By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Digital, Information Communication Technology and Cyber-Security, Hon Adedeji Olajide Odidiomo has hinted that Africa needs to close technology divide with the rest of the world.
Hon Olajide Odidiomo said this at a roundtable Big Data Expo on the sidelines of the ongoing seminar on Cybersecurity for Belt and Road countries in Shanghai, China.
According to a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan on Thursday by the Special Adviser to the lawmaker on Media and Public Affairs, Tolu Mustapha, he noted that the technology gap between regions has significant implications for global economic development, innovation and cybersecurity.
” Investing in threat intelligence, incident response and digital forensic capabilities and fostering partnerships between government, private sector stakeholders and international organizations to promote knowledge sharing, technology transfer and joint research initiatives as ways through with the digital divide between Africa and other global technology world can be bridged”, he said
Hon Olajide maintained that Africa has made remarkable progress in recent years, with a surge in mobile penetration, internet adoption and digital innovation but however lamented that the continent still lags behind in critical areas such as infrastructure development, digital literacy and access to cutting-edge technologies.”
The Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Digital, Information Communication Technology and Cyber-Security proposed a multifaceted approach focusing on investing in robust digital infrastructure, including broadband connectivity, data centers and network security as part of solutions to the limitations to bridge this divide
He listed others Prioritizing education and training programmes in coding, data analysis, cybersecurity and emerging technologies, supporting innovation hubs, incubators and accelerators to foster a vibrant startup ecosystem.
Hon Olajide emphasized that closing the technology divide is not only a moral imperative but also an economic and strategic one, with far-reaching benefits for global economic growth, innovation and cybersecurity as africa’s digital economy is expected to grow by 15% annually for the next decade, with the continent having over 400 innovation hubs, with Nigeria, South Africa and Egypt leading the pack, and also mitigating the economic loss on cybersecurity threats which cost africa’s economy over $2 billion annually
