‘Digital Transformation Will Drive Devt across Sectors’
The Managing Director of Ericsson Nigeria, Mr. Rutger Reman has stressed the need for Nigeria to invest in digital transformation, insisting that it will enhance technology development in all sectors of the Nigerian economy.
Reman who made the remarks at a Digital Transformation Forum organised by Ericsson for some selected sectors of the Nigerian economy, said the globe is going digital and Nigeria must take advantage of it to empower the large population of her citizenry, especially the youths.
He said government must be able to assemble relevant industry stakeholders to discuss digital transformation and come up with resolutions for implementation.
The forum however blamed government for the slow technology development in the county, insisting it has failed to come up with a clear roadmap on its digital transformation agenda for the country.
Citing multiplicity of databases sitting at different government agencies, the forum expressed dissatisfaction over the inability of government to harmonise the various databases, for easy access of information by the general public. Aside harmonisation of databases, the forum blamed the federal and some state governments for not having specific government projects that focus on digital transformation. It also berated the government for faulty structure that compels them to appoint non-technocrats to drive sensitive sectors of the economy, which are supposed to be driven by core technocrats, irrespective of their political affiliations.
Special Assistant to the Minister of Communications on Digital Resource Optimisation, Mr. Akin Yusuf who absolved the government of some of the blames, said government always had the intention to promote good governance that would drive development, boost Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the country and create jobs in a digital-based economy, but needed the support of the private sector to achieve it.
According to Yusuf, digital transformation would drive development by blocking all financial leakages and address corruption, which he said, has eaten so deep into the Nigerian system.
Telecommunications operators present at the forum, said they were already challenged by digital transformation that is cutting across globe, with a collective effort to come up with solutions that are customer centric, since the customers are the change agents of digital transformation.
The telecoms operators stressed the need for Chief Information Officers and Chief Technology Officers if various organisations to begin to think differently and do things differently, in line with digital transformation.