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Meeting the Millennium Development Goals: information technology as a tool for development

As usual in my writing, I try to reflect on various issues related to Nigeria and the rest of the developing economies (which sound cynical, underdeveloped). As we are still struggling to catch up with the rest of the world, mainly the West on all issues related to value development. Giving credence to this fact can be seen in the way we use the Internet, the GSM communication system, and any other innovations based on information technology. Let us now return to the topic that gave rise to this article, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The Millennium Development Goals are eight-point agenda sets aligned by the United Nations to see its underdeveloped members with a low Human Development Index (HDI) and low per capita income (since most of these countries live in average one dollar per day) for developed countries for the target year 2015. The motion was adopted by 149 leaders from different parts of the world and adopted by 189 countries in the year 2000. These agendas or targets were derived from the United Nations Millennium Declaration United in view of the various problems still plaguing the developing world

The Millennium Development Goals are the world’s response and goals to address extreme poverty in various dimensions; such as income poverty; lack of adequate housing, hunger; and diseases among others, while promoting Education, gender equality and environmental sustainability.

Now, to the crux of the matter, these millennium goals looking at our peculiar situations and conditions, how can they be achieved? We are now in the information age, and as such, it is inherent that we see how we can, as nations, yet to be

in the global economy, use the information at our disposal to make this a reality by the target year 2015. The Internet, GSM technology, etc., has come to stay with us, and information technology remains the only tool that can be used to usher in a new dawn where basic human rights, such as the rights of every person on the planet to health, education, housing and security, as well as gender equality and empowerment of women, can be reached on a plate. It has been noted that countries like China and India were inundated with the population explosion but embraced the idea of ​​IT as the only real tool to improve their human development, they have witnessed a geometric increase in their per capita income and the overall rate of development. human, available statistics and others. Data forms and economic indicators can lend credence to this fact.

Now, if I can deviate a bit, I will say here that for Nigeria and the rest of the developing economies to achieve the millennium goals; Urgent steps must be taken to implement the following:

computer literacy programs from kindergarten to all levels of individual development

government and private sector funding of information technology institutes

partnering with developed countries fostering exchange programs mainly at the level of tertiary institutions increased funding in medical research and other IT-based medical programs

The agricultural sector should experience an increase in the financing of all its programs, especially IT-based research, to report massive production for local consumption and export.

The threat facing the continent as a result of hunger and poverty, HIV/AIDS pandemic, depletion of energy and renewable resources, etc., can be addressed as below if information technology can be improve in all facets of our economy and general politics.

ERADICATION OF POVERTY AND HUNGER: Poverty and hunger remain the biggest scourge plaguing the African continent, but with the advancement of technology, with information technology and the Internet, food produced in the United States, Canada, Europe and Asian Tigers can easily be shipped to Africa and other parts of the world where it is needed. During wars and conflicts, as experienced in the Nigerian/Biafra war which lasted between the periods of 1967 to 1970, there were shortages of food and medical care, especially on the Biafran side as a result of an information blackout by of the Nigerian government.

But with the improvement of information technology, no matter where those problems are, satellites will pick up signals and thus do whatever it takes to reduce the problems associated with lack of food and other supplements. As a local importer based in Nigeria or anywhere in the developing world, you can connect with large farmers based in Europe or the United States, etc. via the Internet via the company’s website and email address. Agricultural products can be easily exported saving the cost that would have originally been spent on plane tickets, hotel reservations, taxes, etc. and also eliminating the role of the middleman, which greatly saves the cost of production and import.

HIV/AIDS (PLWHA): The HIV/AIDS pandemic currently engulfing the African continent with Nigeria and South Africa trailing behind India in that order, can be deduced from a lack of adequate information, but with recent developments in information technology information, this scourge can be well taken care of. The introduction of mobile clinics and diagnostic centers whose activities in remote and rustic areas, especially, were made possible by the phenomenon of information technology, where a doctor in a faraway clinic, for example, a doctor in the University hospital John Hopkins in the United States, can with the use of sophisticated devices diagnose and cure patients through a satellite and a modem installed both at the clinic in America and at the remote location. With this development, patients with HIV/AIDS or PLWHA (PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS) and other deadly diseases can now be managed as the restriction caused by distance has been removed with the advancement of information technology. .

POWER AND ENERGY: As part of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, power and other renewable forms of energy have been little studied over the past decade, as fossil fuel stores continue to be depleted with replenishment, becoming increasingly relevant for countries whose economies are centered on it to advance and diversify their economy to be among the league of nations with high human development index, and if one must ask, how else can this be achieved if not through the information technology? Recently, a group of scientists built a car that can be propelled by air, it sounds amazing; one of the wonders of you. More discoveries and innovations will be made as previous discoveries like space science have improved virtually all sectors of the economy of nations like the United States, Russia and Europe in medicine, telecommunications, military etc.

From the outset, one cannot overemphasize the importance of information technology as a tool for human and resource development, as well as the 18th century industrial revolution that ushered in a new dawn that has endured forever. green in the annals of history, so shall it be. create an unprecedented and indelible mark that will remain forever green in the sands of time.