THE Lagos State government has expressed its readiness to become Google’s hub of initiatives in Africa.
The state Governor, Babatunde Fashola, who said this, while receiving the team of Google Inc, led by its Executive Chairman, Mr. Eric Schmidt, at the weekend in Lagos, stated that in spite of the huge investment his administration has made in infrastructure development to meet the needs of the increasing population, it was clear to his team that the future of the state’s economy lay in the development of Information Technology.
According to the governor, who had earlier asked some members of the state government’s team to speak on the activities of their ministries as it relates to information technology, “While we were bringing in economic relief, opening up opportunities, attracting investment, what would be the future on which the economy of our State would be built was clear to us and that is Information Technology.”
Explaining the reason for the huge investment on infrastructure development, Governor Fashola said there was a conscious decision that the population had outstripped the infrastructure “and we thought the quickest way to bring relief to the economy was first to invest on infrastructure – bridges, roads, schools train and so on –“, adding, “however, we were clear in our minds that we could not build forever.”
Noting that the establishment of Innovative Council in the state was to explore ways the State could benefit from Information Technology, Governor Fashola said his administration has been working ahead to establish infrastructure for Information Technology in the state.
He told the Google team, “all you have heard about providing Right of Way, at cost not at profit, was not accidental. It was clear to us that the profit lies ahead. We had many arguments and many fights in a bid to answer the question, do we want to make money now and make no money in future? Do we want to lose the opportunity to the competition? We are conscious of the fact that if any other state does it, we lose the business.”
Fashola, who said that his administration has also taken the IT campaign to the state’s schools, declared, “this is the language our children find easier to communicate with themselves. So, it is no longer about us, it is about them. I do believe we will drive them through.”
He added, however, that the building of infrastructure as well as enlightenment on IT, which his administration was engaged in meanwhile were “for the medium and long term” adding, Infrastructure is only the starting point to enable people get in.”
On areas of partnership with the company, Governor Fashola, who listed the state’s university, Ojo and the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), among others, said he would like the focus of the partnership to be on access and the opportunities that the university could get from Google.
He said his administration would also like the company to focus on what to do with the small businesses that already exist “in terms of making them accessible to the current capacity that exists so that people can interlink them and thus building a wider pool of businesses.”
Fashola also drew the attention of the company to the plans of his administration to make Katangowa, a blighted suburb of the State, “a major IT hub,” saying it would enable the state government locate the IT appliances, tools and others, as well as, the market in a residential area.
“For us, it can become a major IT hub. It is a few kilometre away from the state university. We are thinking of an IT warehouse and just taking everybody to the place,” the governor said adding, “I think what we have decided a few weeks ago is that Government will take the lead and that we are going to put buildings, shops and warehouses there and hope that people will follow us.”
The governor, however, said power was the only limiting factor at the moment adding that if there were adequate and uninterrupted power, “everybody will find his point of entry.”
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