MAINSTREAMING ICT FOR
POVERTY REDUCTION IN NIGERIA
Protocol …
Introduction
Let me start by saying that Nigeria and
Nigerians at all levels and geographical locations must embrace ICT for the
growth of the economy and eradication of poverty. In other words, a key benefit
of ICT is poverty reduction and eradication. This is so important because as the World Summit on Information Society (WSIS)has
posited,“everyone, everywhere should have the opportunity to participate and no
one should be excluded from the benefits the Information Society (ICT) offers!”
Therefore, it gives me great pleasure to address
this esteemed gathering on this very important topic; “Mainstreaming ICT for
Poverty Reduction in Nigeria”.
Academic studies on ICTs make it clear that the
Information Society like any society will have winners and losers, beneficial
consequences of ICT and harmful applications. A review of these academic
studies shows that there are no simple and straightforward effects of ICT on
society. ICTs are seen as a critical resource in the promotion of
socio-economic development, with a potency to alleviate poverty.
The poverty level in Nigeria is not a true
reflection of our population size, natural and environmental endowments. This
is because the poverty level in the country contradicts the country’s immense
wealth.
A large percentage of the people wallow in
absolute poverty with no food, clothing or shelter. In the light of this, we
must ask the following questions: How and in what ways can ICTs help the
Nigerian poor people and those who are socially excluded? What are the
connections between ICT and the government anti-poverty measures? What are the
areas that are likely to create opportunities for the use of ICTs where they
have the maximum potentials to benefit the poor? These
questions serve as an impetus for this paper.
POVERTY IN PERSPECTIVE - TRADITIONAL & DIGITAL POVERTY
Traditionally, poverty is
defined as general scarcity, dearth, or the state of lacking a
certain amount of material possession or money. It is a multifaceted concept,
which includes social, economic, and political elements. Poverty may be either
absolute or relative. Absolute poverty or destitution refers to the lack of means necessary to meet basic
needs such as food, clothing and shelter. Relative poverty takes into
consideration individual social and economic status compared to the rest of
society. (Wikipedia).
A new definition to poverty
has been drawn giving the strength and possibilities derivable with ICT.
Poverty as defined by Subbiah Arunachalam is the lack of access
to the internet in the developing world; this is called Information Poverty/Digital Poverty.
Digital Poverty is the lack of means with which to access ICTs, the
lack of skills to use the ICTs, and inadequate information about the usefulness
of ICTs. Digital poverty thus incorporates a demand component (the service
cannot be afforded), a capability dimension (the skills to use the service are
not available), and a supply component (the infrastructure to deliver the
service is not in place)
The challenge encountered by
developing nations is no longer poverty in its traditional sense, but a lack of
access to ICT tools and the vast potentials derivable from ICT.
ICT IN PERSPECTIVE
ICT (Information and
Communications Technology - or Technologies) is an umbrella term that includes
any communication device or application, encompassing: radio, television,
cellular phones, computer and network hardware and software, satellite systems
and so on, as well as the various services and applications associated with
them, such as videoconferencing and distance learning. Fosters defines ICT as
the group of technologies that is revolutionizing the handling of information
and embodies a convergence of interest between electronics, computing and
communication (Drew and Fosters 1994).
It goes without saying that ICTs
have the potential to combat poverty, be it rural or urban poverty. It will
also foster sustainable development if appropriately deployed and made to
address the diversediscrepancy in the ICT needs of people of all locations, age
group and economic status. ICTs, are not simply a connection between people,
but a link in the chain of the development process; and its contribution to socio-economic
development cannot be over-emphasized.
It must be clear that investment
in ICTs alone is not enough for development to occur, for development to be
sustained or for poverty to be eradicated. Successful ICT poverty reduction
interventions can only be achieved if there is an enabling environment, the
participation of the private sector and NGOs, the free flow of information,
access to ICTs by women and youths, and capacity building.
Consequently, ICTs may be regarded
as enabler of other developmental efforts and infrastructure required for sustainable
development. Only a banquet of
strategies duly implemented can attempt to resolve the global menace of poverty.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ICTS AND POVERTY
In the last two decades, ICTs have been regarded
as a prerequisite for job and wealth creation. Organizations such as the UN,
World Bank, ITU etc. have identified ICTas a driver for national economic
development that delivers improvements in productivity, creates new channels
for entertainment and services,and whole new industries and other social
services to achieve poverty reduction.
The challenge for the poor is
inability to access information due to inadequate infrastructure, ignorance or
illiteracy. The availability of
information sources for the poor should be of great concern if poverty is to be
reduced.
For most developing countries, particularly those with
large populations, inadequate infrastructure has made it
difficult to participate as equal partners in the worldwide enterprise of
knowledge production and dissemination. This portends an unequal distribution of
access, resources and opportunities in this new economy. To avert the birth of a new type of poverty (Information
Poverty), the ICT gap (digital divide) between the developed and developing
nations must be bridged.
Nigeria like most developing nations is not
enjoying the full benefits of the ICT revolution due to inadequate telecommunication infrastructure, capacity to
maintain existing infrastructure, policies for equitable public participation
as producers and consumers of information and knowledge.
ICT AS DRIVER OF ECONOMIC GROWTH
ICTs and the cyberspace have become a crucial
ingredient for the survival of individuals, businesses and governments globally.
ICTs cut across all sectors of our economy including the provisioning of
essential services for good governance, agriculture, transportation, health and
even basic delivery of goods and services and financial transactions. ICT is not only a game changer, it is a
Revolution.
In Nigeria, ICTs must be
considered a critical key driver for social development and economic
growth. To stimulate the Nigerian
economy particularly in production, agriculture and intellectual property, we
should aim to improve ICT penetration in both mobile telephony and broadband
services to all parts of the country no matter how remote. The target should be increased ICT
interaction and usage in Agriculture, Health, Trade, Finance, Insurance and
Transport. This would automatically
affect the nation’s GDP, improve the quality of life, reduce dependency on
forex and improve the value of the naira.
A Nation’s Development is
measured in economic terms such as per capita income, Gross Domestic Product
(GDP), Gross National Product (GNP), among other indices. Indices such as level
of literacy, social development, human capital development, cultural innovation
and technological preparedness are not regarded as a measure of
development. If we must tap into the ICT
revolution, then it is time for a paradigm shift! The traditional economic terms are not a
reflection of the new age of Knowledge Economy.
The wireless communications networks, with more
than 5 billion subscriptions globally, are now the world’s largest platform to
deliver useful information as well as a wide range of public and social
services to people in all locations. Examples of such services include:
Ø Nigerian cattle sellers are using ICT to monitor
mad cow disease and determine the price of cattle as shown by a recent
television advertisement.
Ø Farmers in remote villages of Kenya are using
technology to access the most current crop prices.
Ø Rural fishermen in Sri Lanka know where to fish
based on satellite mapping of fish colonies.
Ø Migrant workers in Sierra Leone have cut out
intermediaries and can now transfer money almost instantly through mobile
banking to relatives in remote villages.
Ø Land registration, education programs, health
care, and voting are other examples of services that are often difficult to
access by poor people in remote areas, but are now being extended to these
communities in a timelier manner and cost effectively.
It is not just a technological phenomenon; ICT
promotes innovation and can trigger fundamental economic transformation which should
be translated to economic indices that would ensure sustainability and growth.
MEASURES TO REDUCE POVERTY
Poverty reduction measures
are strategies developed to enable the poor or socially disadvantaged to create
wealth for themselves as a means of
ending poverty. The strategies must respond to the questions around service
accessibility, affordability, skill/competence availability and infrastructure adequacy. These strategies should rely on widespread access to communication networks;
the existence of an educated labour-force and consumers; and the availability
of institutions that promote knowledge creation and dissemination.
While poverty may appear to
be wide spread in developing nations, developed nations are not exempted. The
difference is the strategies adopted by each group to reduce the poverty
mass.
Going back to the many programmes
designed by successive governments to address poverty in Nigeria, such as “Operation
Feed The Nation, Green Revolution, SURE - P etc and the various programmes by
spouses of Heads of States, it is clear
that what is required is a holistic strategy centered around ICT, that puts
opportunities in the hands of the teaming youths of this nation.In a similar way, thegovernment of President Muhammadu
Buhari GCFR, places premium on diversification of the economy through the use
of ICT.
ICTs provide a knowledge
economy and sub-sector with un-imaginable possibilities. The drivers of this
subsector are the youths. With Nigerian youths representing
two-thirds of our current population but 100% of Nigeria’s future, any poverty reduction
strategy that does not center on this critical group will not do the nation
much good. A classic example of the
potentials of the information age is young companies like Google, valued at $547bn and
Facebook, valued at $326bn as at February 2016 (CNBC). They have emerged virtually from
nowhere and are creating new value based on a very different kind of capital: The
Human Person through Social Media.
Nigeria is privileged to have
an abundance of human capital that can be developed for higher productivity.
With our teeming population of highly entrepreneurial youths, the wide
availability of access to ICTs represents a huge potential for employment and wealth
creation that would lead to poverty eradication. We must tap into this
potential and develop nationwide strategies and measures for poverty reduction
and indeed eradication.
EFFORTS BY THE NIGERIAN GOVERNMENT TO ALLEVIATE POVERTY THROUGH ICT
1.
NATIONAL INFORMATION
TECHNOLOGY AGENCY (NITDA):In fulfilment of its mandate and in support of
government’s effort at employment creation and poverty eradication, this agency
has commenced series of trainings called Online Business Process Outsourcing,
to empower young adults and reduce unemployment; deployed over 300 information
technology centres; 18 virtual libraries, 40 community access centres etc. This is in addition to a number of other
initiatives to address poverty and create opportunities for the under privilege
in the society. These platforms expose individual to freedom to choose what to
do; who you want to do it with; where you want to work; consistent income;
access to basic needs of life and social relevance.
2.
NIGERIAN POSTAL SERVICE
(NIPOST): With its unique spread across the nation even in remote locations, NIPOST
has begun collaboration with other agencies of government and the private
sector to serve as ICT hubs and ICT special purpose vehicles (SPV) around the
nation. This would guarantee easy access to ICT services to citizens even in
the remotest of locations.
There
is currently implementation of Stamp Duties Law by banks which will generate
large revenue for government and in turn create desired employment for our
youths.
3.
The
Universal Service Fund (USF): This is a global phenomenon
with over 50 countries as signatories to an International Telecommunications
Union (ITU) agreement to set aside funds to provide access to technology to the
citizenry of their countries no matter where they live. Nigeria as one of the signatories and as
contained in the Communication’s Act, has provided for a USF.
The underlying
concept of Universal Service is to ensure that telecommunications services are
accessible to the widest number of people (and communities) at affordable
prices. The concept of USF is broadly promoted and widely
accepted as the best expression of policies seeking to achieve equality and
fairness of opportunity along with economic growth.
In this regard, the Nigerian Universal Service Provision Fund
(USPF)was set up and engages in various activities to increase universal
access/service and reduce poverty. They include:
A.
Community Resource Centers. These purpose built centers are designed to
directly respond to employment creation and poverty eradication by providing 30
purpose built centers for ICT penetration in underserved and
unserved areas.
To ensure sustainability, the USPF collaborates with Community-based
Organisations (CBOs) in the host communities to generate ICT-demand activities.
B.
USPF Hackathon: In support of ICT innovation for the empowerment of youths,
this platform was created for the provision of seed money to successful
applicants to build ICT solutions.
This initiative is a fall out of a USPF
funded study with the objective of identifying clusters of voice telephony and
transport network gap in the country. The result of the study is being used to
assist the USPF in designing projects and strategies to cover these gaps and
ensure that everyone irrespective of locality is connected in Nigeria.
C.
RUBI - Rural Broadband
Initiative: Through this project,
subsidiesare providedto operators for the deployment of network to support the
establishment of core delivery mechanisms for broadband services in the
rural/semi-urban areas of Nigeria.This project provides both wired and wireless
internet at high speed in the rural areas at wholesale, and at the same time
serves as a catalyst for the uptake of other broadband-dependent projects in
those locations such as e-library, e-health, e-government etc.
D.
UnICC - University InterCampus
Connectivity: this is a support project to the
National Universities Commissions' Nigerian Research and Education Network
(NgREN), the primary purpose of which is to deliver broadband infrastructure
and access to facilitate research and learning using state of the art
technology. It is designed to seamlessly
connect the networks of the main campuses of selected universities to the
networks of their corresponding medical colleges and teaching hospitals through
the deployment of fibre optic cable and its associated equipment.
E.
BTS - Base Transceiver Stations:
This
project involves granting subsidies to Network Operators for the deployment of
Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) and other passive infrastructure in underserved
and un-served communities which the market will not ordinarily reach.The
objective of the BTS project is to facilitate the achievement of the AMPE
(Accelerated Mobile Phone Expansion) Programme which targets the achievement of
full voice coverage by 2017.
F.
IRC - Information Resource
Centres: it is an intervention to create
ICT-driven knowledge management that will adequately respond to the changing
demands of users. Through the project, the USPF establishes digital
libraries in the existing public libraries to enable sharing of information and
other resources as well as connect and share resources with libraries outside
the country.
G.
SKC - School Knowledge Centres:
The
SKC project is designed to promote the demand and adoption of ICT in public
schools in order to create 21st century skills that can fit into the knowledge
economy. Schools are provided with
computers, printers, solar power system, bandwidth and educational
software/content.At least 200 schools benefit from the project each year.
H.
E-Health Project:
the
project will support the provision of world-class and expert health care to
patients in target health institutions by facilitating ICT-enabled services.
4. Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC): We will
continue to support the vision of the present government to put Nigeria amongst
the top twenty in the comity of Nations and to align our developmental goals in
keeping with the seventeen United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
but particularly the goal to eradicate extreme poverty for all people everywhere which is currently
measured as people living on less than $1.25 a day, by year 2030. The following initiatives at the NCC directly
or indirectly target poverty eradication:
A. Advanced
Digital Appreciation Programme: Transforming the Academics: Advanced Digital Appreciation
Programme for Tertiary Institutions, ADAPTI is aimed at bridging the digital
divide existing in the academia with the provision of computers and other ICT
facilities to equip the lecturers and
other experts in order to improve ICT skills and also to enrich the
students. The
overriding objective of this intervention has been to elicit pervasive
application of ICT skills in the academia for enhanced staff output,
institutional efficiency and student enculturation to e-based learning for
sustainable national growth. Records show that as at 2015, over of 12,600 people have
benefited from this programme.
B. Digital
Awareness Programme (DAP): this
is a special intervention programme to address the digital information
knowledge gap in the country, especially among the teeming youthful population.
On the last count, the DAP Project supports 229 Secondary Schools across
the Six (6) Geopolitical Zones of Nigeria, including the Federal Capital
Territory.The strategy in this programme is to expose schools and colleges to
Information and Communications Technology (ICT) awareness, usage and
application by facilitating access to ICT tools by the provision of Twenty one
(21) Desktop Computers, Local Area Network, Printers, Scanners, VSAT Dish and deployment
of one Year Bandwidth Subscription for Internet Access.
C. NCC- Digital Bridge Institute
(DBI) Projects: Nigeria’s ICT flagship institution, the Digital Bridge, DBI,
came into existence in 2004 to impact on the national ICT human capital
building efforts by bridging the ICT knowledge gap.
D. Frequency
Auction: Contributing to National Purse:
The Nigerian telecom regulator has contributed over N300 Billion to the
Federation Account from proceeds of frequency auctions and licensing. The
frequencies auctioned, are in turn used for deployment of services for poverty
reduction and the benefit of the citizenry. The Commission has a clear
understanding of this value chain and is determined to uphold it.
E. Value
Added Services (VAS): Telecommunication has given birth to a number of value
added services which opens up benefits to all cadre of people irrespective of
location and level of education. These VAS are great channels for revenue
generation. Some VAT are: Content development, Phone repair network, IT device
accessories sales market (phone pouches, screen covers etc), Ringback tones,
even government agencies provide service on telecom platform e.g Nafdac – drug
authentication code.
Broadband and poverty
The Federal
Ministry of Communications manages policies which are benchmarked against
Nigeria’s vision 2020 that aims to place Nigeria amongst the top twenty World
Economies. The National Information and Communication Technology Policy (2012)
(the “ICT Policy”) provides strategies for the pervasive roll out of ICT
infrastructure nationwide.
The Nigerian
National Broadband Plan 2013–2018 (the “Broadband Plan”) devotes an entire
section to targets, strategies and roadmaps to promote pervasive broadband
deployment, increased broadband adoption, usage and availability to all at
affordable prices. These all point to
government’s commitment to harmonizing and utilizing the benefits derivable
from ICT for the good of all.
In 2014, the
National Broadband Plan was approved to foster fuller economicexploitation of
ICTs. This means that there will be more pervasive deployment andusage of ICT
to push the development and economic attractiveness of the nation.
The benefits
of broadband are enormous. It is a booster of economic and socialactivities. It
supports all facets of life and living. Sustainable broadband would positively
affect public safety, national security, telemedicine, e-government, e-health,
e-commerce, distance learning, utility applications, etc. which would in turn
reduce poverty and more people become economically empowered.
Broadband is
widely perceived as a development enabler. It transforms the society and
generally brings about economic well-being. This much was alluded to in the
Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2013-2018 that stated inter alia “We live in a
global village where ICT has a direct impact on a Nation’s ability to improve
the economic wellbeing of her people and compete globally. Broadband is an
essential infrastructure of the 21st Century.
It enables
access to business and job opportunities, improves healthcare, education and
government services, and facilitates social interactions.”
World Bank
report also noted that “the effect of broadband in accelerating economic growth
was greater in less developed countries like those in sub-Saharan Africa than
in more developed countries, and more than for fixed, mobile or internet
penetration”. With about nine tera byte of undersea cable capacity at the
shores of Nigeria there is still not enough capacity inland to support faster
and high speed broadband. This is because there is inadequate metropolitan
fibre connection, haphazard infrastructure layout and a seeming evaporation of
the last mile.
As the ICT
industry continues to evolve at a frenzied pace, and with technology
increasingly converging into all sectors of the economy, the need for technical
talent and specialists across a range of sectors continues to grow in order to
meet the growing demand for digital technology.
The Federal Government
of Nigeria is committed to sustainable development of the ICT subsector for the
growth of the economy and the eradication of poverty. This was made evident during the just concluded
Communications sector retreat where the Ministry of Communications and the
agencies under itconverged to chart a five year plan that would make
communications services, affordable, accessible and available to all persons in
Nigeria. A key element that alludes to this is the mandate to engage the
ministry of education to ensure mandatory ICT education at primary level.
The focus is
to ensure that children at all levels irrespective of geographical location
have a clear appreciation of the possibilities of ICT to improve standard of
living.
The Nigerian Communications
Commission in 2014 adopted a five year Strategic Management Plan (SMP) 2014 –
2018 using the instrumentality of the Balanced Scorecard for implementation and
monitoring performance. For effective implementation, the SMP has four
strategic pillars and various objectives.
Not long after I assumed duties as the EVC of the
Commission, a 20 man committee was set up to produce a roadmap aimed at
refocusing activities of the Commission towards stimulating developmental
activities in the ICT sector, in line with the Federal Government’s “Change
Vision”.
In executing this assignment and having made
reference to several documents including the Strategic Management Plan (2014 –
2018), a Strategic Vision 2015-2020 was created. A summary of this Strategic Vision (8-Point
Agenda) includes:
1.
Facilitate
Broadband Penetration
2.
Improve Quality
of Service
3.
Optimize Usage
and Benefits of Spectrum
4.
Promote ICT
Innovation and Investment Opportunities
5.
Facilitate
Strategic Collaboration and Partnership
6.
Protect and
Empower Consumers
7.
Promote Fair
Competition and Inclusive growth
8.
Ensure
Regulatory Excellence and Operational Efficiency
The credit for Nigeria’s
ambitious broadband pursuit is traced to the potentials and prospects of
broadband technology, the ease of deployment and the vast opportunities
available through it. The Commission
will continue to put strategies in place to pursue last mile deployment of
broadband. This would ensure small businesses are positioned to compete
globally and communities and individuals are able to create wealth through
access to ICT.
Conclusion
I would like to conclude this paper by stating that the fight
against poverty requires collective effort. We must all join hands, support the
government, protect our resources and infrastructure, grow our economy and push
poverty away from our nation for the benefit of all Nigerians.
Technological progress has been
the biggest driving force behind economic growth since 1990. It has lifted over
10 percent of the world’s population out of poverty. ICT Infrastructure is a
major driver to any country’s growth and development in ICT. In Nigeria
ICT has attracted huge investment, and generated significant fiscal revenues
and employment opportunities.
By providing access to
information, making markets more efficient, fostering social inclusion, and
equalizing opportunities in rural areas, ICT offers an innovative and
unprecedented tool to directly reduce poverty.
Thank you once again for inviting me.
Prof. Umar
Garba Danbatta, FNSE
Executive Vice Chairman
Nigerian Communications Commission
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