How Nigeria , others can join the new economy

From SEGUN ORUAME, Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia

Nigeria and other developing economies hoping to have a place in the emerging new economic order would have to dedicate more than 30% of their national income on infrastructure development, speakers at one of the plenary sessions at the Third Global Knowledge Conference (GK3) in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia , have concluded.

Paying lip services to development of information infrastructures and frequent policy somersaults on ICT would only widen the information gap between rich and poor nations, the speakers warned.

With massive investment in ICT research and stable policies on sustaining and extending the ICT frontiers, developed economies, led by the US, have consistently maintain the lead in creating the new world Information Order. More than $150 billion went into ICT research in the first quarter of 2007 and funding was provided almost entirely by Western economies. Only China and India featured on the list and even then, their contribution constituted just a fraction.

No African country featured on the table but South Africa occupied a notable position as one of the few countries among middle income countries investing in ICT research. For Nigeria where support infrastructure is still lacking, the race for investment has not started in spite of its much touted fast uptake of mobile phones.

"Mobile phones do not mean development even if they allow people to get more connected. There is more to ICT than just phones," said Samia Melhem, Senior Operations Officer, Policy Division (CITPO) and Chair, e-Development Thematic Group, Global Information and Communication Technology, The World Bank Group .

The demand for ICT has grown tremendously in the last few years creating sound bases for the evolvement of a new economy riding solely on the back of information. "Everything has gone soft. Soft switches, soft phones, soft communication, soft labour and even soft market," said Pindar Wong, Chairman of the Asia & Pacific Internet Association & Chairman of VeriFi ( Hong Kong ) Limited adding "But only the developed economies and a few new strong players like India and China are part of this new economy. Everyone is still outside."

Part of the submissions at the sessions included the fact that so-called digital divide also affects people within a country. For in stance, while India has made considerable progress in software development and has become a major money earner on applications export, a huge number of the population still cannot access the computer. Of its over 1.2 billion people, only about 20% to 30% could be said to have stable access to the information tools. In China , a similar situation exists.

But both countries have made appreciable progress in thinning out the lines between them and other countries and are in a better position to address the challenge of digital exclusions within their countries.

For countries and most of African countries, the threat of  digital or knowledge remains high, said Shola Taylor, foremost ICT consultant and one of the delegates at the event. Taylor, who is an ICT consultant to more than 25 African governments, warned that the continent's leaders must invest time, vision and money on ICT. "African leaders need to  make more practical commitment and need to realise that there is no alternative to entering the information age," said Taylor .

Nigeria mobile subscription is nearing 50 million as the ends  continuing its phenomenal growth. But critics say mobile high uptake of phone services must not be mistaken for real ICT growth as is becoming the case in many African countries. The fast uptake itself underlines the failure to invest in the more robust landline infrastructures.

"We need to get our priorities right. We must come to appreciate that robust infrastructures can only promote growth and until these basic infrastructures are there, we cannot even guaranty the sustainability of the mobile growth or other critical ICT services, said Dr John Dada, GK3 participant from Nigeria and coordinator of the Fantsuam Foundation, in Kafachan, Kaduna State.

More than 2000 participants attended the four day event declared open by Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak. Organised by Global Knowledge Partnership, GKP, the conference aims to connect grassroots knowledge with that of major institutions, corporations, and multinational organisations by building partnerships that harness the power of knowledge and ICT to eradicate poverty and improve lives.

In welcoming conference delegates and guests to GK3, Global Knowledge Partnership Executive Director and Chair of the Conference Working Committee Rinalia Abdul Rahim, said 'This GKP Event on the Future is a significant milestone for us. It not only marks a decade of GKP excellence in sharing knowledge and building partnerships, but also because it is taking place at a crucial turning point for humankind.

This is one moment in time where we really need to focus on solutions for change, which must take place at every level, for a sustainable future. Our way of life has to change, our way of doing business must change. More than ever we need to work harder to close the gap between those who have access to knowledge and information and those deprived of such access, in order to include everyone in the universal  effort to address global challenges and secure our collective future.'

GKP's Executive Committee Chair Walter Fust said, "GKP has always believed that development is not a one-way North to South process. Development takes place simultaneously at many levels and across many dimensions. We believe that sustainable and equitable development can only be achieved through the sharing of knowledge and the building of partnerships across sectors.".

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