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Enabling Environment for Nigeria Content Development in the ICT Sector (1)
This is a word that has been misused to the detriment of overall development of indigenous content. Some years back when car and truck assembly plants were still functional in this country, the then national assembly tasked the plants on the need to improve on the input of local content of the vehicles. I remember clearly a particular company touting that they have achieved over 30% local content input. The company then went to list the items supplied locally as cables, car seats, car paints, etc. The company in a sense is right since they sourced those items locally. But the question that needs to be addressed is whether the components were indigenously manufactured in Nigeria? If the government buys a car assembled in Nigeria, can it rightly say it has bought an indigenously manufactured car? So we must distinguish between local input (content) and indigenous input. Content Development This can be viewed as import substitution when some of the intermediate components that go into the manufacture of a product are now indigenously produced using local resources and technology. Let me clarify this. Most casings of laptop computers and mobile phones are made from the by-product of petrochemical refineries. Nigeria is a major crude oil producing and "refining" country, yet these components are still imported. If the downstream sector of the petroleum industry is developed casing and other similar component will produced indigenously. Enabling Environment There are many numerous definitions of the enabling environment and they range from all encompassing to narrow. For the purpose of this paper, I shall look at enabling environment as a set of interrelated conditions – such as legal, bureaucratic, fiscal, informational, political, and cultural – that impact on the capacity of investors to engage in investment processes in a sustained, effective and profitable manner. Introduction: We were made to understand that after World War II, products from Japan were ridiculed and denigrated by consumers for its presumed sub-standard quality. British made products were preferred. He said they use to derogatorily call it Japanese product: Fabrique au Japan. But today, Japanese products are very much in demand because it is believed to be of the highest quality. If in doubt, take a look through your window and count the number of Japanese cars out there; or do an audit of the household and consumer electronics in your house. If the Japanese government did not put in place favourable policies and create enabling environment that is favourable to investment, the country’s putative steps into manufacturing could have fizzled out. The above scenario was recreated with Taiwanese, Korean and Singaporean made goods. Today, these countries are industrial powers, producing products that are competing favourably with, (and even surpassing in quality), products from North America and Europe. China, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, etc, are not far behind. The Asian Tigers are no longer coming; they are at our door steps! Let’s move half a world away from the Asian Tigers. Nigeria’s Defence Industry Corporation, (DIC) was set up in the early 60s. I understand the Brazilian government following in the footsteps of Nigeria, set up her own equivalent 6 months after Nigeria. Today, the Brazilian own is indigenously manufacturing military hardware such as airplanes, warships, missiles, etc. In fact in the early 80s, many of us present here were eye witnesses to the berthing of Brazilian manufactured submarine at Marina when her Navy paid a visit to Nigeria. Compare this to the feat done by our own DIC. Last year it was announced that Nigerian DIC has started the assembling of AK47 rifles which they ingeniously named OBJ-007. Talk of comparing an airplane with bicycle! Whither Nigeria? Where lies the problem? The ICT industry is unique in that we are now in the Information Age with attendant dependence on the Internet for most transactions. Information Societies are emerging changing the ways business is conducted. Under this present scenario, the use of ICT product is pervasive affecting all sectors of a country. Anything that affects the ICT industry affects the entire human society. Any business that refuses to adapt becomes history. This being so, the manufacturers and producers of this business and productivity tool (ICT tool) need to be encouraged to make these tools available to the vast majority of the populace at affordable rate in order to empower the new e-work force. For MDG to be achieved, as many citizens as possible need to be empowered to function optimally in the new Information Society, if Nigeria is to achieve her desire of being among the top 20 economies in the world by the year 2020). What factors impact Content Development? From my experience, Nigeria is not an investor friendly country. What is prodding some of us on is the faith that things may get better; that generation unborn will be spared the anomaly that we have experienced; and finally to make a difference in this generation. Business practices in global markets are changing because of international competition and Nigeria has to key into it or risk remaining in the back waters of development. The Nigerian private sector, which consists of small, medium, and micro-sized enterprises (SMMEs) and the informal sector, is widely regarded as a potential engine of growth in the information economy. Government favourable policies will provide opportunities for competent ones to increase their markets and trading potential well beyond the Nigerian borders. This will in turn provide capital that will aid research into indigenous inputs and content development.
Patience Okala, the National Coordinator and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office has urged African countries to stop exporting raw materials and instead focus on adding value to its natural resources if it is to fully harness the opportunities offered by the African Continental Free Trade Area.
She stated this on Thursday at the Streamsowers & Köhn 20th Anniversary Business Forum, where she stressed that value addition and beneficiation are essential to Africa’s industrialisation and long-term economic growth.
According to a statement issued on Friday by the Nigeria AfCFTA Coordination Office, she said the AfCFTA goes beyond the elimination of tariffs, serving as a framework for industrialisation, value addition, and job creation across the continent.
“AfCFTA is not only about tariffs; it is also about value addition. Africa has to stop exporting raw materials. We need to add value and ensure that beneficiation is done on the continent,” she said.
Okala also said Africa’s economic transformation would depend on the effective implementation of the AfCFTA rather than on the signing of trade agreements alone.
“We have moved beyond negotiations. The success of AfCFTA will be measured by the extent to which businesses can access new markets, trade seamlessly across borders, and benefit from the opportunities created by the agreement,” she said.
She noted that Nigeria had intensified efforts to implement the agreement under the leadership of the Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr Jumoke Oduwole, including the development of simplified AfCFTA guides in six languages to help businesses understand and take advantage of opportunities under the trade pact.
Okala called for stronger collaboration among governments, regulators, and the private sector to eliminate barriers to trade and investment and build a truly integrated African market.
“As we move from policy to implementation, our collective responsibility is to ensure that the opportunities created by AfCFTA become practical realities for businesses, particularly MSMEs, women-owned enterprises, and young entrepreneurs across the continent,” she said.
Cisco is exploring artificial intelligence (AI)-powered solutions to support smallholder farmers in Nigeria, as part of efforts to expand digital inclusion and technology adoption.
The initiative focuses on improving agricultural productivity through accessible, data-driven tools.
The move aligns with growing collaboration between Nigeria and the United States under the Commercial and Investment Partnership, which prioritises the digital economy, agriculture and infrastructure.
Speaking at the 2026 World Business Chicago, Brian Tippens, chief social impact and inclusion Officer at Cisco, said the company is assessing practical AI applications to help farmers combine local knowledge with data insights.
He said Cisco is exploring tools such as AI-enabled WhatsApp communities, geospatial mapping and weather intelligence to support day-to-day farming decisions.
The approach reflects a shift towards low-cost, mobile-first solutions suited to rural environments.
Tippens added that the Cisco Foundation is investing in early-stage startups developing technologies for local agricultural challenges.
Industry analysts note that AI adoption in emerging markets depends on locally relevant solutions, rather than large-scale enterprise deployments alone.
Beyond agriculture, Cisco plans to expand digital skills development in Nigeria through programmes such as the Cisco Networking Academy’s One Million Learners initiative.
Tippens said the programme also supports partnerships with organisations working with persons with disabilities, including those developing tools for people with visual impairments.
He added that Cisco’s social impact strategy aims to improve access to technology and promote inclusion, including in conflict-affected regions such as Borno State.
Cisco’s initiatives form part of broader efforts to link digital skills, connectivity and AI adoption to economic development in Nigeria.
Federal Government has launched a nationwide Artificial Intelligence (AI) capacity-building programme for teachers in Federal Unity Colleges, with about 11,700 educators set to acquire digital skills aimed at improving classroom instruction and preparing students for a technology-driven future.
The initiative advanced with the signing of the Terms of Reference (ToR) between the Federal Ministry of Education and ICEDT Consult Limited, paving the way for the nationwide implementation of the AI Teacher Capacity Development Programme.
The programme, to be implemented through the ministry’s Education Support Services Department, is part of the Federal Government’s efforts to modernise Nigeria’s education sector, strengthen teacher professionalism and equip students with skills required in the digital economy under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking during the signing ceremony in Abuja, the Director of the Education Support Services Department, Gabriel Amudipe, described the initiative as a strategic investment in Nigeria’s teaching workforce and the future of education.
He said the nationwide rollout followed the successful completion of a pilot phase conducted in selected Federal Unity Colleges.
According to him, the implementation model developed by ICEDT Consult Limited will ensure effective coordination and quality delivery of the programme across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
Amudipe urged officials responsible for monitoring the project to ensure strict compliance with the implementation guidelines and maintain the standards achieved during the pilot phase.
“The ministry remains committed to supporting innovative initiatives that strengthen teacher professionalism, improve learning outcomes and promote the responsible integration of emerging technologies into education,” he said.
Earlier, the Deputy Director of the Education Support Services Department, Oladele Fapohunda, described the programme as a strategic intervention designed to deepen digital innovation across Federal Unity Colleges.
He stressed that collaboration among all stakeholders would be essential to achieving the objectives of the initiative nationwide.
Also speaking, the Head of Strategic Partnerships and Learning Scientist at ICEDT Consult Limited, Dr Abdulrahman Orosanya, said the Federal Government approved the national rollout after the successful pilot implementation in six Federal Unity Colleges representing Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
According to Orosanya, the pilot demonstrated the potential of Artificial Intelligence to improve lesson planning, classroom delivery, assessment methods and teachers’ productivity.
He said the nationwide implementation would strengthen teachers’ digital competencies, improve instructional delivery and support the government’s vision of building a technology-driven education system capable of producing globally competitive graduates equipped with 21st-century skills.
The ceremony ended with the formal signing of the Terms of Reference by officials of the Federal Ministry of Education and ICEDT Consult Limited, signalling the commencement of preparations for full implementation across all Federal Unity Colleges.
The ministry said the programme would directly train about 11,700 teachers, while thousands of students across the country’s Federal Unity Colleges are expected to benefit through improved classroom instruction, increased digital innovation and the responsible application of Artificial Intelligence in teaching and learning.
It reaffirmed its commitment to working with relevant stakeholders to modernise Nigeria’s education system, improve teacher quality and deliver inclusive, equitable and future-ready education nationwide.
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