Harnessing ICTs for Development in Nigeria:

1. Harnessing ICTs for Development in Nigeria: Issues, Challenges and Opportunities Discussion Paper by Dr. Chii Akporji The World Bank Group, Washington D.C.

2. The world has turned into one giant cell phone… “Investment in infrastructure such as telecommunications is crucial for Africa’s economic development. The private sector can play an important role in fulfilling that need.” Mo Ibrahim Founder of Celtel

3. Agenda • Introduction to ICTs and Development • ICTs in Africa • ICTs in Nigeria • Satellite Communications • Opportunities • Recommendations

4. Types of ICTs • Satellite Communications • Internet • Radio • Television • Cell phones • Telephone • Telephony • GIS • e-Learning • e-Commerce • e-Governance

5. ICTs 4 Development – Factoids • In the past few decades, information and communication technology (ICT) has transformed the world. • Its potential for reducing poverty and fostering growth in developing countries has increased rapidly. • Mobile telephones provide market links for farmers and entrepreneurs. • The Internet delivers vital knowledge to schools and hospitals.

6. ICTs 4 Development –Factoids (Cont’d) • Computers improve public and private services, and increase productivity and participation. • ICTs plays a vital role in advancing economic growth and reducing poverty. • By connecting people and places, ICT has played a vital role in national, regional, and global development, and holds enormous promise for the future. • ICTs can only serve as effective tools of broad-based development, poverty reduction and opportunity for all, if people in every corner of developing countries—and at all levels of society—have reliable and affordable access to them.

8. Empowering rural women through ICTs Beyond providing much needed communication access, the Village Phone model goes a long way to empower the women operators, spur economic activities and promote entrepreneurship.

9. ICTs help our kids to better and more effective education “Technology will enable young people to tap into the mainstream of information and knowledge, where they learn and play, expand their imagination and creativity, and collaborate with their peers across the African continent and the world.”

10. ICTs in Nigeria

11. Quick Facts • The Nigeria telecommunications sector is rated the fastest growing in Africa and the eighth in the world. • It has attracted more than $12 billion into the economy in seven years, while the Federal Government has earned revenue of about $2.5 billion over the same period. • Average annual growth rate for the number of mobile and fixed line subscribers had been 125 per cent since 2000. • Nigeria has the most competitive ICT market in Africa, with service providers fighting for the growing market share. • In October 2008, Nigeria’s telecommunications sector had 59 million active lines, with Africa’s highest teledensity of 42.3 per cent.

12. Quick Facts • Out of Nigeria’s 59 million active phones, only about 13 million were in the rural areas, where 80 per cent of the population resided. • Ensuring that networks receive an optimum quality of service remains a challenge. A small network capacity has prevented operators from broadening their network fast enough to satisfy more and more subscribers. • Poor telecommunications infrastructure had slowed down the rapid launch of network resources, which would otherwise improve the quality of ICT services. • By the end of 2007, Nigeria had 117 Internet service providers with 1.52 subscribers and 6.75 users per 100 inhabitants.

14. Sector Performance (Cont’d.)

15. ICTs in Nigeria: Internet Users and Fixed Broadband Subscribers

16. ICTs in Nigeria – The Case of Radio • Radio broadcasting was introduced into Nigeria as a form of distribution system in 1933. The Post & Telegraph received and re- transmitted via the wire system of BBC News, which was later called Radio Diffusion system. • In 1939, a station was opened in Ibadan, Kano Station was commissioned in 1949 while between 1945 to 1949 stations had been opened in towns like Kaduna, Enugu, Abeokuta, Ijebu-Ode, Jos, Zaria, Calabar and Port-Harcourt as relay stations. • The Nigerian Broadcasting Services {NBS} which was established on April 1, 1951, later transformed into the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation {NBC} under the NBC Act No. 39 of 1956.

17. ICTs in Nigeria – The Case of Radio • By 1st January, 1962, Voice of Nigeria (VON) was launched as the International Service of Radio Nigeria covering West Africa, East Central & Southern Africa, North Africa & other parts of the world. • VON was later excised from Radio Nigeria on January 5, 1990. • The first FM in Nigeria was commissioned on April 22, 1977. It was known then as Radio Nigeria 2. • A year later when NBC was reorganized, the state stations were handed over to State Governments NBC was left with only Lagos, Ibadan, Enugu & Kaduna which became Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN).

18. ICTs in Nigeria – The Case of Radio • Decree no. 38 of 1992 gave birth to National Broadcasting Commission, which regulates broadcasting in Nigeria. • With the deregulation of broadcasting in Nigeria, FRCN ceased to benefit from the monopoly of radio broadcasting; giving room for quality programming & value for money. • At the last count, there are more than 100 Radio Stations now operating in Nigeria. The only challenge is that the commercial Radio Stations are concentrated in the urban cities with the exception of FRCN 32 FM Project which was established as a grass-root/ community Radio.

19. Harnessing their impact • Federal run radio stations • State run radio stations • Role of private sector • Community radios • Internet radios • Campus radios • Etc.