Economist Urges Federal Government to Invest On ICT To Boost Economy

A U.S-based economist, Ms Munat Roberts, urged the Federal Government to invest on Information Communication Technologies (ICTs), especially in the education sector to boost the economy.

Roberts made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Monday.

She said that children between the ages of 8 and 17 had not been given priority in government’s programmes to explore the benefits of ICTs.

The economist, who is also the Chairperson, West Coast Economic Summit (WCES), said the organisation would soon organise a junior technology innovation camp for children abroad.

She said they children will be trained for two weeks in ICTs related programmes such as a Robotic Engineering, Apples Programme and development of Apples for their phones.

She added that It is going to be a campus-based experience and with that they will start a foundation for young children training in the area of technology.

Roberts lamented on lack of such programmes in Nigeria for that age bracket. The focus has been on older people and no space for the younger ones.

She urged the government to support the Small Medium Enterprise as drivers of the economy, and also educate prospective investors on the requirements of investing in the country.

She, however, called on the Nigeria Investment Promotion Council to educate investors on “One-Stop-Shop’’ to provide them with information on modalities of doing business in the country.

Meanwhile, Roberts has commended the Federal Government for the implementation of the new electricity tariff.