The Governor of Osun state, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola has revealed how the deployment of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in monitoring and reporting of events as they unfolded during the August 9 governorship election in the state frustrated those who had the intention of falsifying results.
A statement by the Director Bureau of Communication and Strategy, Mr. Semiu Okanlawon quoted the governor as saying, in a keynote address titled “Broadband: Oxygen for Digital Economy” at the Africa Digital Forum and Award 2014 organised by the ICT Watch Network in Lagos that ICT was put to use by the various situation rooms set up by the government to monitor, get results and happening across all the units, wards and Local governments in the state.
The governor said that Nigeria has a new opportunity for economic resurgence in the digital economy age, saying that the nation has the requisite infrastructure both material and human.
“We have a huge human population of 167 million with equally immense needs. This is a potentially immense market with which we can trade our way from poverty to riches. “Added to this is the demography of that population. Our population is predominantly composed of youths who are energetic, enthusiastic, and innovative.”
Aregbesola said that the Osun experience in the use of modern technology and the use of Internet could be a model for national ICT development on a non-partisan basis.
According to the governor, the use of ICT will enhance greater deployment and consumption of broadband, adding: “in Osun, without being immodest, we can say that ICT has been a major plank of governance. We pioneered e-learning with the invention of Opon Imo. We have also been able to provide card based e-credit for farmers. Of course, we have also deployed e-based payroll and staff ID card on Master Card platform directly connected to the holder’s account.
“We have also devised e-ID Card for all pupils in public schools and the card will now serve as payment instrument for our home-grown school feeding and health programme (O’MEALS).
“We set up the OYESTECH, an institution for training youths in the use, assembly and repair of electronic gadgets from plasma television, computers to mobile phones.”
Aregbesola held that Nigeria has a great potential for enhancing development in this information age through the digital economy.
He said that there are still huge potentials in road traffic monitoring and control, CCTV camera, weather monitoring and forecast, national population database among others.
“What this means is that there is power and potential in numbers. A great number of people mean a potentially great variety of needs to be met.
“The good thing is that in meeting these needs, a self-reinforcing cycle is created in which people have access to employment, are productively engaged, earn income, create wealth, and spread prosperity with accompanying prospect of material uplift and satisfaction.”
The governor said that any human mass is a potential source of wealth generation from which positive developments can spring, stressing that what is required is creativity in turning the potential into public good.
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