Power is essential for the development and achievement of smart and connected cities, an expert has said, stressing that power should not always be on the grid, hence the need to deploy renewables as well.
Oluwole Oyeniran, the Enterprise Technology & Performance leader for Deloitte in West Africa, who gave this hint in Lagos recently, added that power is one of the key essentials needed for the objective of building smart cities to be achieved.
Oyeniran spoke at the 2024 annual conference of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), Nigeria Group, which had as theme, ‘Building a Smart and Connected Nigeria: The Role of Technology Infrastructure.’
The conference noted that seven years after Nigeria launched an ambitious smart city initiative tagged ‘Nigeria Smart City Initiative’ (NSCI), nothing good or specific has really come out of it just as the project, which focused on transforming Lagos, Abuja and Kaduna, is yet to take a bite.
Oyeniran, who was the keynote speaker at the conference, noted that “there are challenges but solutions have to be worked out; options have to be explored and awareness of the issues have to be created.”
He noted that Nigeria has enough or even multiple agencies which should be able to cut through and achieve results, regretting, however, that these agencies operate in silos and are, therefore, unable to harness the resources of the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) which are needed for optimal functioning of smart and connected cities.
He gave example of Songdo in South Korea, a smart city from foundation, built ground up as a smart city, which is self-sustaining, self-managed, and cheaper to run than a normal city. “Everything is managed by AI and IoT. Water and power are optimised and supplied as required,” he said.
He gave another example of Neom, a smart city being built by the Saudi Arabian government which, when completed, is going to be a model of what a smart city should be. According to him, the Saudi Kingdom, a major petroleum resources play maker, is using the project to show the world that there is value in renewable energy.
Linda Patunola-Ajayi, the outgoing chairman of RICS Nigeria Group, noted that the theme of the conference, “speaks directly to one of the most urgent and transformative opportunities for our country.
“At a time when digital transformation is reshaping economies and societies across the globe, Nigeria stands at a pivotal juncture. How we embrace and invest in technology infrastructure will determine the extent to which we can unlock our potential as a smart, connected and globally competitive nation,” she said.
The new chairman, Tayo Odunsi, pledged to continue the tradition that had been handed over by past executives and leaders of the group, enjoining professionals in the built sector to join RICS to boost their careers. He added that the reduction in membership fees that has been approved for Nigeria is a major boost for new members to join.
He appealed to land surveyors, estate surveyors, project managers, and even students, to take advantage of the opportunity to become members.
Join BusinessDay whatsapp Channel, to stay up to date
Open In Whatsapp
