Vodacom Advocates Digitisation for Sustainable Nigeria.

Emma Okonji

Citing the recent report from National Population Commission (NPC), which puts Nigeria’s population at 198 million and as the most populous nation in the sub-Sahara Africa continent, Vodacom has said there is need for Nigeria to digitise all its contents and activities in order to maintain economic stability.

Finding solutions to this growing concern, was the focus of the discourse at the recently concluded Information Communications Technology and Telecommunications (ICTEL) Expo, 2018 organised by the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The event, which recently took place in Lagos brought together various stakeholders within the information communications technology (ICT) industry to deliberate on ways to increase efficiency in the country through digitisation.

Speaking on behalf of Vodacom Business Nigeria, Executive Head of Operations, Olumide Idowu said: “Leaders around the world are committed to smart city building as they attempt to chart the course towards the development of their cities in order to meet social, economic, and environmental challenges.”

Idowu noted that Nigeria is at a pivotal moment in its technological revolution and the current lack of infrastructure provides a ready springboard for the utilisation of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies to create a smarter and a more efficient nation. By using IoT technology, which is commercially available today, a host of intelligently connected services such as efficient healthcare in rural communities become possible a reality.”

“In the last one year, Vodacom Business Nigeria, in collaboration with some state governments, made significant strides in the development of smart solutions for problems facing rural communities within the State. In the area of healthcare, a solution was deployed to help increase the availability of essential medication by monitoring drug stock levels, improving the delivery of healthcare for citizens who access public health services. In education, Vodacom has also launched a mobile school management solution which provides real-time visibility of all management activities at schools,” he said.

The solution, according to Idowu, was deployed to over 4000 public schools in Nigeria.
“While in the area of agriculture, our connected farmer solution provides a platform for connecting various stakeholders within the agricultural ecosystem to create better accountability and efficiency within the industry. Other solutions such as payment solutions, backup solutions, energy, utility and security solutions are just a few examples of smart solutions available within the Nigerian context. The significance of digitisation cannot be overstated in creating a smarter, more efficient and more sustainable economic environment in Nigeria. The sooner the shift to a digitalized system happens, the faster the nation can build a competitive advantage on the global stage and she can begin to reap the social, economic and environmental benefits that are sure to follow,” Idowu added.