As
Nigerians continue celebrating Google’s free WiFi gesture in Lagos, Kaduna, Port
Harcourt, Ibadan and Abuja, professionals have expressed mixed feelings on the
benefits and disadvantages of the development. Apart from the stakeholders’ views
reported by the news media on the development since the announcement of the
gesture by the Google Management, Nigerian professionals who reacted to Professor Ndubisi
Ekekwe’s advice on LinkedIn believe that there are positive and negative
outcomes ahead, despite Google’s conviction that free access to the Internet in
the target cities would
increase broadband penetration and enhance Nigerians’ benefits from the digital
economy.
In a
digital or knowledge economy, people and businesses are expected to shift from
the traditional economy that focuses on the use of land, labour and capital as
the main factors of production to the appropriation of information and
innovation, which could only be gleaned through adequate access to the Internet
resources. Over the years, Nigeria has been on the low status among countries
being ranked every year on the Knowledge Economy. In 2000, the country was
ranked 123rd and 118th in 2012, according to Knowledge
Economy Index.
Francis
Oguaju, a Business and Technology Advisor, notes that Nigerians’ searches
should not be compared with those in advanced countries because “People who belong to first
world countries can afford to waste all their time, searching frivolous things
on the web, because their founding fathers had done a great job for them,
meaning that with minimal effort they are likely to succeed. You cannot say the
same for an average Nigerian: the youths here need to work harder like the son
of a poor man, who should know that nothing is a given, every time must be well
spent. When we understand the conversation in this light, then we can craft the
right narrative, impressing it on the younger ones.”
Reacting
differently, Abiodun Oduniyi, a Finance Manager, says “We have only seen the 10
most searched by Nigerians and I think there are positives to take from them.
So for example, folks are searching how to prepare Banga soup.... this just
means there is an opportunity and a market those making food on say Instagram,
teach people how to make banga soup for a fee.” “We should bother about what
issues occupy the thoughts of our youths. It's very important because Nigeria
has not made significant shift in development thinking and practice that will
move the nation positively in the direction of progress. That's how kidnapping,
secret cults and radical Islamic behaviour became so attractive to Nigerian
youths. The consequences are here with us today. The dominant issues that
influence behaviour in every society must be in the direction of creative idea
generation that leads to innovation,” Chizor Wisdom Dike, another
professional says.
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