‘ICT Has Provided More Jobs Than Oil, Gas’

An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) expert, Mr Samuel Atiku has called on the Federal Government to adequately exploit the potential of ICT to develop the youth and create more employment.
Atiku, Head of Research, BudgiT told newsmen in Lagos State that the government could include youth-driven, ICT-based programmes in its economic diversification agenda.
BudgiT is a civic startup that liberates budgets and public data from an inactive state into a more engaging format, mostly through infographics and interactive application with the aim of improving civic discussions and institutional reform.
Atiku said, “In Nigeria, about 75 per cent of the population is below the age of 40.
“It is not out of place for the government to have agenda to train about 10 million youths to become software developers within two years.
“We are yet to take full advantage of the possibilities of an ICT-driven education in Nigeria.
“In the U.S., for instance, there is a labour plan to train about three million people to become software developers.’’
Atiku noted that ICT sector cut into education, publishing, broadcasting, newspapering and others.
“Information communication and technology is bigger than it looks.
“According to research, the universality of ICT has made it an indispensable media for transacting every aspect of human and material resources in the world.
“This trend of development has provided significant changes in the lives of thousands of youths in the developing world,’’ he said.
Atiku said that rapid development in ICT in Nigeria had provided enormous job opportunities and contributed meaningfully to national development.
Atiku told newsmen that the ICT industry had immensely increased Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
According to Atiku, the ICT sector in Nigeria has in recent times provided more employment opportunities than the country’s oil and gas sector.
The Tide source reports that the Nigeria Communications Commission recently said that the quarterly contribution of the ICT sector to Nigeria’s GDP increased to N1.6 trillion from N1.4 trillion, making the sector to be contributing nearly 10 per cent to the GDP annually.