The
Chairman, Zenith Bank Plc, who is also the founder Jim Ovia Foundation, Mr. Jim
Ovia, wednesday attributed the lack of efficient broadband required for speedy
telecommunications service as one of the reasons Visafone was sold to South
African telecommunications firm, MTN.
He
did not however disclose how much the outfit was sold to MTN.
Speaking
at the Digital Africa conference and exhibition 2016 organised by Digital
Africa Global Consult in Abuja, Ovia stressed that without adequate technology
infrastructure to power constant connectivity, Internet of Things (IoTs) would
be difficult to achieve.
He
said: “We have a lot of devices some of which will be dead equipment.
Connectivity is very important and without it, internet of things or internet
of everything cannot take place. I wouldn’t say that connectivity is the most
important thing, but it is extremely very important.
“In
some of this connectivity you need it by way of broadband or by way of fibre
optics to give you the broadband or may be a wireless. Or may be the spectrum
of between 700-800 MGHz that gives you the broadband speed that you need today,
and so you can now understand why Visafone eventually sold its network to MTN.”
According
to him, the reason there were so many complaints was because of the resource
availability that Visafone had, which had to do with the broadband, he added.
He
said policymakers must ensure that Nigeria is not left behind in the
technological development of the future, adding that during the great
industrial revolution, Africa was left behind.
Ovia
added that the present technology that enables economy to flourish is so pervasive
that nobody can be restricted as students can now have access to information
like their counterparts in South Africa, Russia and other places in the world.
In
his remark, the Minister of Communications Technology, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, who
was represented by the Director of Information and Communications Technology
(ICT), Mrs. Moni Udorh, said the administration would not fail in using ICT to
drive the economy.
The
minister said: “We have been doing everything possible in this direction. If we
continue on this path, ICT should be contributing between 20 and 30 percent to
the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in few years’ time. We will strive
to make it happen.”
On
government’s plan to establish an ICT University, he said: “We also have plans
to create ICT-focused university. We have discovered that many of the youths
lack requisite skills to compete in the international market. The university
will bridge the skills gap.”
While
making his contribution, the Chairman of Digital Africa Consult, Mr. Evans
Woherem, said since inception of the annual event in 2013, global ICT experts
have been provided a platform in the annual event to highlight the avalanche of
challenges inhibiting Africa’s efforts at embracing evolving technologies and
proffer solutions on how to get out of this digital doldrums.
He
said: “The conference provides access to a captive audience eager to understand
where the consumer ecosystem currently is, and where the opportunities lie.
Also, it is an important platform to network, share knowledge on the latest
developments in the technology ecosystem, do business, and sign deals.”
According
to him, the 2016 edition has as its theme accelerating Africa’s Development
through Internet of Everything (IoE). He added that suddenly, the Internet of
Things or Internet of Everything has become the revolutionary technology trend
in the world today.
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