Can Nigeria Leapfrog into
the Information Age?

It is morally and politically unacceptable that half of Nigeria’s population will be excluded in the affairs of the nation. Nigeria cannot become as developed as other countries if we continue denying educational and career opportunities to our women. Since Nigeria’s leaders are disproportionately men, it will be difficult for them to build a society that can nurture and utilize the talents of our daughters and sisters.

The contributions of Buchi Emecheta, Onyeka Onwenu and Chioma Ajunwa has proved that when we invest in our daughters’ education we grow as a nation.

Our 21st century vision should plan for Nigeria to compete in the high-tech fields. China launched satellites into space. India is the second leading exporter of computer software in the world. Yet, the average Indian is no more educated than the average Nigerian. Nigeria must get rid of its complex and realize that we can accomplish as much as China or India, if we set our focus in the right direction.

When and how did India get ahead of Nigeria in technology?

A circular cul de sac and residential area within Abuja Technology Village.

During the past 50 years, India invested heavily in technical education, introduced lots of computer courses and produced 250,000 scientists and engineers a year. The large pool of skilled computer programmers attracted many foreign companies, which would rather pay a $15,000-a-year salary to an Indian than pay a $60,000-a-year to an American. Today, India has its own Silicon Valley.

There are still opportunities in contract programming. Over 50,000 computer-related jobs with average salary of over $50,000 a year were created in Manhattan, a borough of the city of New York. That is over $2 billion a year pumped into the economy of Manhattan alone. Similarly, billions of dollars will be pumped into the economies of many cities.

We can pump $2 billion a year into the economy of Nigeria when we start selling our computer expertise the way we now export our soccer players to Europe. The reason is simple. Unlike natural resources, the high-technology industry is man-made and can be located in those countries that had the foresight to produce the best scientists and engineers. Information and knowledge are more valuable than money, automobiles, or petroleum. Brain-power, not natural resources, will be the basis for the economy of the 21st century.

Computers and the Internet will increase the productivity of African workers and therefore create wealth for the society. Why travel to Taiwan to purchase goods that can also be purchased over the Internet? Better still, why import from Taiwan what we can manufacture in Nigeria?

The deck of the proposed cable stayed bridge of the Abuja Technology Village which is adjacent to AIST [African Institute of Science and Technology].

Click on emeagwali.com for more information.