CWG canvasses framework to spur .NG adoption by 17.7m MSME

Austin Okere, chairman of the 2014 Nigeria Internet Governance Forum (NIGF) and founder and group chief executive officer, Computer Warehouse Group (CWG) plc, has highlighted the potential of digital explosion in Nigeria, specifically in the area of wealth creation, further adding that a framework for Internet governance is urgently needed, and must be targeted at Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME).

In his address to the NIGF, with the theme: “Harnessing Multi-Stakeholders’ Framework for Internet Governance and Economic Growth,” Okere also urged the forum to pay keen attention to speeding up .ng adoption. This, he added, can be achieved by ensuring that stakeholders within the MSME sub-sector of the economy, whose number Okere puts at excess of 17.7million, enrol for this national resource. Okere noted that the Internet has taken Africa by storm and Nigeria is no exception.

Hence, he stated that a recent World Bank study showed that 32.9 percent of Nigerians depend on new technologies such as high speed Internet data, broadband and Long Term Evolution (LTE) among others. Nigeria, according to him, ranked 8th out of a total of 212 member countries of United Nations (UN) in terms of number of Internet users, occupying the 128th spots in terms of Internet penetration.

He quoted the World Economic Forum as indicating that out of every 100 urban Nigerians, 50 accesses the internet monthly, 58 have internet enabled phones and 21 have smartphones. He said CWG is taking advantage of the glut in broadband capacity to launch a programme geared towards empowering MSME, tagged, ‘CWG 2.0’.

The aim of CWG 2.0, he said, to work with banks, and relevant government agencies like SMEDAN, ministry of trade and investment to provide affordable technology to help MSME’s to build capacity and attract credit to grow their businesses.

The initiative, Okere said, will enable the 17.7 MSME’s build sufficient capacity to employ an additional staff each. This will create an additional 17.7m jobs, fuelling inclusive growth.

He, therefore, urged NIGF led by the Local Multistakeholder Advisory Group (LMAG) and the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), the managers of .NG country code domain name to tap into this MSME in effort to populate .NG brand.

The Nigeria Internet Governance Forum (NIGF) is a renewed collaborative effort of internet stakeholders in the country led by the Local Multi-Stakeholder Advisory Group (LMAG) since 2012; to help provide a coordinated mechanism for domestic multi-stakeholders participation in the regional and global internet governance, and to help facilitate partnerships, coalitions and dialogues that redefine Nigeria position at regional and global IGF meetings.