IT entrepreneur urges govt on data-driven culture

An Information Technology (IT) entrepreneur, Mr David Alozie has called on Government at all levels to promote a data-driven culture among the citizenry.

Alozie, who is the convener of Disruptive Africa Expo (DAX) told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday that a data-driven culture would ensure that the country plugged into the digital economy.

He said that government needed to be data-driven to ensure that companies were encouraged to provide data.

Alozie said that in the digital economy, data had become the new wealth, and it could be a personal asset, corporate asset or national asset.

According to him, there is need to have more data to help the Government render better services to the masses.

“Some decades ago, the internet became a worldwide sensation, making the world a digital economy.”

“There is the need to create awareness so that people will learn how to be collecting data to ensure efficiency in what they do.”

“Anything from your home appliances, clothes, wrist-watch, footwear, office infrastructures, bags can be connected to the internet to be tracked, monitored, and accumulate data for learning or control,” he said.

Alozie said that access to open data would support businesses, products and services, predict and manage risk.

He said that Nigerians do not have data-driven culture as most companies ran their businesses without storing data or information.

According to him, data is very essential for a smart city initiative to be effective and the overall improvement of the economy.

“Smart cities have hubs, which have sensors. The sensors will be collecting information, and once the information or data are stored, you have the platform to work faster; you can predict and achieve goals without much interference.”

“Imagine a Nigerian City; where there is health management, smart energy efficiency management, where there is no air pollution, where there is better water distribution and management.”

“Imagine a city where there is traffic management, better waste management, where government could make money and control all the car parks, through smart parking, all these are possible through the availability of data,” he said.