…. tasks NASS on enabling legislations
A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Ayodele Arise has said President Bola Tinubu administration has made tremendous impact in promoting digital economy through deployment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
Senator Arise who represented Ekiti North Senatorial district between 2007-2011, gave the commendation on Sunday while speaking on Arise TV live monitored programme, The Morning Show.
He noted that Tinubu has used technology to promote transparency and accountability in digital economy and governance aside creating massive job opportunities for the younger generation.
Arise said: “This government has been using ICT in ways that we never experienced in the past and it is paying off and I know, and based on issues in terms of how much do we really have in the Central Bank of Nigeria. So, you look at it that they are using technology more and more everyday to determine how much do we have and everything is mostly online now.
“We can also look at the social safety net that the government has put in place. Before it was such a big challenge in the past to determine who is actually poor, and who do we give money to but now with the NINs but now if you are making payment to poor people, you have to first of all enroll them, they must have a NIN and you can determine exactly who you are giving the government money to.
“Some of these improvements we are seeing it on a daily basis and ofcourse, when we talk about applications of technology in security, we look at the drones.
“Nigeria is investing in drones, they are able to determine and look at where are these culprits, where are they hiding. Of course, it isn’t hundred percent an exact science yet because this is used cameras and by the time they know that you have viewed them, they might hide in some places. But the hiding places are diminishing and so technology is being deployed to assist in security architecture of our defense.
“Beyond that, you look at what is being done in the Communication Ministry, the young generation are being trained in large numbers to start developing applications and many of them are making stupendous money working with advanced countries without living in Nigeria and are being paid in dollars.
“So, we are seeing a lot of improvements in several places. But ofcourse, can we still do better, yes, I believe the government is relying on everyone to make contributions.
“It isn’t a government responsibility alone. In the United States, the Federal Government has its own budget, the states they do have but small business enterprises have always been the engine room that drives the economy of America. So, that’s what I think is being done in this country and someone like myself apart from the fact that I served four years in the Senate, I have never worked for the government anywhere.
“So, from day one, I have always believed in enterprise and I have always believed in doing things that would add value to this country, not only to myself.”
Senator Arise who incidentally was Chairman Senate Committee on Privatization while in the National Assembly urged the Parliament to initiative enabling legislations that would encourage indigenous operators in the ICT sector and ultimately, boost local production.
He said, “The NASS can make enabling laws that can say, okay, within 90 days of applying for any licensing in Nigeria, we should be able to grant it and that could be a policy of the government as well.
“The NASS can actually initiate such moves. They can also say, we must begin to manufacture products locally, those that are within our powers and I believe other government in the past had introduced such measures and that’s what gave birth to the likes of Zinox, who started building PCs in Nigeria.
“I think we should continue to encourage local production through legislation and Executive fiat as well . These are ways to encourage local production but this isn’t to say we should give room for exploitation and the lack of competitiveness. But I think those are ways that the NASS can assist the government in ensuring that we move forward.”
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