I’m running for House of Reps to promote knowledge economy
Chairman of the Ondo State Information Technology Agency, SITA, Mr. Olumbe Akinkugbe, was born in Ibadan in the 70s.
He is an IT professional who had a remarkable 11-year career in the ICT sector, where he held executive positions in CISCO and Dell Technologies. In 2017, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu appointed him as Senior Special Assistant to Ondo State Government on Information and Communication Technology and later as chairman of SITA. In this interview, Akinkugbe who aspires to represent Ondo East and West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives speaks on his ambition and transition from a technocrat to a politician.
Before joining government, I had spent over 11 years in the private sector – specifically in Information and communications technology. In 2006, I landed a job with CISCO, an American multinational technology conglomerate where I implemented the largest deployment of video conferencing and cloud solutions for Nigeria’s federal government.
I soon left for Liberia where I was made country manager and led the successful digitization of the operations of the largest steel company in the world. After eight years and 11 months in CISCO, I was hired at Dell Technologies to oversee Sales, Business Development and Strategy. It was from Dell that I was poached by Arakurin Rotimi Akeredolu to serve in his administration.
Governor Akeredolu was passionate about building Ondo’s digital economy. He also wanted to create opportunities for Ondo youths in the technology sector. He allowed me to serve in his government to use my skills to impact the people of Ondo State. Governor Akeredolu was clear-minded and knew what he wanted and so I jumped on that opportunity to be a part of something revolutionary in Ondo state.
How we grew Ondo IGR from N600m to over N3bn monthly – Akinkugbe
April 17, 2022
…’I’m running for House of Reps to promote knowledge economy’
Chairman of the Ondo State Information Technology Agency, SITA, Mr. Olumbe Akinkugbe, was born in Ibadan in the 70s.
He is an IT professional who had a remarkable 11-year career in the ICT sector, where he held executive positions in CISCO and Dell Technologies. In 2017, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu appointed him as Senior Special Assistant to Ondo State Government on Information and Communication Technology and later as chairman of SITA. In this interview, Akinkugbe who aspires to represent Ondo East and West Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives speaks on his ambition and transition from a technocrat to a politician.
By Charles Kumolu, Deputy Editor
What was your background before you joined the Rotimi Akeredolu government?
Before joining government, I had spent over 11 years in the private sector – specifically in Information and communications technology. In 2006, I landed a job with CISCO, an American multinational technology conglomerate where I implemented the largest deployment of video conferencing and cloud solutions for Nigeria’s federal government.
I soon left for Liberia where I was made country manager and led the successful digitization of the operations of the largest steel company in the world. After eight years and 11 months in CISCO, I was hired at Dell Technologies to oversee Sales, Business Development and Strategy. It was from Dell that I was poached by Arakurin Rotimi Akeredolu to serve in his administration.
What was it like for a technocrat like you to have accepted such an appointment?
Governor Akeredolu was passionate about building Ondo’s digital economy. He also wanted to create opportunities for Ondo youths in the technology sector. He allowed me to serve in his government to use my skills to impact the people of Ondo State. Governor Akeredolu was clear-minded and knew what he wanted and so I jumped on that opportunity to be a part of something revolutionary in Ondo state.
Since becoming Chairman of SITA what has your agency been able to achieve? We have achieved quite a lot in such a short period. For instance, we have helped the government of Akeredolu to become more effective and efficient through the strategic deployment of technology. That way, government was able to increase Ondo’s IGR from about N600 million monthly to over N3 billion monthly.
Also, we launched The Digital Village Project aimed at improving access to the internet, computers, and technology in Ondo State, particularly in rural communities that had been left behind. Since its launch, the Digital Village Project has graduated 2000 pupils, primarily people from rural communities some of whom had never seen a computer before. They have developed the basic skills required to engage with the digital economy, while Hundreds have learned the very demanding task of software development. Several others have gained vital programming skills. At least 72 of the young people who participated in the programme now earn an income from the new skills they acquired. We launched a Graduate Youth Programme on digital economy where 3000 undergraduates from the three senatorial districts in Ondo State were trained and given grants to start small businesses. Additionally, we have built one of the most sophisticated identification systems and database that is the envy of several other states of the federation.
How did the transition from a technocrat to mainstream politics happen?
First, I believe that I can add a lot more value to my people in Ondo by representing them in the House of Representatives. Although my foundation has supported several initiatives (medical outreaches, scholarships, grants), the office will allow me to scale and institutionalize many of those initiatives. I was tired of seeing people suffer needlessly. Tired of the complaints of poor leadership and representation. I believe our people deserve better. Someone that would provide quality representation, respect the people and their heritage and attract massive development to the constituencies.
What difference do you intend to make if elected a member of the House of Representatives?
I have put together a thoughtful and pragmatic legislative agenda that will drive change both locally and nationally. The first is promoting stem education. Nigeria’s digital economy and tech ecosystem attracted close to $1 billion in investments last year alone.
The technology ecosystem has also created many high-paying jobs and created several opportunities for many small businesses providing various services. Undoubtedly, the future of Nigeria’s economy will be digital, driven by information and communication technology. Hence, it is expedient to make critical investments in human capital development from primary schools to tertiary institutions.
Therefore, I aim to develop and support legislation that would encourage the growth of the knowledge economy and make young Nigerians more competitive in the global economy. The second is on resource control. I firmly believe that states should have considerable rights to natural resources within their boundaries.
These rights would include exploration, value addition, and commercialization. However, the states will pay a substantial amount of royalties or taxes to the federal government. Hence I will support Legislation that enables states to explore and commercialize their resources and stimulate enormous economic growth and industrialization.
That way, states would no longer have to depend on Abuja to remain viable. Young people will have far more opportunities outside Lagos, Abuja, and Port Harcourt for decent employment. Another is on gender equity. From several years of research, there is ample evidence that women’s participation in governance leads to better health, education, and economic outcomes.
Unfortunately, Nigerian women have had little opportunity to participate in government even though they make up half of the general population. Hence, I will commit to working with the proponents of the gender bill to ensure it becomes a law. Another important agenda is the reforming of labour laws. Many of Nigeria’s labour laws are either outdated or ineffective. They provide very little protection for the average Nigerian worker, which has to change. I will be proposing legislation that prioritizes the welfare of the average Nigerian worker, protects them from bad employers, and provides them with a safety net. More importantly, I will be pushing for legislation that will encourage the transfer of skills and technology from a global corporation.
Do you think you can defeat the incumbent in your party in the primary election?
I have tremendous respect for the incumbent. He has done his best but I am confident that I can do better. I’m on the ground and I can tell you that the feedback after several consultations is very positive. But we will meet at the primary. The most important distinguishing factor between both of us is that his interventions are at best cosmetic, or superficial for want of a better word. I, on the other hand, I’m looking at sustainable development that will set people on the path of socio-economic independence without having to rely on anyone.
Don’t you think your plans are too sophisticated to have direct impact on your constituents, who are mainly rural dwellers?
Not really. My plan for STEM education will have a massive impact on rural communities not only in Ondo alone but also across the country. It would empower them with the skills and capabilities to participate in the global digital economy.
My plan on labour reforms will ensure that every worker is fairly treated and would get their due which I believe also directly impacts our people. However, in terms of specific projects for people in Ondo West and East, there are three major things I plan to achieve. The first is improving healthcare. I want to ensure that a lot more people will have access to quality healthcare irrespective of where they reside. This means a great amount of my constituency project will focus on building healthcare centers, equipping some, capacity building for health workers and attracting international development partners.
The second is on stimulating the local economy. Our people are proud and hardworking and do not rely on handouts from politicians to survive. Often they just want the right environment to support their business activities. Things like better road access to their community, access to cheap funds, better storage facilities and so on. I will therefore design sustainable initiatives that would ensure access to finance for many of our business women, fight hard to ensure some of their access roads are reconstructed and make such the right environment to enable them thrive is created.
Additionally, our young people are in desperate need of jobs. They are not lazy but the local economy has left them idle. Hence, I will spend a great deal of my time and resources attracting factories and businesses to Ondo East and West so that our youths can be gainfully employed. I can assure you that we will do this.
Finally, education is everything and I am already putting together a project that will ensure every Ondo child attends school and learns in a fairly decent environment. This means we have to renovate several primary schools, attract new teachers and ensure the children are getting quality education.
What are your strengths in this race?
My major strength in this race is that I have built integrity and trust with our people such that once I commit myself to anything, they are more than confident that I would come through. I believe that this is the greatest asset you can have not just as a politician but as a human being where people can trust you to do what you say you will do. And when people can trust you to deliver on your word and promises, they will have no problem giving you their support and mandate.
Every time I complete a project or renovate a school or market, the people are always excited but surprised that I came back to do what I said I would. That is how I have built trust over the years and that’s why I’m confident going into this race.
You’ll realise I didn’t mention my experience, accomplishments and capabilities as an advantage and that is because you can have all of these but if the people don’t trust you, you will have no mandate.
