Information communications technology (ICT) has changed the face of human existence. Aside dismantling the barriers of distance, human endeavours, such as medicine, agriculture, education and power supply, have been positively impacted. Some innovative solutions designed to improve rural pastoral nomadic lifestyle have been unveiled. How sustainable are the solutions? LUCAS AJANAKU asks.
With the unprecedented downturn in the prices of crude oil, the Federal Government has intensified the talk about economic diversification. Experts have identified the information communications technology (ICT), agriculture and solid mineral sectors as holding the prospects to displace oil.
President Muhammadu Buhari is leaving no stone unturned in his quest to shore up the declining oil revenue by exploring alternative revenue resources. One of the fundamental steps he has taken to appreciate the prime position of ICT in driving growth and fighting graft is the Single Treasury Account (TSA), which has fetched the Federal Government over N1trillion.
Declaring open this year’s Katsina State Economic and Investment Summit, Buhari said: “The world is now a global village. This summit is, therefore, a great opportunity to link up with others for the benefit of both parties. Our natural partners are those with requisite skills and financial capabilities to invest.
“Our major strength is farming and livestock. Two of the richest countries in the world namely New Zealand and Denmark built and developed their economies on these pillars. Properly harnessed, a combination of people with skills and money with those blessed with resources is a win-win partnership.”
He called for cooperation and partnerships between the states and investors in view of the government’s drive to grow local content and increase exports for improved balance of trade with other countries.
To develop the agric sector, ICT is central. For example, the Growth Enhancement Support Scheme (GESS) stood out as a policy and pragmatic shift within existing fertiliser Market Stabilisation Programme, which put the resource that constrained farmers at its center through the provision of series of incentives to encourage critical  actors in the fertiliser value chain to work together to improve productivity, household food security and income of the farmer.
The scheme, which was built around the mobile phone, targeted five million farmers each year for four years, that will receive GESS on their mobile phone directly, totaling 20 million at the end of four years. It also provided direct support to farmers to enable them procure agricultural inputs at affordable prices, at the right time and place, while there was increased productivity of farmers across the length and breadth of the country through increased use of fertiliser, which is 50kg/ha from 13kg/ha.
It transformed the role of government from direct procurer and distributor of fertiliser to a facilitator of procurement, regulator of fertiliser quality and catalyst of active private sector participation in the fertiliser value chain.
MTN CEO, Ferdi Moolman, said the telco is passionate about Nigeria, adding that there is huge growth potential in the country. “We see growth. We see huge potential. We want to be part of the economic renaissance now that oil prices are falling,” Moolman said.
During the Katsina summit, MTN unveiled two solutions designed to improve rural lifestyle, socially and agriculturally. One is the Livestock tracking solution while the other is the smart electricity-the mobile electricity solution.
MTN Executive, Amina Oyagbola, said the development of the solution underscored the telco’s support for expanding the ICT ecosystem and providing home-grown solutions to societal challenge. She said: “At MTN, we consider it a privilege to be a part of the positive change that is powered by ICT and believe that in every sector, there are ICT solutions for improving processes and empowering people. A case in point is the challenges with cattle grazing and the judicious use of available land. Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari had expressed his belief in our ability to devise a solution and we are pleased to say that we have done just that.
“We are pleased to announce that MTN has indeed, developed the MTN Livestock Tracking Solution. This ICT solution can perform Location Tracking for cattle; geo-fencing for grazing areas; send panic or emergency alerts to the authorities in time of trouble and even automatic notifications based on programing. It makes use of GPS (Global Positioning System) technology and is solar-powered to ensure that you can always stay in touch with your cattle everywhere they go. This solution will help reduce the incidence of wandering cattle and provide electricity to entrepreneurs and rural dwellers.”
The GPS is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the United States (U.S.) Department of Defence. GPS was originally intended for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. There are no subscription fees or setup charges to use GPS and it works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day, making it ideal for deployment in rural far north.
Also unveiled was the mobile electricity solution launched in partnership with Nova-Lumos. It will bring clean, modern and affordable electricity to MTN customers in the rural areas.
Oyegbola said: “We are also pleased to share with you yet another innovative product – our mobile electricity service in partnership with the world’s first distributed utility provider; Lumos, who are bringing clean, modern and affordable electricity to MTN customers in rural areas. Customers can, therefore, replace kerosene lanterns, candles and flashlights with solar electricity that can power phones, fans, radios, TVs, all at once.
“Our customers in rural areas can, therefore, replace kerosene lanterns, candles and flashlights with electricity that can power phones, fans, radios, TVs all at once and this service is already running in Katsina State. We are truly excited about these products and their implications for accelerated socio-economic development across the country. Governor Masari has expressed his belief in our ability to devise a solution and we are pleased to say that we have done just that. This service is already up and running in the state.”
She said the mobile electricity solution in partnership with Nova-Lumos will bring clean, modern and affordable electricity to MTN customers in the rural areas.
The Nova-Lumos service is provided using a solar panel and an indoor unit that allows MTN custimers to subscribe to alternative electricity on demand using their mobile phone. With Nova-Lumos, customers can replace kerosene, candles, and flashlights with modern electricity that can power significant lights, cell phones, fans, PCs, laptops, radios, TVs and other small electronic devices all at once every day.
“By paying for usage only in small payments, the same way our customers purchase air time and other mobile services, MTN and Nova-Lumos will offer an innovative and widely accessible service for all MTN customers. MTN is committed to investing in the future of mobile electricity to our customers across the country,” former CEO of MTN, Mike Ikpoki had said.
CEO/Co-Founder, Nova-Lumos, David Vortman said affordability is one of the driving force of the solution. He said: “One of our guiding principle is that the Nova-Lumos service must be affordable and accessible to anyone in Nigeria to have a meaningful impact on the Nigerian electricity market.”
The two firms had received funding form the Global System for Mobile Communication Association (GSMA’s) Mobile Enabled Community Services (MECS) Innovation Grant Fund with the support of the UK government. This grant is awarded to organisations developing innovations that improve access to energy and water among underserved communities by leveraging mobile technology and infrastructure. The MECS Innovation Fund has helped to highlight the demand for mobile-enabled services and the role that mobile can play in supporting access to basic utility services across rural and urban markets.
Oyagbola also expressed MTN’s preparedness to support e-government objectives at all levels. “Our rationale for supporting this economic and investment summit is borne out of our commitment to driving economic growth in Nigeria by supporting initiatives that will truly place the country on the path of economic renaissance.  We believe ICT is the future and we are committed to supporting Nigeria to ensure preparedness and empowerment towards this future. The Katsina State Economic and Investment summit is another opportunity to demonstrate this commitment.
“At MTN, we believe that we have a supportive role to play by partnering government to realise our collective goal of being among the top 20 economies by the year 2020. We are excited to be a part of the huge potential for improved processes and enhanced productivity across sectors of the economy through ICT and look forward to working with stakeholders in both public and private sectors for greater national and global competitiveness,” Oyagbola said.
Sector analysts have lauded the innovative solutions, arguing that the time has come for Nigerians to look inwards, provide solutions to local problems thus broadening the local content horizon.
They, however, hammered on sustainability and affordability for the solutions to continue to be relevant.