An Overview Of Technology Development In Nigeria Since Independence From Colonial Rule – Part 1
The impact of technology in the development of the world can not be overemphasised and narrowing it down to Nigeria, the giant of Africa had witnessed motion in technology and innovative advancement in the past sixty-two years of independence.
On the 1st of January 1980, The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST) was created to promote the growth and deployment of science and technology apparatus to enhance the pace of socio-economic development of the country through applicable technological inputs into productive activities in the nation.
The creation of FMST further led to the birth of 15 more technology inclined agencies including; National Board For Technology Incubation (NBTI), Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), The Nigerian Institute of Science Laboratory Technology (NISLT), Nigerian Institute For Trypanosomiasis And Onchocerciasis (NITR), National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), National Centre For Technology Management (NACETEM), National Office For Technology Acquisition And Promotion (NOTAP), Nigerian Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA) and National Space Research and Development Agency (NARSDA) among others.
The advent of these agencies could have equalled a rapid thrive in technology in Nigeria but the country seems to enjoy importation and being dependent on those who were once rated as her subordinates. A look at the feat of Nigerians in technology and other sectors outside the country shows that Nigeria is a mother to bright minds.
The Nigerian tech sector took a massive turn when the Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM) System was inaugurated in 2001 and this has led to millions of people being able to access mobile phones coupled with a rise in internet use by almost 50 per cent according to the Internet World Stats in 2019.
The Internet is an essential tool that has the potential to unite various parts of the world together and its introduction in Nigeria, further led to the creation of an online marketplace and the first tech start-up called Jumia. The birth of Jumia paved the way for more tech firms in the areas of health, agriculture, finance, banking, transportation, logistics, energy in Nigeria. These tech companies with great economic potential in Africa have garnered lots of funding internationally.
In the year 2020, an estimate of over 200 fintech companies was made in Nigeria with a view of about US$543 million revenue from the sector in 2022.
Efforts have been made by the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) through the conditional banking services approval for MTN Nigeria and Airtel Africa and the launch of the e-Naira in 2021. Opay, Paystack, Kuda, Interswitch, fair money are top fintech companies in Nigeria.
Farmcrowdy, payfarmer, Releaf groupfarma, Farmsponsor are a few out of the many agricultural technology-based companies that have grown and succeeded in Nigeria.
Gerocare, infodemics, Wellvis Health, Lifebank and GloEpid are all Nigerian health innovations that were given wide attention at the emergence of covid-19 and have proven to be of tremendous benefit to the nation. The health tech sector however still needs to be regulated by a competent health agency for a balance in operation.
Similarly, the educational system receive a great technological touch in 2021 at the launch of the first edtech company; uLesson. The company received funding of about $22.5 million from Nielsen Ventures, Tencent, Owl Ventures, TLcom Capital and Founder Collective. Other Nigerian edtech start-ups are AltSchool Africa, Edves, Edukoya, Stranerd etc.
Judging by the inventions of Nigerians in diaspora, it can be opined that Nigeria has all it takes to be on top of the technological game but is being delayed by various factors including corruption, poor leadership, lack of applicable policies etc which has been debated for centuries and without a proper look into these factors and taking of necessary actions, there won’t be sustainable economic growth and development in the country.
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