The Media Foundation for West Africa, MFWA, and its Nigeria-based national partner, the International Press Centre, IPC, has convened a public forum to discuss the progress, challenges, and prospects of Nigeria’s digital public infrastructure.
The forum, themed, “The Status of Digital Public Infrastructure in Nigeria: Progress, Challenges, and Prospects,” aims to improve the deployment, public awareness, and uptake of digital public infrastructure in the country.
Speaking during the event, Programme Director for Media and Good Governance, Media Foundation for West Africa, MFWA, Abigail Larbi, stressed the need for collaboration among stakeholders.
“As we stand on the threshold of a digital revolution, the need for open dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders has never been more critical. In Nigeria, the deployment of DPI and DPGs holds immense potential to transform the economy, improve access to education and healthcare, and empower all citizens.
“However, significant challenges remain, necessitating collective action and innovative solutions.
It is therefore timely and necessary to convene this forum to delve deeper into the status of DPI in Nigeria, its progress, challenges, and the way forward. Our forum today aims to achieve several objectives:
“Recent surveys reveal that 72% of Nigerians believe access to digital services is essential for development. This widespread recognition underscores the urgency of discussions on DPIs/DPGs. However, equally important is acknowledging that 68% of Nigerians express concerns about online data security. Building trust in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure is paramount.”
“There is a need to prioritize data privacy and cybersecurity measures to ensure that Nigerians feel safe and empowered to participate in the digital world,” she said.
Earlier, in her welcome remarks, Programmes Manager, International Press Center, Stella Nwofia, emphasized the significant role Nigerian journalists play in fostering awareness and championing DPI and DPGs, especially in a rapidly transforming digital environment.
“As conveyors of information and narrators of stories, these media practitioners possess the extraordinary ability to elevate public awareness about the transformative impact of DPIs and DPGs, encouraging thoughtful discourse among citizens, decision-makers, and various stakeholders.
“By illuminating the advantages, challenges, and prospects linked with DPIs and DPGs, Nigerian journalists are pivotal in molding public perception and influencing policies that will lead to fairer access to vital digital resources nationwide.
“Their investigative work, analytical pieces, and features empower communities with precise and pertinent information, thus equipping them to make informed decisions about their interactions with DPIs and DPGs.”
Also speaking, Special Adviser on Media to the Governor of Cross River State, Emmanuel Ogbeche, highlighted that the challenge of insecurity is a major threat to digital education across Nigeria, the subregion, and Africa as a whole.
Ogbeche gave an instance with the situation in the Northeast, with the challenge of Boko Haram terrorists destroying public masts and digital infrastructure is enormous, cutting off a whole section of citizens from communicating and accessing the right information.
“Therefore, it is incumbent upon the government to provide the requisite infrastructure. This is why it is important for the West Africa Foundation and IPC to bring attention to this issue, so that we can understand how to best utilize our resources.”
During the panel discussion and responding to how Nigerians can get digital public infrastructure like other countries, Director of the Digital Economy Development Department at the National Information Technology Development Agency, Dr. Engineer Salisu Kaka said, ”There is a lot of struggle in terms of educating the society and the people. Capital investment is something that requires collaboration, largely in the private sector, because private sectors are the ones making investments. The government’s role is to enable a safe and efficient space for investment.
“We are currently struggling through policies, guidelines, and standards that need to be put in place to ensure a business-friendly environment. It is important to learn from reality. If we want to improve, it is a global stride, just like when the internet initially came. It had its challenges, but now, if I ask all of us, the internet is as important as oxygen.
“Once there are disruptions, innovation comes out, but there are consequences. Therefore, the government has to ensure that necessary safeguards are provided in terms of technology, ethics, security, privacy, and that trust is built in society.”
