Nkem Begho advocates a mindset shift in leadership to bridge Nigeria’s digital divide
Obama Leader, Nkem Begho advocates a mindset shift in leadership to bridge Nigeria’s digital divide
Despite numerous largely uncoordinated efforts, Nigeria's digital divide remains extremely wide. Numerous individuals, groups, and even certain organizations and government parastatals continue to lack access to fundamental ICT infrastructures such as the internet, computers, and software.
Numerous peculiar factors have acted as a hindrance to efforts to bridge this divide. They include a lack of quality education, a lack of electrical power infrastructure, a meager income that forces many Nigerians to live in squalor, and a variety of other social and political factors.
Nkem Begho, a digital marketer and Obama Leader, believes that the most critical factor in bridging Nigeria's digital divide is having the right kind of leadership with the right kind of mindset.
Nkemdili Begho is one of the few women entrepreneurs in Nigeria's information technology sector. She founded Future Software Technology, an information technology company, in 2008.
After 12 years in the technology sector and being at the forefront of various innovations in the country, Nkem Begho believes that while we have made some progress in closing the divide as a country, we continue to lag behind other countries. We discussed ways to close the digital divide and foster innovation in Nigeria's tech ecosystem during this interview.
The Covid-19 pandemic exposed the true extent of Nigeria's digital divide, both within the country and between the country and other nations. Locally, there is a divide between those who can afford to pay for internet access and those who cannot.
At various points during the lockdown, schools physically closed and learning shifted to radio and television broadcasts, as the majority of families cannot afford for their children to learn online.
“There are children and adults who are isolated because they lack a phone, cannot access the internet, or the cost of data is prohibitively high,” Nkem noted.
Nigeria's broadband penetration rate was 45.02 percent at the end of 2020, according to data from the Nigerian Communications Commission. This represented a 7% year-over-year increase. Although the rate of growth increased from 6.32 percent in 2019 to 7% in 2020, it remains a slow rate in light of the country's projected population of 400 million by 2050.
To achieve digital economy readiness, the critical mass of youths in the country must be equipped with the necessary technology skills in order for them to act as creators rather than consumers.
As more businesses and organizations launch new initiatives, internet access will become more democratized and accessible. If young people now have access, they must also possess the technological skills necessary to leverage that access for creative purposes.
Without creation, the majority of what we do as a country will be to consume products from other countries, consuming more resources.
In Q2 2020, technology contributed 17.83 percent to the national GDP, but that figure fell to 9.91 percent in Q1 2021. The sector's contribution to GDP as a percentage of GDP has the potential to increase significantly more if the country has more creators, reducing the need to import software, hardware, and skills.
The policies that are required are not always technological in nature. One of the most critical areas is education. If we ask questions such as, 'How do we rethink education for the twenty-first century?' If new educational policies address the questions, 'How do we rethink education for the digital economy?' and 'How do we reform our curriculum so that it teaches the right thing?', we will have made a significant step toward bridging the digital divide locally and internationally.
“We need to ask ourselves whether we require the same system that the rest of the world has or whether we should prioritize our youngest citizens and ensure that those who wish to code can,” Nkem added.
While the issue of access is being addressed, the other component of ensuring that youth are equipped with the necessary digital skills from an early age must also be addressed. With both in place, when youth enter the workforce, they bring a greater set of skills to the table, and the country benefits from more cutting-edge solutions sourced locally to meet the needs of its growing population.
Beyond policies, a mindset shift in leadership is needed
While policies aimed at bridging the divide are necessary, attracting more people to the digital economy will largely depend on a mindset shift among the country's leaders.
As Begho put it, "it is truly a mindset shift that will bring about significant change, and that is one of the most difficult things to accomplish." Leaders must be willing to set aside personal and other interests if they truly desire to close the divide.
This shift will result in a significant shift in the way human capital is invested and the type of education they receive from the lowest to the highest levels. Additionally, it will ensure that digital skills are integrated into each stage.
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