IT Analysis

Having lived in America and accessing all of the modern convinces, I began to feel overwhelmed as I started to explore the state of the information technology environment in Nigeria. Once I started to put things in prospective and considered the IT environments in other developing countries, I became less troubled by the results of my research. Although Nigeria’s IT development is significantly behind more developed countries, it is significantly better than most developing nations.

The government’s commitment to thrust Nigeria forward through the use of technology is an enormous commitment. Such an enormous task presents several opportunities for the country but to be successful she must leverage her strengths and overcome the many weaknesses. The National Information Technology Plan is a good framework.

Nigeria’s biggest strength is the government and the people. For the first time in several years the government appears to be truly focused on improving the infrastructure and they have show a commitment to information technology. The people are looking for a change as well and will continue to demand a higher standard of living and access to new technologies. The state governments, particularly Akwa Ibom, have really taken aggressive approaches to implementing technology and fostering productive IT environments. The new technology parks scheduled to open in Uyo and Asaba, Delta State will provide employment opportunities and educational training for people in the area. The parks will also aid in the research and development efforts of the country. Traditionally there has been less of a focus on research and development.

The size of the population is another strength Nigeria is endowed with. The population creates an enormous pool of workers. The challenge is educating the people to create a well-trained workforce. The weak education system is a challenge that Nigeria must overcome. The administration recognizes the power in an educated society had has developed initiatives to promote literacy and educate the people.

Unfortunately, Nigeria has many information technology weaknesses; the greatest one is infrastructure. The nation’s telecom provider, NITEL, has many inoperable phone lines and service is often unreliable. There are switching problem and many of the underground cables can not withstand the rainy season due to extreme ground soaking. The government and international development organizations have invested millions of dollars in NITEL for the purpose of updating equipment and building an Internet backbone. Many firms operating in Nigeria have developed their own approach to overcoming the poor connections and unreliable service through the NITEL network. Some have created VSAT while others have created microwave links to local points of presence. As wireless technology become more affordable and service is made available throughout the entire country, rehabilitating the deteriorating land-line infrastructure will become less of a challenge to overcome and efforts can be focused on developing infrastructure to support new technology. Wireless and innovative approaches to communications mediums will help Nigeria sustain itself and move forward with technological advancements.

Another weakness that faces Nigeria is the outside world’s perceptions. Nigerians are notorious for fraud and other money schemes. It is difficult to attract foreign investments into the country because of its reputation. The government’s efforts to change these perceptions have not been unnoticed. The recognition by the WIPO for Nigeria’s efforts to protect intellectual property is a tremendous accomplishment for this country. Stronger laws and enforcement of IT related laws will help ease investors’ fears.

The government has done a good job of laying an IT plan and establishing a number of committees to oversee the various aspects of the information technology movement in Nigeria however, it is very easy to get wrapped up in the plan and the formality around the plan. What really matters is the execution. The worse laid plan with great execution will be successful. A good plan with great execution will be the catalyst for change in Nigeria.