BCX calls for accelerated ICT growth

For Nigeria to come out of the current economic challeges, adoption of modern technologies has been described as critical to enable new forms of growth.

Speaking at a send forth party orgnanised in his honour in Lagos, at the weekend, the immediate past Managing Director of Business Connection (BCX) Nigeria, John Sviridov, said reviving the country’s economy should be based largely on Information and Communications Technology (ICT), especially modern technologies.

Sviridov, who returned to South Africa, after two years in Nigeria, noted that the more people are exposed to technology, the use of smartphones; datacenters, applications, networks, among others, the more the sector will grow. “The growth of Nigeria will be adjudged based on how fast technology can grow,” he stressed.

On the challenges confronting the sector, the MD of BCX, he disclosed that the technology sector was challenged on two fronts.

“Firstly because of lack of currency, lots of technology purchasing that you buy is based on forex. We trade in dollar and its lack has been a major problem.

“Secondly, the low adoption of technology itself is a problem, so people should be encourage to adopt technology. The more people use technology, the more people that use smartphones; datacenters, applications, networks, the better for the sector and the economy as a whole,” he stated.

According to him, the oil price flunctuation is another challenge, lack of dollars makes it tough to do business, “but there is now light at the end of the tunnel. Things are taking shape.”

In his address, the new MD, Ayo Adegboye, said this is not the first time Nigeria is experiencing recession, it happened in 2008, 2009, “So, things need to get worse before it can become better. John has done well in the last two years. We have a very strong brand and the quality of people on ground would give us more edge in the coming years.”

According to him, a lot have been done in the ICT sector, but the country has only scratched the head, because so many opportunities still abound.