As Nigeria prepares for a commercial launch of the Fifth Generation (5G) technology, an aviation expert, Engineer Ifeanyi Ogochukwu, has stressed that 5G offers the country an opportunity to leapfrog her development.
Speaking to TechEconomy at June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta venue of this year’s Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) international conference on ‘Smart, Secure and Sustainable Nation’, Engr. Ogochukwu said the alignment of stakeholders in this regard will create an ecosystem with greater understanding of the value of 5G.
The Chief Technology Strategist at Debbie Mishael Consulting added that the new technology will speed up the adoption of broadband internet in the country and expedite the introduction of 5G wireless mobile for uptake in Internet of Things (IoT) solutions.
Engr. Ifeanyi Ogochukwu, a multiple-award winner speaks:
“First, we are in the digital era. Digital here means everything should be smart; connected machines, devices and other Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. Basically, we are going into a smart environment; smart cities, smart organisations and even smart individuals.
“So, what gives human comfort is that the smart solutions are secure. Without security your ‘smartness’ is useless. Security is the bedrock of smart cities and that makes it sustainable. For instance, if you have smart government platforms and solutions that are not secure you get exposed and such an environment is not sustainable. Therefore, the Nigeria Computer Society is saying there is a need to create a smart environment, protect it then the sustainability is guaranteed. People want to be sure their confidentiality is protected. Of course, enabling laws, Acts and policies on data privacy, speak to this. Even people are comfortable in a smart environment that is only when the long-term usage becomes sure. Now, it moves from the individual to businesses, and the government at all levels.
Tackling (physical) insecurity using smart technology
“One thing we need to understand is that Nigeria is not an island. It remains part of the global community. In other words, there are other nations facing similar challenges as Nigeria, however, it now depends on the adoption and usage of the available technology. The question is: Are our security agencies operating in silos with regards data or are they synchronized? Is Nigeria sharing intelligence?
“Is the government really adopting the technologies and using them for the purpose? Are we adopting technology in the public interest of not?
The technologies are there; whether it is drones, human tracking tools, etc. It is the application that should worry us.
Expectations on 5G
“5G is a game-changer. We should look beyond the elementary talks about 5G. 5G is going to leapfrog Nigeria’s economy if we adopt it in the manner it should. Nigeria’s economy is going to transform. It will radically digitalize the nation. It is important our people understand that everything is moving virtual, so an individual must understand the virtual environment; businesses and the government itself must appreciate what the virtual environment means for the economy.
“The alignment of stakeholders will create an ecosystem that understands the value of 5G – education, medicine, businesses, ecommerce, agriculture, logistics, financial applications; just name it. The bandwidth 5G provides is massive; a huge pipe and you can literally do everything on that pipe. It is something we should embrace and I am happy it is something we are embracing”, Engr. Ifeanyi Ogochukwu said.
No thoughts on SAFETY here. Security of the system without considerations for people’s health cannot lead to the sustainability mentioned in the article.