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, primarily the West on all issues related to developing values. 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 low Human Development Index (HDI) and low per capita income (since most of these countries live in average one dollar per day) for developed by 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 goals 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 equity 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 of 2015. The Internet, GSM technology, etc., have 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, they can be reached on a plate. It has been noted that countries like China and India, swamped by population explosion but adopted the idea of ​​IT as the only real tool to enhance their human development, have witnessed a geometric increase in their per capita income and overall human development index. , available statistics and others. forms of data and economic indicators can give credence to this fact.

Now, if I can digress a bit, I will say here that for Nigeria and the rest of the developing economies to reach the millennium goals; Urgent steps must be taken to implement the following:
computer literacy programs from kindergarten through all levels of individual development
government and private sector funding of information technology institutes
partner with developed countries by fostering exchange programs primarily at the tertiary institution level increased funding in medical research and other IT-based medical programs
The agricultural sector should see increased funding for all its programs, especially IT-based research, to bring about mass production for local consumption and export.

The threat facing the continent as a result of hunger and poverty, the HIV/AIDS pandemic, the depletion of energy and renewable resources, etc., can be addressed as follows if information technology can be improve in all facets of our economy and politics in general.
ERADICATING POVERTY AND HUNGER: Poverty and hunger remain the greatest 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 be easily shipped to Africa and other parts of the world where they are needed. During wars and conflicts, as experienced in the Nigeria/Biafra war that lasted from 1967 to 1970, there was a shortage of food and medical care, especially on the Biafran side as a result of an information blackout by the of the Nigerian government.

But with the improvement of information technology, no matter where those problems are, the satellites will pick up signals and thus do whatever it takes to reduce the problems associated with lack of food and other supplies. As a local importer based in Nigeria or any part of the developing world, you can connect with big farmers based in Europe or USA etc. over the Internet via the company’s website and email address. Agricultural products can be easily exported saving the cost that would have been originally 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 invading the African continent with Nigeria and South Africa behind India in that order, can be inferred from the 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 rural areas, especially, was made possible by the phenomenon of information technology, where a doctor in a distant 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 in the clinic in America and in the remote location. With this development, HIV/AIDS patients or PLWHA (PERSONS 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 deposits continue to be depleted with replenishment, becoming relevant for countries whose economies focus on it to advance and diversify their economy to be among the league of nations with a high human development index, and if one must ask, how else can this be achieved if not through information technology? Recently a group of scientists built a car that can be propelled by air, it sounds amazing; one of the wonders of IT. More discoveries and innovations will be made as previous discoveries such as rocket science have improved virtually every sector of the economy of nations like the United States, Russia, and Europe in medicine, telecommunications, military, etc.

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