NBS’ Rating of Ogun Justifies Abiodun’s Investments in ICT, Says Media Aide

James Sowole in Abeokuta

The Senior Special Assistant on New Media to Governor Dapo  Abiodun of Ogun State, Mr. Emmanuel Ojo, has attributed the rating of the state as the second highest  with active mobile Internet subscriptions in Nigeria in 2022, to the deliberate developmental strides by the state government in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) in its recently released data, had rated Ogun, Lagos, Kano, Oyo and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as the top five states  with the highest internet subscriptions in Nigeria last year

Collectively, the top five states accounted for 33.52 per cent (51.90 million) of the total number of mobile subscriptions (154.85 million) in the country in 2022, according to the NBS data.

Ojo, in his reaction to the latest rating, described the feat recorded by the state as laudable and an indication that Abiodun-led administration intervention in ICT development as a verifiable means of driving youth empowerment is yielding dividends.

He noted that the ranking justified the conferment of Governor of the Year in Digital Economy on Abiodun by Daily Independent Newspapers.

He said, “The latest ranking, is as a result of our administration’s deliberate developmental strides in the area of information and communication technology advancement across the entire state, which is a veritable means of driving our youth empowerment agenda.

“You would recall that our first step towards this direction was the creation and official launch of Ogun State Tech-hub, which is an innovation hub that provides ideal conditions for entrepreneurs to collaborate, flourish and accelerate the growth of their businesses.

“The hub, using world class practices, tools, techniques and technology has vital components, including the Ogun Technopreneurship Programme (OTP) which has the crucial objective of nurturing high quality ideas in various industries to become tech-startups and Tech-SMEs.

“There is also the Ogun Innovate Startup meant to empower people in the state with essential skills needed to succeed in business, to create opportunities for entrepreneurs and to empower the unemployed.

“The objective is clear: to transform Ogun into a hub for successful businesses and attract local and foreign investments in multiple folds.”

According to Ojo, “the state government is also laying a 5,000 kilometre fibre optic cable that would link the 20 local government areas of the state. The laying of the cable, was part of the three main areas in which the state was deploying resources for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure.”