LCCI commits to infrastructure development policy advocacy
By Felicia Nwosu
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry has reiterated its unrelenting commitment to be at the forefront of championing policies and initiatives that will promote the efficient deployment of digital infrastructure to accelerate the achievement of the digital economy in the country.
The Chamber expressed this commitment at the Information, Communication, Technology, and Telecommunications (ICTEL) Expo 2022 it organised in Lagos recently.
The Chamber gave the assurance that it will remain a strategic platform that will give businesses opportunities to integrate and share ideas and information that will help both the private and public sectors gain new customers, adding that it will promote the development of digital infrastructure to reshape all aspects of human life. It, therefore, urged all economic players to embrace such a transformative tool to enable effective service delivery.
Dr. Chinyere Almona, Director-General, Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, LCCI, said it was part of the objectives of the platform to scale-up capacity building, mentoring as well as building new networks of business leaders across the industries.
“If your business is efficient based on technology, it goes straight to the bottom line, thereby becoming more profitable because you are able to eliminate the waste associated with processes that are not working well. This is very important for us at the Chamber because we want to see the organised sector thrive. I am really proud to say that today Nigeria is the capital of the start-ups in the fintech world because the digital economy is expanding globally. There is a lot of e-business, e-commerce-type transaction; everything now is on that platform. Covid-19 has thought us that we live our lives virtually literally.”
Gabriel Idahosa, Deputy President, LCCI, explained that as a body interested in the economic development of the nation, LCCI is interested in activities that will promote, increase and enhance the economy.
“We want to see every aspect of the economy flourishing through the provision of power, creation of innovation hubs in the industry, and other digital infrastructure. As we speak, ICT is contributing 10% of the GDP. We have also seen the opportunities that abound in broadband expansion to data centers. Connectivity is the last mile race for more and more Nigerians to have access to ICT products. There are a lot of opportunities for investors, and also for consumers. We have seen emerging technologies, where young people present new solutions that will change our lifestyles, across the board, from large to small-scale businesses. Both investors and small businesses are beginning to see new opportunities. “
Commenting on the programme, Leye Kupoluyi, Vice President and Chairman, Trade Promotion Board said, “We will continue to ensure we provide a digital platform that ensures that commerce and trade are done efficiently, and if this is done, private sector that is able to leverage technology, will be doing better and this will translate in the economy. As a platform, we will promote innovative ideas of all sectors of the economy.”
Kupoluyi said further that: “It is very encouraging looking at what we had in 2018; our penetration was just about 10%-12% but now, taking over 40%. That is penetration. We are becoming a dominant economy in Africa, being powered by digital infrastructure. That has been our focus.. We will continue until people begin to experience the benefits of easy and more profitable way of running our businesses”.
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