Reimagining the Niger Delta: ICT for development & role of NDDC

In January this year we wrote on an ICT outlook for 2016. There was inertia from the groundwork of the last administration which one was excited to see sustained and built upon. The blueprint for Nigeria was published, and the NCC’s 8 Point Agenda was released putting Broadband as no. 1 on the agenda.

The 2.6GHz was auctioned in which only MTN paid for and got the license. Now all the telecoms operators are rolling out ‘4G LTE’ yet one can’t help but feel that things are going just a bit slowly. The TowerCo consolidations are still yet to expand the total asset base, and new infra­structure build out is facing similar long drawn permitting challenges; a testament to the World Bank’s rank­ing of 170th out of 190 in the Ease of Doing Business charts. Things just take a lot longer than they should.

In white papers submitted to the Transition Committee and the Presidency we recommended that the primary role of this government would be to provide an enabling environment for the Private Sector to get on with delivering develop­ment, jobs, and economic activity.

 

It is for a similar reason and for such an enabling environment that the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) was estab­lished; to ensure the balanced and sustainable socio-economic development of the Niger Delta Region, but a recent flurry of head­lines have raised some cause for concern.

 

Various independent meetings with splintered groups of militants, one billion barrels of oil found in Bayelsa, a ten billion dollar reconstruction fund, and a lack of traction in infrastructure and ICT solutions that deliver bet­ter connectivity and security to the Niger Delta region as a whole. Who exactly is in charge of a consolidat­ed and unified development plan for the Niger Delta Region? The Ministry of Petroleum? The State Governors? Or the NDDC? Who will manage the reconstruction (or infrastructure development) fund, and will ICT be forgotten off the agenda yet again

In 2013 we contributed to the National Integrated Infrastructure Masterplan (NIIMP) emphasizing the need for having ICT infrastruc­ture as one of the top 4 economy enabling infrastructure to deliver

dividends across all areas of the econ­omy. We argued that although expan­sion and diversification into agricul­ture and other extractive industries (solid minerals) was laudable it had a long delivery life cycle, while ICT’s contribution to GDP could happen in a much shorter life cycle. Every one now quotes the World Bank’s 1.3% contribution to GDP for every 10% growth in Broadband Penetration but still it feels this potentially is really not being taken seriously.

Let’s spell it out. Primary infra­structure that is required is Power, Roads, Telecommunications/ICT, and Water. These are considered enabling infrastructure. On top of that sit health, transport, and all other social services. Without Primary enabling infrastructure all other social infrastructure is difficult to build and support. And in so do­ing we proposed that for every new road built, or pipeline, or powerline, ICT infrastructure could be built alongside it. As part of the NIIMP one quick win for ICT was “the expansion of broadband connectivity in order to make internet connectivity from landing points available to the end-users across the country”.

And this is where a coordinated implementation office is required. Will this sit in the office of the Presi­dent? Or at the NDDC? Will the leaders of the NDDC be involved in

the management of the fund? With all these plans in the air, which plan is it that will actually be followed? Because the Niger Delta region needs improved CCTV connectiv­ity to improve security, it needs more telecoms coverage to ensure information can be effectively and adequately passed, it needs more roads with fibre ducting connected to major cities to serve the opera­tions of not just the oil companies but the other companies looking to build an ecosystem in the region.

For National security purposes the country itself needs other landing points within the NDR to ensure always-on connectivity to the rest of the world. And it is in building this infrastructure that the otherwise nefariously engaged restless could be gainfully engaged in building a community they can be proud of. Within months a young trainee could be programming and earning foreign currency from multination­als, especially skillful students could be engaged as security operatives known as White Hacks, and those who prefer to be in the field could be installing communications ra­dios, towers, for increased 4G LTE coverage.

Instead there seems to be a lacuna in the actual leadership of development in the Niger Delta region, those who are appointed  the management of the fund? With all these plans in the air, which plan is it that will actually be followed?

 

Because the Niger Delta region needs improved CCTV connectiv­ity to improve security, it needs more telecoms coverage to ensure information can be effectively and adequately passed, it needs more roads with fibre ducting connected to major cities to serve the opera­tions of not just the oil companies but the other companies looking to build an ecosystem in the region.

For National security purposes the country itself needs other landing points within the NDR to ensure always-on connectivity to the rest of the world. And it is in building this infrastructure that the otherwise nefariously engaged restless could be gainfully engaged in building a community they can be proud of. Within months a young trainee could be programming and earning foreign currency from multination­als, especially skillful students could be engaged as security operatives known as White Hacks, and those who prefer to be in the field could be installing communications ra­dios, towers, for increased 4G LTE coverage.

Instead there seems to be a lacuna in the actual leadership of development in the Niger Delta region, those who are appointed and engaged to do the job do not seem to be doing it or have not been equipped to do it. And this concern seems to be symbolic of the larger entity of Nigeria. Things just seem to be very slow and taking some time to be executed and when it comes to building infrastructure and sta­bilising the development landscape we would like to see a greater sense of urgency.

 

Cisco’s John Chambers in a recent article in Fortune.com said and we paraphrase ‘Leaders are focused on the symptoms of the problems such as tax and trade policies, but we believe that digitiza­tion – the intelligent connection of people, process, data and things will be the key to how countries maintain competitiveness, foster innovation, and create jobs. Unfortunately, most countries, lack the digital infrastruc­ture needed to lead.

So to conclude, if Nigeria is to lead Africa again, and set a shining example, and if oil is still going to be the main stay of the economy for some time, then the leadership for digitization must begin in the Niger Delta Region, and that begins with the building of digital infrastructure.