Nigeria Must Key Into The Smart City Initiative –Isa

National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Director-General, Dr Isa Pantami, said  Nigeria as the largest economy in Africa cannot afford to be left behind in the adoption of the Smart City initiative for economic transformation.

According to him, African governments, especially Nigeria as a regional leader, would need to do something about the new economy and its policy challenges in preparing for the disruption and pressure it brings to societies  in jobs and economic opportunities.

He spoke in Abuja during the presentation of the Draft Nigeria Smart Initiatives Policy Framework, (NSIPF), stressing the need to key into the Smart City Initiative to address the country’s socio-economic challenges such as insecurity, unemployment, terrorism and kidnapping, corruption, governance and democracy.

He said economic diversification, inefficient resource management, environmental and societal sustainability as well as climate change are other areas the Smart Initiatives would uplift the standard of living of the people.

He regretted that Africa does not have a strong foothold for now on the drive for Smart Cities at “a time the world is moving into internet economy, a hyper-connected world where data is most valuable asset”.

“This poses a significant threat to oil-based economy like Nigeria and other economies that depend largely on natural resources.

“The new digital economy fueled by technology innovation with advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Internet of Things, (IoTs) and Internet of Everything (IoE) promises to leave no sector untouched but only those who adapt very quickly to technological changes will derive the benefits that come with it,” Pantami said.

Source: The Nation