ICT Landscape:
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the ICT sector encompasses devices and services associated with computing, broadcasting, and telecommunications that electronically capture and display information. Ranking as one of the most dynamic industries in the world, the size of the global ICT market is forecasted to reach US$5 trillion in 2028, with a growth rate of 4.5% from 2023[1]. The industry’s expansion illustrates how significant technology is in today’s world and it will continue to influence the global economy in years to come. Big data and analytics, growth of social media, mobile, and cloud computing will be the main drivers of growth in technology spending over the coming years.
The ICT market consists of hardware, software and services. Among these three segments, services has recorded the fastest growth in the last two decades, driven by the increased demand for IT consulting and developments in artificial intelligence and machine learning. Businesses and governments continue to make huge investments in ICT services as they are crucial in enhancing the productivity and efficiency of the economy at large. The other two segments which capture computers, devices, software, etc. account for the largest share of the global ICT market and are fundamental in the growth of the services segment.
In Nigeria, the information and communications technology (ICT) sector was crucial in sustaining the economy during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and has been a major driver of economic growth since then. According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, the sector grew by an average of 9.8% in the last three years and its share in GDP averaged 10.8% in the same period…