By Odumodu Gbulagu
In the world of today, there are unprecedented technological advancement, scientific discoveries and breakthrough, and they are being upgraded periodically giving way for better versions
These technological and scientific innovations are deployed in the military, agriculture, infrastructures, banking, governance, and other spheres of human endeavors to make life easier, and cut down work time to the barest minimum.
While other Nations reap the benefits of these technological advancements, innovations, and digitization to move their countries forward, Nigeria as a country is fast losing every gain it ever made.
When countries like Rwanda who just rose from genocide not long ago have deployed drones to take drugs to the rural areas, State House clinic Abuja has not even paracetamol, yet billions of naira is budgeted every year for it.
Imagine the fate of the health facilities in the hinterlands, when State house clinic isn’t functioning.
When the rest of the world have embraced ranching, Nigeria is still supporting gruesome killings of farmers and total sack of villages by the Fulani herdsmen grazing their cows on peoples farmlands in the name of grazing routes.
Rwanda yet again has developed an app that helps the herdsmen locate the nearest water and fields to graze their cattle.
They don’t just wander aimlessly anymore.
When other countries are churning out astronauts on daily basis, going to the moon, mars, and space travels, the Nigeria minister for science and technology’s dream is to manufacture pencils in Nigeria.
When other countries are using nuclear technology to solve their power issues, Nigeria is still boasting of endless 3,000 megawatts.
Smaller countries around us all have constant power, even without nuclear power plants, but hydro electricity.
In fact, Nigerians generate their own power by using generators, which causes environmental pollution because of the carbon monoxide it emits, and noise pollution too.
In this digital era that most countries have deployed technology in their elections, and declare the results as soon as voting is over, Nigeria is still stuck in analogue elections filled with widespread violence, ballot box snatching and killings.
The President even refused to assent to the electoral reform act.
When other governments are giving free education and funding research, Nigerian higher institutions are always on strike, and most of our primary and secondary schools are nothing more than graveyards.
When other countries police forces are digitally and fully equipped; when every nook and cranny of the streets are filled with security cameras, Nigerian police, are poorly equipped, and there’s almost absence of technology in their dealings.
No intelligence gathering prowess.
It takes them forever to run forensics.
There’s total absence of security cameras, and the Nigerian police are now killing machines snuffing out the lives of people they are meant to protect.
While other countries provide free Wifi for its citizens, as they recognize the power of new media, and how far technology has gone, Nigeria government is doing everything in their power to gag social media, sabotage online businesses, by conniving with telecommunications companies to raise the price for data subscription.
When other countries are apprehending terrorists, Nigeria is integrating repented terrorists into its military, and are now contracting local charmers to fight terrorism.
Countries that lives in the desert can boast of clean and affordable water supply, but Nigeria that has abundant water bodies can’t harness them.
Individuals provide water for themselves.
Now that the world is shifting to Electric vehicles, Nigeria is still spending billions of dollars searching for non existing oil that will soon be phased out in lake chad basin.
Nigeria as a country has been left behind as other nations have moved on in this fast changing world.
It would be difficult for an analog country to make gains in this digital world.
Odumodu Gbulagu can be reached on: [email protected]
