Minister tasks stakeholders in video technology on standards

The Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Adeniyi Adebayo has urged stakeholders in video technology to explore ways of creating job opportunities in Nigeria via advancement in video technology standards.

Adebayo made the call in his keynote address at the 2019 World Standards Day celebrated by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) on Thursday in Abuja.

The event with the theme: “Video Standards Create a Global Stage’’, focused on the role of standards in facilitating video innovations.

Adebayo, represented by the Minister of State, Hajiya Mariam Katagum said that the role of standards as the benchmark for the development of video technology could not be over-emphasised.

According to him, the advent of the global village has redefined international standards and development.

“It has also provided ample opportunity for nations to leverage on positive developments across the world, interact at a much faster rate and enjoy the benefits of international standardisation.

“Having standards recognised and respected all over the world means that a video encoded on one device can be decoded by another.

“This is regardless of the device being used, thus introducing economies of scale that help to grow the market and give innovators the confidence to invest in new video applications and services,’’ the minister said.

He pledged the ministry’s continued support to Nigeria’s participation in international standardisation programmes being coordinated by SON to ensure that the country derived optimal benefits from them.

“I understand that the celebration of standards across the world is an annual event observed by member countries and affiliates of three international standardisation bodies.

“These are the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and the International Telecommunications Union (ITU).’’

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He said ITU, ISO and IEC advances in video technology as a modern medium of expression had changed the world.

“It has revolutionised entertainment, connected friends and families across the globe, enriched our communication experiences and enabled major improvements in medical care and education.

“Also, according to the international standardisation bodies, international standards meet industry demand for powerful compression capabilities and enable smooth transitions to the next generation of video compression technology.

“This they say helps the industry to maximise returns on each wave of investment,” Adebayo said.

Earlier, Mr Osita Aboloma, the Director-General of SON, said that the gains in sophistication and accessibility of videos were built on the development and application of international standards.

Aboloma expressed SON’s commitment to continue to explore means of ensuring active participation of Nigerian stakeholders in standards development.

He, however, urged Nigerians to join the `quality vanguard’ by promoting self-regulation and ensure they demanded quality at all times.

Aboloma urged Nigerians to report unwholesome practices to SON.

(NAN)