DBI lists ways Nigeria can earn huge revenue via software export

Nigeria can turn its ‘Yahoo- Yahoo’ problem into positive thing that will see the country earning huge billions of naira in revenue in the area of software development, the Administrator of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde has said. He said in an interview that this could be achieved when there is a conscious national will to invest in the training of Nigerian youths and creating the right environment where they can unleash their creative and innovative abilities.

Beyond the training, there must also be a consciousness to patronize their products which are basically software and apps rather than sourcing for these products abroad, he said.

“If you look at the demographics of our young people you’ll find out that they’re very savvy, entrepreneurial and talented but I think there’re a number of environmental factors that also limit opportunities which is why some of them, in a bid to survive deploy these talents negatively.

“India was able to identify the need to mainstream the talents and skills of their young people positively by consciously building a structure and framework to enable them acquire these skills and it became an export product for India and the rest of the world and that is what Nigeria has not done”, he said.

The boss of DBI, owned by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), said Nigeria should be able to export software and allied products as an alternative foreign exchange earner in much the same way India has done over the years.

“If we’re able to harness the potentials of these young people, especially in the area of ICT it will amaze you how much they will unleash. Many of the Africa economies are waiting for Nigeria; a lot of our young people can go into Sub-Saharan countries in West, East and North Africa by exporting their skills to do things but that hasn’t happened because there has not been a conscious effort to actually develop these things and tap into them,” he said.