Qualitative health and education as critical sectors of Nigerian economy can be raved up with technologies, especially now the country is transforming to a digital economy.

Huawei as a company believes that with continued support from the Government, ICT industry will continue to transform other sectors, said Mr. Frank Li, managing director of Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited, in an interview with Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, during the commissioning of Huawei Customer Solution Innovation & Integration Experience Centre in Lagos, recently.

e-Education
“Education, for example we saw a lot of teachers are limited by facilities at their disposal.  Knowledge is out there they would want to share from others in developed economies, but it has not been easy for them.
This is part of reason we established innovation and experience centre in Lagos. The digital platform offers users connectivity to technologies and innovations across the globe.
This platform also enables the user to have first-hand practical know-how about their field and even exchange their own ideas, thought, visions and motivations with the outside world. Looking at some rural areas; the classrooms, it is not easy for our teachers to have access to sufficient resources.
“Now, with what Huawei is doing through cloud technology; as the programmes are packaged, they can remotely access the contents. In other words, they can remotely access the e-education and tap into the knowledge and better equip the students with the latest technology.
If we flash back to when President Muhammadu Buhari visited China, there are twenty students who have joined our e-education programme, telling the President their experiences. They were excited about the platform telling the President that at home-base it was impossible.
                                              
e-Health
“Also, in health sector, there are issues with the Doctors still attending to health matters in the ‘traditional’ way. It has not been easy for them. Thus, we are initiating an e-health programme so that one can remotely access health solutions. Presently, a patient will first visit the hospital, obtain a card and join a very long queue.
This can be transformed digitally, leveraging mobile phones to attend to health documents and other matters.
The interesting part of the solution we are bringing is that through video chat you can remotely book an appointment with the doctor, and not to presently be there to book.
This will increase efficiency and quality, reducing cost of services too. It will enable the government serve the people more efficiently. Huawei’s major focus is on building a better ecosystem for our clients, and mostly, offer quality services to the citizens of Nigeria while working with the Government.

Technologies and Business Transformation
“This is where the changes have occurred in tremendous ways. In the previous times, the GDP was rated based on the traditional industries’ contributions.
But, nowadays, the global connecting index (GCI) report shows that for every twenty per cent increase in the ICT industry leads to over one per cent increase in the GDP. We do see that ICT domain is globally driving the digital economy.
Before now, raising capital was the main focus for businesses, because it is critical in value creation. But today, capital would become of no effect without knowledge. Knowledge fertilizes capital for growth.
For example, our lives have changed since the advent of mobile internet. Yesteryears, we walk outside to flank down taxies, but look at what companies like Uber, jiji, are doing. With your smart mobile it got easy to book for a taxi through an app; sell and buy online, saving costs and time. This is the way the digital economy has totally changed our lives.

ICT for Agricultural Transformation
As typical example of how the ICT industry changes the whole system in Nigeria. There is this ‘direct project’ that connects the Galaxy Backbone and the datacentre for the Federal Government. If we focus on the farmers at the rural areas, again, we see they lack access to predictions about the future economy; the kind of period to farm or carry out their functions.
But with the kind of projects we are collaborating with the government, these challenges are getting solved. Suffice to say that ICTs have become business enablers; for government to become e-government.
Now, they can have the e-platform in rural areas for farmers to have access to the internet. That means, ICT tools create more job opportunities, values and enhance lives.
Our innovation and experience centre is also a response to the Nigerian government’s call on driving digital economy; therefore, we are assisting the government and out partners to create that ecosystem to build a better connected Nigeria. It will not be long for the initiatives to begin to yield even more results and grow the GDP.

Huawei and Government’s Collaboration to Better Lives of the Citizens
“To me, the government shouldn’t relent on working with Huawei and other partners to have better understand the principles of digital economy.
They shouldn’t discontinue in the quest to understand what is digital transformation, digital economy and the benefits.
Another thing is having the policy to encourage partner-companies to form an ecosystem, because Huawei cannot do it alone. For example, if such policy to encourage more enterprise to embrace the technologies we have, then more private and public organisation will open their doors to more innovations.

Skills Development
“Talent is also key in this industry. We believe that government can open more channels to develop the ecosystem.
Huawei believes that the innovation centre we launched will go along way to showcase the technology we have to as many as would want to improve on their skills.
We are focused on practical realities. That is why we are partnering with universities like the University of Lagos (Unilag).
With government’s support, we have more programmes to train ICT-inclined individuals for skills development in the industry. In this transformation time, the sector needs more time and support to rave up the economy”.