NCS Calls for Eradication of Poverty Through ICT

[Richard Akindele]

The Nigerian Computer Society has called for the eradication of rural poverty through the deployment of Information Technology.

NSC stated this in a communiqué made available to THISDAY by its President,Dr Chris Nwamena after its 20th National Conference and Annual General Meeting of the Society.

The conference stated that the penetration of Information Technology by private and public sectors into the rural areas will go a log way into reducing poverty.It called on NITDA,to pioneer IT rural penetration and diffusion by embarking on life impacting IT projects which would accelerate the development of rural Nigeria before the first quarter of the first century.The Comunique lamented the high cost of internet usage in the country and noted that this might constitute an obstacle to rural internet diffusion.IT advocated that the Unified Licensing System set to be introduced into the country be encouraged as it would mitigate the problem.

It stated that the actualization of the objectives of the Federal Government's National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy NEEDS cannot be fully realized without effective deployment of ICT in rural communities.The Communique called on tertiary institutions in the country to to improve on its quality of graduates and imbibe technical competence in the face of gross inadequacies in class room infrasctructure.

Professionals at the conference also resolved that Government should encourage the establishment of IT parks as a means of leapfrogging the IT Diffusion gap by the provision of basic infrasctructure like roads,electricity,road and telephone grid that will enable the rural communities join the rest of the world in creating wealth through technology.This they stated will enhance the living standards of the rural people and maximize the technical manpower resources that abound in the hintherlands for increased national productivity.and welth creation.They called on the government to embrace and encourage research in solar solar energy for powering IT in rural areas through public sector partnership,

The conference also called on local government chairmen to develop a blue print for SEEDS and IT deployment at the local government levels by a state strategy officer.

The communiqué also resolved that e-learning and virtual classroom technology had become an inevitable toolfor expanding educational opportunities to remote communities and called for the encouragement of its diffusion and deployment by the federal government.

This Day

[Richard Akindele]

How exactly is Internet access in rural areas going to end poverty?

As far as I know, rural areas lack good roads, stable electricity, reliable phone systems, etc.

Without these infrasructure in place, how is Internet access supposed to benefit the people, let alone end poverty?

First plan on bringing stable electricity, good roads, good healthcare, etc to the rural areas. Once these things are in place, then you can contemplate providing Internet access.

Who are these shallow thinkers out there who don't seem to understand very simple principles?