IT is now a cliché when people say Nigeria’s oil is a gift and a curse all rolled up in one. Oil is a curse for Nigeria. It is as powerful as it is counterintuitive.The natural resource has made Nigeria a poor mental giant of Africa. Oil is bad for a Nigeria’s health Despite the enormous earnings from oil, there is little to show in terms of development. Hunger and anger rule the land.
There is a general feeling of economic exclusion by Nigerians, fuelled by the perception that a country’s resources are being siphoned away by its inept and corrupt leaders.That is why the public private partnership between the Delta State Government and Mobile Software Solutions Limited to drive technology innovation through a dedicated hub is commendable.
The Hub christened Delta State Innovation Hub (DS-IHUB) in Asaba, the state capital, provides spaces for new ideas and advances to get nurtured and then harnessed into effective solutions.
A truly world class science and technology park,- the Smarter Delta’ initiative, would help in actualising the dream, aside building colony of software developers that would disrupt the existing technology status of the state and position the state for technology innovation that would help diversify the state’s economy beyond oil.
It is also the first time a state in Nigeria would deliberately incubate knowledge-driven people that will use technology solution to address individual, state and national issues.
The DS-IHUB comes fully fitted with E-Government Academy; Software and Autocard Academy; ICT Innovation Platform; Electronics and Multi-Media Development Centre; CBT Practice and Monitoring Centre; E-Library, Research and E-Learning Centre; ICT Process Centre, Business Process Centre; as well as Oil and Gas Training Centre.
The E-Government Academy will be concerned about new trend towards reforming the public sector, while the ICT Innovation Platform will address various innovations that will drive business ideas.
The Electronics and Multimedia Centre will train students on acquiring expertise in various technology disciplines, while the Business Process Centre comprises of a team of mentors, business coaches and strategic thinkers that will groom and mentor startup business and SMEs.
The DS-IHUB is a model that should be replicated all over the states of the federation because ICT revolution is the only enabling force for Nigeria to become more active participant in the global economy.
Governments must back this effort with political will. This is because across the globe, the spread of digital technology has ensured that practically everything one does is driven by technology.
Going forward, it is also important to solve the power supply problem to enable hubs like this provide the impetus for the growth of the economy.There should be massive improvement in improvement in infrastructure and need to imbue of the culture of maintenance on Nigerians.
