eGovernment Summit Harps on Local Content Development

Emma Okonji

Experts at the 2023 Nigeria eGovernment Summit, organised by DigiServe Network Services in Lagos recently, have stressed the need for local content development that would support technology transfer through knowledge sharing.

In his welcome address, the Executive Chairman, DigiServe Network Services and convener of the eGovernment Summit, Lanre Ajayi, emphasised on the theme for this year’s summit, titled ‘eGovernment: Pathway to a Prosperous Nation,’ which he said was in tandem with the current mood of the nation where Nigerians have high hopes that the new administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu will leverage technology to enhance government service offerings to its citizens in order to better their lots in a prosperous nation that they hoped for.    

Speaking on technology transfer, the Deputy Managing Director, Huawei Technologies Nigeria Ltd, Mr. Olanrewaju Odekunle, said Huawei had in the past years, trained several Nigerian youths on new technologies, including its developmental project, where it trained Nigerian women on Information and Communications Technology (ICT). He said Huawei established massive training centres in Lagos and Abuja purposely for training Nigerians on ICT.

Group Managing Director, Intertel Nigeria Ltd, Dr. Abdlrazaq Ayodeji Shittu, who disagreed with the idea of technology transfer from foreign companies to Nigerian youths, said Nigeria must learn to develop its own indigenous technology through local content development, rather than waiting for technology transfer from China or United States of America, insisting that no foreign company would freely release its technology to another country, in the name of technology transfer.

“A nation without a good educational system will not be able to copy foreign technology and adapt it to suit the purpose of its country. India invested hugely in its educational sector and was able to develop the nuclear capability of its citizens and today, India is a world power for nuclear bomb,” Odekunle said.

Other participants who spoke at the eGovernment Summit, raised concern about local government administration in Nigeria, which they said, was completely cut off from eGovernment strategy and support.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Innovation, Science and Technology, Mr. Tunbosun Alake, who represented Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, said the need to develop the school system was necessary in order to boost indigenous technology, insisting that no country will want to give out its technology to other countries for free.