Why Nigeria needs more ICT contents in local languages – Teniola

Efforts should be directed to make ICT content available in local languages if they are to be demystified, adopted and utilized by the local user, opined Mr. Olusola Teniola, president of the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).

He made the statement during a presentation at a recent IT and Telecom Summit held in Lagos, noting that the evident digital divide can be narrowed and poverty reduction addressed through effective and focused utilization of ICTs in key sectors such as education, industry and agriculture.

He emphasized that the adoption of ICT requires a business environment that encourages open competition, trust and security, interoperability, standardization and financial resources for ICT development.

This, Mr. Teniola said, requires the urgent implementation of sustainable measures to improve access to the internet and telecommunication infrastructure and increase ICT literacy as well as development of local internet based content.

According to the ATCON President, Africa countries like most developing countries still depend on content developed and managed in the developed world and as a result substantial costs are incurred while trying to access this content.

“Efforts should be directed to make ICT content available in local languages if they are to be demystified, adopted and utilized by the local user,

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“ICT’s goals in Nigeria should be to establish an environment that encourages networking of services and applications; promoting programmes for goods and services; promoting internet access to exchanges and access to digital content; establishing e-government; promoting e-education and online service; strengthen network security; building and develop an e-society and our ICT human capacity.

“The benefits of liberalizing the telecom and ICT sector will not accrue to Nigeria’s teeming population until necessary actions are taken by the Nigerian government at all levels through strategic collaboration with a country that has already shown a Science and Technology development and achievement in their own country.

“I think one of such countries that Nigeria should extend its hand of partnership to should be India, as they have demonstrated a lot of interest in ICT and also in Nigeria in terms of bilateral trade and technology transfer”, he added.