Science & Tech
JIDE Awe, an ICT expert on Tuesday advised government and private sector to investment in coding to aid the country’s technological advancement.
Coding is the process of creating computer software, applications and websites. Coders or programmers are people who write the programmes in computers.
Awe, who is also the Chairman, Conferences Committee, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that coding would power the country’s digital space.
“Coding is programming and telling computer what you want it to do.
“If we want to be at par with other technological countries, we need to invest in coding, both for the technical, professional and human capital development.
“People tend to embrace natural things like sports, entertainment because they can see its benefits immediately but with technology, it takes time.
“With government initiative such as the one Lagos State embarked on, it will help to bridge that gap by making people to embrace coding,” he said.
Awe commended Lagos State for taking the initiative to establish two ICT coding centres in primary schools in the state.
He said the initiative would be successful if there was better collaboration with the private sector, while urging government to play its part by providing the enabling environment.
He said that the collaboration between the government and the private sector would lead to the inclusion of every citizen.
He said that an enabling environment such as creating policies and awareness on its benefits would motivate the public to have interest in coding.
Awe however cautioned on the use of the technology, saying “coding can lead to hacking’’.
“If one is a hacker, it means that you are a very good programmer, you are very good in coding, you can interpret and put certain things together.
“It also means that if I write a code, someone else can come and hack it.
“That is why it is fundamental now that anything that has to do with technology, when teaching and training, you have to put safety measures in place.
“Since coding is now being introduced in schools at an early stage in Lagos State, there should be an online child safety measure which is empirical because any good aspect of IT can also be manipulated,” he said.
Awe said that youths embracing coding would enable them be programmers that would lead to many opportunities in business, academics and as professionals.
“As a citizen in the digital world, it is not that everybody must be a programmer, but if you are into IT, you should have an understanding of coding and how it can be used for your advantage.’’
Awe called for awareness creation, adding that having knowledge of coding and its negative sides would safeguard one from being a victim. (NAN)
– Apr. 3, 2018 @ 16:20 GMT
AE
Tags: ICT expert calls for investment in coding to advance Nigeria technologically
