The Oracle Speaks….
DR ERNEST NDUKWE, SAM AMUKA, PAT UTOMI, JUBRIL MARTINS-KUYE, BANIGO, JIM OVIA, ABATI, LEO STAN, MADUKA, OKOIGUN FOR UWAJE’s BOOK LAUNCH
The Oracle Speaks, as the long awaited book “e-Knowledge – Time is Running Out” is launched! All roads lead to the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs next week Tuesday, March 30, 2010 to receive and drink from the wealth of IT knowledge of Chris Uwaje.
Top brass of the Nigerian Policy Makers, Technology Gurus, Academia and Core IT Stakeholders in the Profession and Industry have confirmed attendance.
The Book is significant in many dimensions and critical to the IT development of the nation – informed by the fact that Uwaje pioneered the National IT Policy and indeed, wrote in his book about Broadband Digital Network as far back as 1999 – that which today, has become perhaps the most fundamental goal for global IT development!
Top of the line of dignitaries to attend are His Excellency, Babatunde Raji Fashola –Executive Governor of Lagos State as Chief Host. Chief Ebitimi Banigo as Chairman, Prof. Pat Utomi as Keynote Speaker, Sam Amuka as Special Guest of Honour, Engr Titi Omo-Ettu as Book Reviewer, Senator Jubril Martins-Kuye –Chairman NITDA Governing Board, Jim Ovia, Dr. Ccsmas Maduka, Engr Alfred Okoigun (to unveil the Book), Prof. Cleopas Angaye – DG NITDA, Mr. Ibrahim Tizhe – President CPN, Prof. Charles Uwadia – President Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Engr. Simeon Agu, Florence Seriki GMD Omatek, Alhaji Ladi Ogunneye, Malam Mohammed Bulama, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem-President ATCON, Dr. Isaac Odeyemi,Dr Jimson Olufuye (President ITAN), John Tani Obaro, All Distinguished Members of NITDA Governing Board, Prof. Manny Aniebonam, Mac Atasie, Anayo Agu, Prof Nike Osofisan, Prof Raymond Akwule – President Digital Bridge Institute and others too numerous to mention as Chief Promoters.
Meanwhile, Testimonies to the Book has started to emerge from home and abroad based on the following impressions from admirers.
TESTIMONIES:
As far back as 1997, with his presentation of August 22, 1997 at the Eko Hotels, titled “Information Technology Development in Nigeria – Implications, Challenges and Prospects” he made history by becoming the first to articulate and advocate for a National Policy for Information Technology (IT). Since then, he has never looked back. Rather, spurred by his innate obsession and passion for IT, in 2000, he accelerated his pioneering effort by single-handedly drafting and submitting a proposal – on behalf of ITAN – for the establishment and adoption of a National Policy for Information Technology, in his capacity as the President.
Before the submission of the said proposal on National IT Policy. He had in 1988 through a presentation titled “Nigeria and the Speed Phenomenon” forecasted the emergence of the knowledge industry and the ‘speed’ factor of the Internet and warned about what we all now know as the ‘digital divide’. Today, those forecasts made in 1998 remain constantly true and have perhaps become a way of life to many of us.
Today with his e-Knowledge – time is running Out!, he warns yet again that Nigeria may become a digital colony, unless she consciously declare Information Technology a state of emergency and ensure that a chunk of our national resources is budgeted and injected to make us compete globally in the knowledge Olympiad.
Lanre Mendes, Atlanta GA. USA
In The Biblical World, there was John the Baptist who preached the coming of Jesus Christ, the Redeemer and Saviour of the world in the spiritual realm. In the age of Knowledge Economy, Chris Uwaje has been, for about three decades, a Senior Advocate of the strength, weakness, opportunity and threat of Information Technology (IT) in Nigeria. He began by educating Nigerian society on the evolutionary trends of IT and followed this up with the need for IT policy in Nigeria with emphasis on regulatory framework, legislative framework, code of conduct and code of good practice.
The book exhibits the authority of Chris Uwaje in the area of IT principles, standards and practice. He provides windows into the work of some Nigerians who have distinguished themselves in IT industry and the terrain of many emerging technologies such as Cyber Space Technology, Waste Management Technology and Nano Technology. The book is a compendium of his work on IT since early 80’s and, indeed and truth, the first of its kind in Nigeria.
The following points are greatly articulated in the book:
o Today, one is considered educated only if he or she can read, write and compute, applying and using IT tools and devices.
o Warns Nigeria and Nigerians of the emerging impact and colossal risk of the Information Society and advocates for the need to ensure that our Inter-Generational Knowledge (IGK) base is documented and sustained.
o To avert being a digital colony, Nigeria should reconnect to her Diaspora Resources worldwide for global IT competitiveness.
o IT tools and devices are necessary for the normalization, standardization and stabilization of the norms and values of a society with a view to re-engineering its growth and development.
o The profile and characters of a nation, in form and contents are determined and measured by the strength, quality and management of its critical information structures, infrastructure and systems.
o IT provides a common language for stakeholder’s interaction in all the economic sectors of society.
o IT creates wealth, jobs and bridges the gap between the developed and developing world.
o The existing IT critical infrastructure, legislative framework, implementation of regulatory measures, standard, quality control and assurance, Research and Development, linkage, collaboration, cooperation and partnership programmes in Nigeria are grossly inadequate.
Professor O. C. Akinyokun. Professor of Computer Science Federal University of Technology, Akure,
E-Knowledge: Time is Running Out is a compendium of the writings of one of the sane minds in this country who has been like, a lone voice crying in the wilderness, calling on Nigeria leaders to make ye the way now to avoid the nation being irrelevant in the new knowledge economy and hence avoid digital colonization. Has anyone been listening? I doubt.
We are noted for throwing our Petrol-Dollar at challenges instead of critically thinking out solutions. If not how can one explain the rationale behind earmarking about N70 billion (or is it now N100 billion) Naira to resuscitate the textile industry. Trust Nigerians; a whole galaxy of candidates emerged with spurious links to textiles manufacturing.
Of course, a country that does not keep records could not separate the wheat from the chaff. Hence for about 3 years now, the whole issue is under hibernation and the textile factories under lock and key.
I.T. is the new frontier. Its effect is so pervasive that we breathe, live, sleep IT. Yet we are only consumers and not active participants in its production or direction. We are lucky that we are not pioneers in this route hence there is no need to reinvent the wheel. There are global best practices to guide Nigeria in becoming an active member of the Information Society.
Dr. Chris Uwaje, the IT Nigeria Oracle, has since 1997 through articles in the print media, interviews in the electronic media, participations in seminars and workshops both nationally and internationally, inundated us with the strategic imperative on why we should not succumb to second slavery in the form of digital colonization; why and how we should transcend from this state of helplessness to one of strength; why and how we should empower our youths to become proactive participants in the new economy; why and how governance should be democratized and transparent to fulfill her obligations to her citizens; why and how Nigeria can become a digital power in the Information Society; why poverty can be eradicated through e-knowledge and not through equipping our army of unemployed with motorcycles and tricycles; why Information Technology is the only way forward for Nigeria and other similar developing countries; how we could attain the lofty ideals of vision 20/20202.
The role of science and technology and research and development (R&D) in the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge and empowering Nigerians is a major thread running through the entire book. The need to overhaul the entire educational system in line with the ambient condition is emphasized. Software was canvassed as the engine room capable of driving the IT. The need for a robust National Information Infrastructure, NII, as a foundation for the IT revolution was firmly established.
At this critical stage in the nation’s chequered history, when we are being overwhelmed by self contrived and self inflicted political crises, economic meltdown, religious riots, politicians only interested in enriching themselves instead of serving the electorate, etc,
E-Knowledge: Time is Running Out comes as a breath of fresh air, showing us the way forward. Shall our leaders hearken to this clarion call? I think the nation’s search for solutions to our myriad challenges will benefit from the well thought solutions offered in this book. This book comes highly recommended to our policy makers in all facets of the nation’s life.
Henry U. Unachukwu. (Information Technology Consultant), Lagos, March, 2010.
Don’t miss it!
Date again is Tuesday 30th March,2010
Time is 10 am prompt
Venue:Nigeria Institute of International Affairs,13/15 Kofo Abajomi street,Vi,Lagos,Nigeria.
