Imoke To Pioneer ICT Cloud Technology

In a concerted effort to engender the desired knowledge based  economy for sustainable development of the state, the Cross River State Government, says plans have been concluded to deplore a cutting-edge Information and Communication Technology (ICT) cloud platform to fast-track the process.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2nd National Software Conference and Competition held at Tinapa Business and Leisure Resort, Calabar, the state Governor, Senator Liyel Imoke contended that “The cloud and the future of software Nigeria is quite pertinent considering the current emergence of cloud technology as a formidable platform for the delivery of reliable, scalable and cost-effective software solutions and services”.

He averred that the promising future of cloud technology, which he described as technological revolution of the 21st century, will herald great opportunities but warned that aspects of its adoption must be meticulously considered to ensure its viability within the Nigerian context.

“In Cross River, we are in the process of establishing a world class knowledge cluster here in Tinapa called the Tinapa Knowledge City (TKC). It is our expectation that Tinapa Knowledge City will serve as a hub for knowledge-based operations not just in Nigeria but also on the sub-continent,” the governor explained.

Imoke maintained that in the last few years, the country has witnessed emergence of multiple deep sea fibre-optic linkages between West Africa to Europe, consequently leading to an increase in internet penetration in Nigeria of approximately 28 per cent adding that with this trend set to rise over in the next couple of years, the nation will be well positioned to play a crucial role in the development and hosting of cloud based solutions on the continent.

He, however, called on the Federal Government to put in place adequate regulatory framework to guarantee the right environment for the deployment of the technology, stressing that such a framework should be fashioned to meet global standards for data protection and information security

Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson stated that software competition has helped the country to discover and promote local talent in the software industry as well as increase awareness of the need to nurture and develop the talent support and fuel the growth of the industry.

While commending the Cross River State Government for its vision to establish the Tinapa Knowledge City, the minister maintained that cloud technology will catalyze the development of ICT industry in Nigeria as Federal Government is to link the nation’s institution of learning to the internet to enable students’ access research information in their chosen field of endeavours.

The President, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), Mr. Chris Uwaje, pointed out that the mission of the conference is to explore the dynamics and challenges of the digital cultural shift, its opportunities, impact and benefits to all stakeholders in the country.

In his address, the Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Prof. Leopas Angaye, who stressed on creating the enabling legal frame work cloud technology to thrive, added that emerging platform will propel internet access to a lot more Nigerians which will in turn grow the ICT industry and the economy.