Technology enthusiast Ms. Roseline Ilori called on all levels of government and stakeholders to invest heavily in technology; not just software development, but robotics, artificial intelligence, biomedicine, voice biometrics and many other areas of technology.
Ilori, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of Bridge57 Solutions Limited, made the call in a recent statement in Lagos.
According to her, such investments will boost manufacturing competitiveness through certification and traceability of goods and services, improved physical and cyber security, and more.
Illori said the government needs to be more proactive in making Nigeria’s tech environment friendlier as growth and interest in technology among young people is huge.
She noted that Nigerian technologists are among the most sought after in advanced economies, as relocation syndrome accounts for half of the tech brains the country has.
“The truth is that we’re not in an environment where technology can thrive, so governments have to do more on this to make more technology come to the fore.
“‘Jappa Syndrome’ has been a major challenge to our human capital potential, so more of these professionals need to be developed internally so that while some leave, more stay around to keep the country’s run.
According to the Bridge57 boss, Nigeria is still seriously behind in innovation as she believes that technology and innovation are completely different from what many people think.
She noted; “In innovation, we are still very far in Nigeria. For example, while I had the opportunity to do some training on innovation in some international organizations, I realized that a lot of people were talking about innovation, but very few people were going to Be innovative because a lot of people don’t really understand what innovation means.
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“With technology, yes, we’re doing well, but with innovation itself as a practice, we’re still behind. Innovation isn’t just technology, it’s deeper than technology. Innovation can be applied to processes, products, marketing, and business models. But technology can take advantage of innovation, and when innovation is often mentioned, people think it’s technology, but they’re two different things. They both need each other to thrive.”
However, the technologist also suggested that the government revamp Nigeria’s education curriculum across levels to accommodate the practical aspects of technology, giving early exposure to the nature of technology and innovation.
She said Nigerian children need to be exposed, encouraged and sensitized through the education system from a very early age, due to the enormous economic potential of technology and its ability to solve almost any cross-sectoral problem.
“Today’s technology has surpassed computers and smartphones because it encompasses so many things that, if properly exposed to practice by young people, can bring enormous economic potential and benefits to the country.
“So we had to redesign the curriculum to accommodate technology, innovation and robotics beyond the surface use of computers.
“There’s a lot of technology the government can tap into at our universities, but they have to first dedicate a lot of resources from the university to get students to open up about the practical aspects of technology.
“A practical approach that is closer to real life than the abstract lessons Nigerian kids are used to is what is needed to open their minds to the limitless possibilities of technology,” she said.
She asks young girls interested in the tech industry, considered a male-dominated industry, to stick to their abilities and abilities even though they may be small in number.
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