” said Peter van Rooij, Director of Multilateral Partnerships and Development Cooperation at the International Labour Organization. “It also allows the International Labour Organization to influence the Bank’s work, to support their lending that is more geared toward more job creation and better jobs in a sustainable way.”
The Youth, Jobs and Skills Marker System is modeled on the success of the Bank’s Gender Marker System and its online dashboard, which categorize Bank projects based on their contribution to gender equality and women’s empowerment.
Similarly, the new system will feature an online platform enabling Bank staff and consultants to access real-time data for preparing country strategy papers, mid-term reviews, annual reports, project supervision, and reporting on youth-related skills, businesses and jobs outcomes.
The Bank has just launched a pilot version of the Youth, Jobs and Skills Marker System in readiness for the full implementation in 2026. This system will enhance data tracking, improve estimates of youth skills attainment and employment, strengthen labor market information systems, and support policymakers in making evidence-based decisions that drive meaningful change.
The International Labour Organization provided technical support for the system’s development with financial support from the Bank’s Youth Entrepreneurship and Innovation Multi-Donor Trust Fund. The Youth, Jobs and Skills Marker System is the first deliberate action of its kind developed by a development finance institution worldwide.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has revealed plans to commence investigation into the activities of an entity operating under FF Tiffany, allegedly running a fraudulent investment scheme that has defrauded citizens.
A statement by the SEC on Tuesday in Abuja said preliminary information revealed that the scheme, which promised investors unusually high and unrealistic returns, had resulted in the loss of several billions of naira.
The SEC said it viewed the activity as a threat to investor confidence and the overall integrity of the financial system.
The commission assured the public that it was working closely with law enforcement agencies and other relevant bodies to bring everyone involved in the unlawful operation to justice.
According to SEC, those found culpable will be prosecuted in accordance with the Investment and Securities Act and regulatory provisions.
SEC reiterated its earlier warnings to the general public to desist from engaging in Ponzi or unregistered investment schemes that promised guaranteed or exaggerated returns.
“These schemes are not registered with the SEC and do not offer investor protection under the law.
“The commission is currently investigating 79 schemes and will make a statement on its findings at the conclusion of the investigation,” the SEC said.
The commission encouraged investors to conduct due diligence and verify the registration status of any investment firm or product by visiting the SEC website or contacting the commission directly through official channels.
SEC said it remained committed to its mandate of protecting investors, ensuring fair practices, and maintaining confidence in Nigeria’s capital market.
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