FG sets 1.3 million Jobs Target in ICT by 2015

The Federal Government has set a target of 1.3 million jobs through the Information Communications Technology sector by 2015. The Minister of Communications, Mrs Omobolajo Johnson, disclosed this while speaking to ICT stakeholders at a round-table workshop in Lagos, on Thursday. She explained that the ICT sector had the capacity to create jobs in the country and that current estimation for job potential in the sector by 2015 was 1.3 million.

The Federal Government has set a target of 1.3 million jobs through the Information Communications Technology sector by 2015. The Minister of Communications, Mrs Omobolajo Johnson, disclosed this while speaking to ICT stakeholders at a round-table workshop in Lagos, on Thursday. She explained that the ICT sector had the capacity to create jobs in the country and that current estimation for job potential in the sector by 2015 was 1.3 million. The minister added that Nigeria lacked the requisite skills and capacity for offshore businesses because they were businesses of volume.
She said one of the challenges facing the sector was the disparate availability and uncoordinated development of ICT skills and capacity in the country.
This and many others, she asserted, were the reasons why there would be policy directions and interventions by the ministry in the sector.

Johnson said the ministry would contribute with other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to create an investor and business friendly environment.
This, according to her, will include the acceleration of the provision of infrastructure, especially power supply.

The minister, who pledged to work with other MDAs, said, “We will articulate e-government and m-government requirements, create an ICT centre in all ministries to ensure quality and value driven ICT services as well as refocus and strengthen agencies and parastatals under the new ministry’s supervision.”

Johnson further said that ICT would contribute five per cent to the country’s Gross Domestic Product by 2015.
She explained that the current GDP was 3.5 per cent, adding that in the next three years, ICT’s contribution to GDP would have increased by 1.5 per cent.

She said that by then, Internet users in the country would have increased to 70,000 people; Internet penetration, 34.0 per cent; broadband, 12 per cent; fixed penetration, 2.0 per cent, and mobile penetration, 80 per cent.

Johnson further revealed that the Federal Government might scrap the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission or streamline its activities into that of the Nigerian Communications Commission.

She said, “Stakeholders' call reverberate the need to merge two agencies for appropriate utilisation of the digital dividend that will result from the migration of broadcasting from analogue to digital by 2015.The freed up frequencies could be licensed to telecoms operators to provide services especially to drive broadband penetration.”

The minister explained that government’s direct intervention, which was of immediate priorities, would include the harmonisation of various disparate policies that currently govern the ICT sector.
Others are to accelerate the roll-out of broadband infrastructure; increase online presence of Nigerian businesses and institutions through collaborations and partnerships, especially through Public Private Partnership, among others.
Source: Punch Nigeria