1. Nigeria’s Last Chance? ‘Gbenga Sesan Team Leader/Program Manager Paradigm Initiative Nigeria/Lagos Digital Village me@gbengasesan.com | www.gbengasesan.com www.pin.org.ng | www.lagosdigitalvillage.org.ng NiPRO Global Convention 2004 | Miami, Florida | December 11 2004

2. Present Momentum “Africa must get onboard… Right now! … Africa will be either on to the Information Age or off to the dark Agricultural Age … Africa is suffering from knowledge apartheid that forces its children to eat the crumbs from the dinner table of the information-affluent nations.” - Philip Emeagwali (www.emeagwali.com)  The same is true for Nigeria. We need to get it right for once, if only for the sake of ourselves and others who’re yet to be born  The present mobile (GSM) revolution in Nigeria has brought global attention. We can build on this momentum, and other positive efforts!  Our national IT Policy must be contextualised (to show commitment and leadership) within the framework of the subregional processes (West African Regional Telecommunications Association, ECOWAS eCommerce initiative, etc); regional efforts (NEPAD eAfrica Commission {www.nepad.org}, African Information Society Initiative {www.uneca.org/aisi}, AfriNIC {www.afrinic.net}, etc); and international agenda (World Summit on the Information Society, etc)

3. “Multi-stakeholder”  It’s not a buzz word, it’s the new reality. Multi-stakeholder partnerships are proving to be the best platforms on which best practice efforts can be delivered  The private sector needs to look beyond profit to consider Corporate Social Responsibility, not as a “tax escape mechanism” or “forced government decree” but as “common good”  Governments need to leave politics behind and embrace development and planting a smile on the face of citizens  Civil Society (used broadly to include the media, NGOs, academia and special interest groups – including youth, women and specially abled people) must remain as a vital link between business and politics  The effective cooperative atmosphere between these stakeholders in the national “project” will throw light on our dark past and give direction to our almost clueless future

4. Present Efforts  It’s not all about the bad and the ugly, there are good things happening in, around and about Nigeria!  While government initiatives require no extra praise (since that is the idea of electing them to serve us anyway), it is great to hear of the Abuja Technology Village, integration of ICT in school curriculum and equipping public schools with computers and internet access in Lagos State, etc  Civil society efforts such as the youth-led WSIS Policy Train {www.pin.org.ng}, Fantsuam Foundation’s programs in rural communities {www.fantsuam.org}, NigeriaNet {www.nigerianet.org}, www.cybercrime.org.ng and multistakeholder projects such as the Lagos Digital Village {www.lagosdigitalvillage.org.ng} and the Owerri Digital Village {www.youthfortechnology.org} reveal best practice efforts – the great things being done by Nigerians, especially the youth  This convention – and its eventual output – reveal the good too!

5. 10-point Agenda  For the purpose of the discussions at this event’s ICT sessions, we should look at the following agenda as cooperative platforms for our national multi-stakeholder engagements: FOCUS on Human Capacity Development for the different spheres of Nigeria’s ICT sector; INCREASE cooperation between organisations, networks, agencies and interest groups involved in Nigeria’s ICT sector in oredr to reduce undue duplication of efforts while maximising overall efficiency; CREATE awareness on existing ICT policy documents (Telecommunications Policy, Broadcasting Code, IT Policy), and review where necessary; ENCOURAGE active participation of young ICT professionals (at home or in the diaspora) in policy processes and the appropriate implementation; ENSURE adequate financing for ICT efforts that will benefit the Nigerian economy;

6. 10-point Agenda MAXIMIZE the skills, energies and talents of Nigerian ICT professionals at home and in the diaspora by involving them in country-level projects; REVIEW existing ICT-related school curricula in response to the challenges of the new Information Society, and introduce ICTs as an examinable subject in schools; INTRODUCE ICT Technology Parks (possibly within the larger framework) in Nigeria, beginning with the six geo-political regions and extending the same to all states; PROVIDE a mutually conducive operating environment for ICT service providers in order to increase access and reduce illiteracy; THROW political, legal and financial weight behind Nigeria’s National Policy on Information Technology in order to fulfill Nigeria’s vision of becoming an active player in the Information Society.

7. Nigeria’s Last Chance? ‘Gbenga Sesan Team Leader/Program Manager Paradigm Initiative Nigeria/Lagos Digital Village me@gbengasesan.com | www.gbengasesan.com www.pin.org.ng | www.lagosdigitalvillage.org.ng NiPRO Global Convention 2004 | Miami, Florida | December 11 2004