Smart City, tech hub investment to leverage growth across globe

ITREALMS:

With more interest in investing in technology innovation hubs as part of a Smart City investment strategy is critical to leveraging economic growth and bridging the development gap across emerging markets globally, reports ITRealms.

This is coming on the heels of the Middle East and Africa, slated for June this year, gets underway and tagged Smart Cities Global Summit 2018.

The Strategic Technology Advisor, Smart City Algiers, Dr Riad Hartani, said by implementing Smart City Strategies should be seen as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself.

“It provides the opportunity to leverage new leapfrog technologies, innovations models and investment strategies to adapt the various economic development roadmaps into an Internet and data first era, which will be with us for the coming decades" Hartaini said.

He also noted that the recent official launch of the Algiers Smart City Live Experimentation Lab and Technology Innovation Hub (www.SmartCityAlgiers.com) in Algiers, “is one of the pragmatic steps mapping such strategies into actions.” 

Further, he said, “From an emerging world perspective, smart cities strategies provide a catalyst framework to fundamentally address the key obstacles to fast tracking development: a relative isolation from the leading high tech innovation clusters, a high level of dependency on advanced technologies providers with little transfer of technology, and a fairly low level of confidence in building their own technology startup champions.”

ITRealms gathered that over 150 international speakers and 4,000 delegates, representing leading technology investors, Founders and CEOs, as well as government representatives, Smart City leaders and Industry Heads will feature at the two-day summit.


Chuks Egbune/GEE

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Ogun State enters Smart City map with MainOne partnership

ITREALMS:

The gateway state, Ogun State has entered the list of Nigerian states warming up for smart city with its latest partnership with MainOne, reports ITRealms.

MainOne, a communications service and network solutions company, ITRealms gathered, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Ogun State government to build two hundred and fifty (250) kilometres of Optic Fibre cable to further enhance internet connectivity for service institutions in commercial areas of the state, with a view to becoming the smart city.

While signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Secretary to Ogun State Government, Barrister Taiwo Adeoluwa, explained that technological infrastructure was part of the efforts of the government to take the State on the technological highway, and pave the path for Smart City development in Ogun State. According to Adeoluwa, MainOne would invest in building broadband infrastructure in Ogun State while Ogun State Government would enable ICT development by ensuring free Right of Way (RoW) to the company to ensure the success of the project.

The SSG who also hinted that the agreement would ensure the construction of data centre in Sagamu interchange said the target of the government was for Lagos to be feeding on Ogun. In his words, “We’ve been working hard and desperate to leave a system-driven environment. The MoU we have signed in the short term is for a 30-year tenure and that would tell you we’ve not done it for ourselves but for the benefit of Ogun State, our youths and children unborn.”

“Today, we are taking Ogun State to the next level, people still have no idea of what is erupting at the Business District but we what are doing now is in line with our resolve to deploy bigger infrastructure to support technological investors in the state. MainOne would be giving us points in 12 locations now; our model schools would be connected, the secretariat would be connected and other public buildings’’, Adeoluwa noted.

With this partnership with MainOne, Ogun State has joined the Smart City State train and is poised to enable its emergence as a leading technology hub in Nigeria, similar to MainOne’s initiatives in Yaba’s Innovation Hub. Experts believe this project will greatly improve quality of life for Ogun indigenes and accelerate the digital transformation of businesses across the state.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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SMART CITY: NCC to enhance connectivity, access in Edo State

ITRealms:

… Refurbishing two computer centres

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has advanced plans to enhance connectivity, access in Edo State, reports ITRealms.

This, ITRealms gathered is coming as NCC is to improve access to telecoms infrastructure and provide citizens of Edo State with world class telecoms and ICT facilities, spanning the refurbishing of two computer centres in tertiary institutions.

Disclosing this during a meeting between the Executive Governor of Edo State, Mr. Godwin Obaseki and the NCC, led by the Commission’s Executive Commissioner for Stakeholder Management, Mr Sunday Dare, at NCC headquarters, Wednesday, Dare commended the forward-looking policies of the Governor and assured him of the NCC’s readiness to support the achievement of the ICT aspirations of the State through the deployment of fiber infrastructure under the Commission’s InfraCo project and interventions by the Universal Service Provision Fund.

He noted that the NCC is aggressively driving accessibility to telecoms networks at all nooks and crannies of the Federation. He however regretted that situation with multiple taxation and regulation in some States of the Federation is counter-productive for the States – this is because they end up losing substantial revenues and developmental opportunities which could have been stimulated with the presence of telecoms infrastructure. He assured the Governor that NCC is keen to partner Edo State to achieve win-win solutions in the overall interests of the good people of Edo State.

In his remarks, the Governor noted that the Edo State Government is focused on exploring non-oil resources and has therefore articulated developmental priorities focusing on creating a sense of order (participative, accountable and open governance); and a sense of security, safety and stability necessary to attract requisite investments to develop the State. Since its developmental goals relies on the seamless availability of telecoms/ICT infrastructure, Edo State is passionate about the need to attract robust telecoms infrastructure to drive manufacturing, education and other socio-economic activities. As an example of the State’s forward-looking approach, the Governor noted that Edo State has always made provision for shared fiber ducts in its road projects and looks forward to engaging with NCC and operators to agree on fiber deployment projects and routes as necessary.

During the meeting, the Executive Secretary of the USPF, Mr Ayuba Shuaibu confirmed that the USPF has evaluated and agreed to support the College of Education in Benin City and the Institute of Continuing Education in Abudu, Edo State with a grant to establish a computer laboratory and provide Optic Fiber Connectivity to the institutions.

The Governor thanked the USPF for the gesture and emphasized that the State is committed to the deployment of technology solutions to enhance basic education delivery, skills development and economic opportunities for its citizens. Mr Dare assured the Governor of NCC’s support in this regard.

The parties therefore agreed to explore opportunities for partnership in the deployment of telecoms infrastructure in Edo State in a manner that supports the State’s developmental objectives and provides citizens with access to fast, efficient and  effective telecoms service whilst affording necessary protection for telecoms infrastructure in the State.

Chuks Egbune/GEE

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