IfG.CC -
Institute for eGovernment

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami has said that the digital economy will contribute more than 45% to Nigeria’s GDP, as the contribution of the ICT sector alone is now approximately 17%.

The Minister made this known while speaking at the virtual Nigeria Internet Governance Forum 2020 (vNIGF) with the theme: “Achieving Inclusive Digital Economic Development in the Post-Covid 19 Era”.

The Digital India programme has witnessed a consistent upward growth trajectory, achieving numerous milestones and dotted with major milestones and flagship initiatives.

Information technology and communication technologies have huge potential to provide new opportunities and challenges for developing economies. Since the wave of liberalisation in the 1990’s, India has harnessed technologies along with vast economic reforms to open up Indian markets to global businesses and investments. However, in the recent past, the Indian leadership’s focus on amplifying digitisation has deepened and they have begun to acknowledge the potential to transform India into a true technology leader.

What do you think about when you hear the word smart cities? Flying cars and droids (from Star Wars) taking over human jobs? Well not just yet. Realistically, a smart city seeks to improve the quality of life for citizens by using smart technologies and data analysis…to put it simply.

The value of a smart city lies not in the deployment of several technologies, but rather in the application of these technologies. For instance, a city’s technical infrastructure, which enables people to live and work there while utilizing its resources, would largely decide just how smart the city is.

Abu Dhabi’s digital economy will be boosted through the launch of Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) cloud infrastructure region in the UAE, as part of the Abu Dhabi Investment Office’s (ADIO) efforts to attract investments that build technology capabilities.

The arrival of the AWS Middle East (UAE) Region in the first half of 2022 will accelerate cloud adoption and empower organisations to innovate faster. It will further enhance the access organisations have to advanced technologies from the world’s leading cloud services provider, helping them to innovate and digitally transform across Abu Dhabi and the wider UAE.

Abu Dhabi links up with Amazon Web Services for plan to launch of cloud technology region in the first half of 2022

An Amazon Web Services region is being created in Abu Dhabi next year as part of the emirate's efforts to attract investments that build technology capabilities.

Abu Dhabi Investment Office said Abu Dhabi’s digital economy will be boosted through the launch of the AWS Middle East (UAE) Region in the first half of 2022 which aims to accelerate cloud adoption and empower organisations to innovate faster.

This is according to the 2012 Global Information Technology Report, and it is a sentiment that is mirrored by MTN Business.

"South Africa has for many years been seen as the gateway to the African continent and while certainly in many cases it still is, other African countries are fast finding their own momentum," says Johnny Aucamp, GM of strategic relations and business development Africa at MTN Business. "In fact, looking at the latest 2012 Global Information Technology Report, one could go as far as to say that in many cases, Africa is fast-tracking the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) to advance the progress of society and business."

Addressing the ICT Indaba in Cape Town, he said ICTs could be used to transform the African economy into a knowledge-based one.

“... We must remain aware that the biggest commodity in the world today is knowledge, and the ability to generate, access, and distribute knowledge have become key determinants for a higher developmental trajectory for any nation.”

Huawei Technologies hosted the Digital Africa Summit, which took place during AfricaCom, earlier this week , with expert speakers engaging on Africa’s digital transformation, the strides made during the Covid 19 pandemic and the path still ahead.

While Africa has come far in the past 18 months in its digital transformation, there is still much potential to fully embrace digital transformation and equip the continent’s youth with the skills they need to thrive in a digital economy.

The development of stronger, more integrated digital economies in the Asia-Pacific region will be the focus of the APEC Ministerial Meeting on Telecommunications and Information (TEL) on 7-8 August 2012 in St Petersburg, Russia.

APEC Ministers will consider actions and proposals put forward by APEC senior telecommunications officials who concluded their strategic and technical meeting here on Monday. The goal is to advance practical policies that improve confidence in information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure across APEC economies.

In back-to-back summits over five days, they will seek ways and means of mobilising human, technical and financial resources needed to deploy ICT to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, promote gender equality and empowerment of women, reduce child mortality, combat malaria, HIV/AIDS and other diseases, ensure environmental sustainability, public safety, and development of global partnerships for sustainable development.

National Information and Communications Technology Australia (NICTA) will receive an additional $42 million in 2015-16 in an effort to support Australia’s digital economy and help continue Australia’s economic strength beyond the mining boom, according to the government.

Since the release of the World Economic Forum’s Information Technology Index earlier this year, AIIA has expressed concern that Australia’s global ranking has continued to fall and that we rank particularly poorly in terms of the importance of ICT to government vision and in government promotion of ICT.

Communications minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, has revealed that a memorandum of understanding has been signed between the Australian Information Industry Association (AIIA) and his department.

The MoU between the AIIA and the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy was announced yesterday by Conroy at an AIIA sponsored event — "NBN, Cloud and the Digital Economy" in Sydney.

Communications spokesman Malcolm Turnbull unveiled the initiatives in the Coalition’s Policy for E-Government and the Digital Economy on Monday.

“In this document we set out a range of important policy measures that will super charge Australia’s government role in the digital economy of the 21st century,” Mr Turnbull told a press conference in Melbourne.

These developments are also referred to as the Internet of Things, of which the digital economy will play a key role.

National Information and Communications Technology Australia (NICTA) has received an extra $42 million in 2015-2016 from the Rudd Government to help support the digital economy.

This brings the total Rudd Government investment in NICTA to $130 million during the next three years. The funding is already included in the Budget.

Brisbane City Council has begun an audit to find 25 "digital champions" among the capital's 50,000 businesses ahead of the launch of the city's first digital strategy in December.

The city's move follows the appointment in July of chief digital officer Kieran O'Hea, who has been charged with boosting technology uptake and turning Brisbane into a hub for digital businesses.

The world is witnessing an accelerated pace in digitisation, driven by the mass adoption of smart and connected ICT by consumers, businesses and governments. In Australia, government agencies are looking for ways to make the most of digitisation to enhance their services, achieve internal efficiencies, and improve the lives and prosperity of citizens.

Today, the information economy is no longer a concept; it is an economic and social reality affecting every aspect of our lives. Although ICT is an emerging sector, it is fast catching up and even exceeding the economic contribution of many traditional areas of our economy.

It started with the music industry, followed by the publishing industry. The retail sector is learning its lessons the hard way but it is now beginning to understand the new environment. The entertainment industry is still trying to stop the tsunami by employing armies of lawyers, but it will soon also be engulfed by the changes. The banking sector is making a much smoother transition, while the demise of Kodak is another example of ‘missing the boat’.