Ogun digital economy: Setting the pace 

Sir: The recent launch of the “Ogun State Digital Economy Infrastructure Project (OGDEIP)” is, no doubt, a path to success to the burgeoning economy of the Gateway state and the country at large. The state has taken hold of the future to making digital access available to all the citizens and businesses and it is the most far-sighted action any government can take in the present time.

Ogun State is blazing the trail of excellence as an investment destination of choice. Thus, its proximity to Lagos State, the fifth largest economy in Africa, is a plus to the novel initiative in response to both the pull and push factors which are by no means a gradual process to the berth of direct investments to the state. The benefits of the digital economy infrastructure are numerous. It is an infrastructure that will bring about great economic development, great access to youths and also attract more investments to drive end results, among others.

The journey to digitise the Gateway State began in 2019 given the clear vision of the helmsman Prince Dapo Abiodun, bringing his business acumen in the private sector to bear on the economic planning on the state. Ogun is the first state to catch up with the realities of digitizing its economy and in keying into the critical component of President Muhammadu Buhari’s objectives of “broadband connectivity for all by 2023.”

By and large, Vice-President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, while appraising the benefits underscoring the initiative, noted that digital economy technology is dependent on the future of all aspects of human existence, such as business, education, healthcare, governance, security, and the practice of every profession.

According to Abiodun, the formal launch of the OGDEIP is aimed at formally deepening the various advantages of information technology advancements into all sectors and making ICT an indispensable point of the economy. The ICT, he said, has continued to account for more than 21 percent of the state’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and hence, continued to provide countless job opportunities for the growing educated and creative citizenry.

Also, the second phase of the project is the establishment of a world class data centre among the Silicon Alley in Abeokuta, the state capital, that will host a variety of ICT services, both for the public and private sectors, and cyber security scrubbing centres. And this is a stage that will complement the third phase of the project.

The Abiodun administration has commitment in the areas of building road infrastructure to link industrial hubs, adjoining states, urban to rural, food baskets to market for the overall development of the towns and cities.
The administration is unfolding the power of infrastructural project that will guarantee stable of power to most of the cities and industrial clusters. As a result, this digital economy infrastructure is the backbone for ICT revolution. And this will further enhance ease of doing business in the state.

• Femi Ezekiel wrote from Abeokuta, Ogun State.