Akwa Ibom and Oyo were recently honoured as the two most digitally-compliant states in Nigeria.
The award was given as part of the festivities to close out the Digital Nigeria Conference 2023, which was held at the International Conference Centre in Abuja and was organized by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Achieving this is no small feat. An emerging state like Akwa Ibom must adhere to stringent regulatory and digital transformation rules to become digitally compliant.
The fact that the southern Nigerian emerging markets—Akwa Ibom, Rivers, Enugu, Anambra, and Abia State—have low to middle income per capita but exhibit fast economic development rates as they establish their capital markets and industries is one of their best features. This opportunity must be seized by investors.
The government of Akwa Ibom State has established the rule of law and a supportive atmosphere, which have encouraged private sector investment. This strategy has been able to unlock some of the investments needed to bridge the large ICT infrastructure gap.
Solomon Eyo, Special Assistant to the Governor on Website and Multimedia, acknowledged the state’s leader, His Excellency, Umo Eno, and dedicated the prize to him. He emphasized the establishment of the Frank Ekpenyong-led ICT Directorate as part of the governor’s bigger agenda for the state.
“This initiative resulted in significant improvements, such as enhanced internet connectivity, the full automation of civil services, a modern state website for citizen engagement, and the use of official government emails.
“These digital advancements allow the governor to sign memos from anywhere, snowballing into the remarkable progress achieved within his first 60 days in office.”
ICT can come to life through the establishment of favourable conditions, such as the digitization of important regulatory frameworks. Numerous state governors in Nigeria’s South-South and South-East have acknowledged this truth. Several digitalized frameworks and initiatives have been implemented to establish a tech-friendly atmosphere.
Governments should create strong business cases to ensure the funding and success of digital technology projects, as emphasized by the OECD. They should also evaluate legal and regulatory frameworks to enable the utilization of digital opportunities.
At the Akwa Ibom Tech Week on Tuesday, Hanson Johnson, President of the Ibom Innovation Network, lauded the state’s recent achievements.
“In our journey towards becoming Africa’s New Tech Destination, Akwa Ibom State has provided us with fertile ground. Our infrastructure, from tech hubs to manageable internet connectivity and a peaceful environment to foster innovation”, Hanson said.
A key challenge for social inclusion in emerging markets is affordable and reliable connectivity. At the moment, it looks like the Akwa Ibom State governor is on course to tackle this.
