Jide Awe is the Chief Govt Officer, Jidaw Methods. He was the Chairman, Conferences and Publicity/Occasions, Nigeria Laptop Society (NCS), the umbrella physique for all laptop practitioners within the nation. On this interview with ADEYEMI ADEPETUN, Awe speaks on fears that know-how would possibly cut back jobs as a result of disruption and automation attributable to coronavirus pandemic. Excerpts:

How important is the function of ICT (know-how) to the economic system globally? 
The usage of ICT and digital applied sciences retains the world related. It’s central to the event and the functioning of society. Communications, training, commerce and lots of very important people and financial actions are immediately depending on ICT. 
 
It’s broadly and globally acknowledged that ICT has essentially modified practices and buildings in social, industrial and academic spheres – the way in which we stay, be taught, work together and do enterprise. Globally, the suitable growth and deployment of ICT allow important value financial savings and effectivity beneficial properties in all sectors (private and non-private). 

 
Past decreasing working prices and enhancing productiveness, ICT allows the creation of latest types of worth by means of the event of latest providers, merchandise and new methods of working, studying and doing enterprise. By ICT, the world is globally-connected, ensuing within the emergence of a world village. 

Digital applied sciences and information have been vital to the delivery of improvements and revolutionary practices.  By enabling digital options and medical analysis and collaboration and digital options within the combat in opposition to coronavirus in addition to enabling billions of individuals to go surfing to remain in contact, be taught and work in the course of the lockdowns and restrictions, ICT has been vital to the world’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Globally jobs are being misplaced. About 25 million jobs have gone throughout this COVID-19 period within the USA.  In 2019, the Nationwide Bureau of Statistics claimed that the unemployment charge rose to 23.1 per cent in 2019 in Nigeria. Final weekend, a industrial financial institution introduced plans to put off some staff earlier than the CBN intervened. Taking a look at this situation, can we are saying know-how creates jobs? 
Sadly, the current shock to employment is pandemic pushed. The quick job losses are because of the impacts from the coronavirus pandemic. In only a few months, the coronavirus pandemic has completely modified the day by day lives of individuals world wide. ⁠Lockdowns and restrictions result in a scarcity of exercise, operations, earnings and lack of jobs. 
Know-how allowed many organisations amid lockdown orders to proceed functioning by means of distant work, distant studying and different duties that might be carried out remotely. Certainly it’s a wake-up name – know-how is indispensable. 

The truth of the brand new regular is {that a} new economic system putting much more reliance on know-how is rising from the disruption. The way in which we work might be modified perpetually. The brand new work fashions may supply much less reliance on bodily buildings, decrease overheads, versatile schedules whereas nonetheless rising productiveness. Within the new buildings, some previous jobs could now not be related. 

 
It’s simple that the pandemic can also be a catalyst for large change —financial, societal, private, company and governmental. Organisations that may nonetheless survive and thrive within the new atmosphere could have new buildings and job necessities. Fairly a number of of the roles that might be affected now are these requiring face-to-face interactions in bodily places of work to hold out duties. Coronavirus has uncovered our digital limitations like by no means earlier than. There has all the time been resistance to distant working and studying. The current scenario has nevertheless proven that distant work will be productive and extra cost-efficient. 
 
Lowering the funding in bodily workplace and services that basically aren’t wanted will clearly lead to some job loss. However whereas there are job losses, the brand new atmosphere creates distant work alternatives in addition to jobs within the digital and digital areas – for customers and suppliers. The longer term is digital. As know-how retains advancing and turning into extra useful and cost-effective, ⁠society goes to make use of extra know-how and related jobs might be generated. Finally, extra jobs might be created within the economic system than jobs misplaced. There might be extra alternatives for inventive thinkers and innovators in all spheres. Going ahead, jobs will rely upon relevance and influence. 
 
Slightly than being considered from the prism of lack of jobs, know-how has enabled pace and relevance and continuity on this time of uncertainty and it’s basic to the brand new regular. 

Going by what is occurring globally, can we actually say know-how has elevated the dimensions of “financial surplus pie” and redistributed a lot to its customers?
The pandemic is shrinking the worldwide economic system with the slowdown and important discount in financial and associated actions world wide. Restrictions and lockdowns stunt financial progress. The influence on giant and main economies raises the chance of a world recession. 
 
Financial and different buildings will change as a result of COVID-19 disaster. Whilst economies wrestle, the rising dependence on know-how means the digital economic system is on the rise. The know-how share of worldwide financial progress is sure to rise to develop. The previous order is sure to vary. There will definitely be redistribution by way of altering world financial patterns. With honest practices and competitors, customers will definitely profit. 

Are there particular areas the place know-how is creating jobs or will create jobs? 
Know-how creates jobs by means of the availability of digital providers and merchandise in all sectors particularly in areas the place quite a bit nonetheless must be digitised. It’s creating related jobs in digital house for customers, innovators, managers and entrepreneurs. This consists of e-commerce – on-line buying, on-line marketplaces, supply of things; fintech – cellular or on-line funds, cashless transactions; training – instructional web sites, on-line lessons, e-learning, e-books, and many others; social websites, leisure, sports activities, and many others; and well being technology-telemedicine, medical prognosis and analysis, amongst different areas.

In what methods can applied sciences resembling 5G, Synthetic Intelligence, Web of Issues and different rising ones contribute considerably to rising the economic system? 
Synthetic intelligence (AI), Web of Issues, 5G and different rising applied sciences are altering the worldwide innovation infrastructure panorama. 4IR applied sciences are important for the long run. They’re instrumental to the age of disruptive innovation. Rising know-how can enhance individuals’s lives in some ways. And may enhance the efficiency of presidency and personal sector organisations. It’s about the way it brings worth to your wants. 
 
When used on initiatives or particular use circumstances, they’ll lower value, enhance pace, accuracy and responsiveness, cut back environmental hurt, cut back human errors resulting from mundane or repetitive duties, obtain real-time downside fixing and enhance security. They will unlock new worth and supply unusual options to tough points. 

Fairly importantly, in immediately’s information economic system, the place “information is the brand new oil”, Synthetic Intelligence can be utilized to generate priceless insights from information. It’s doable to foretell demand, buyer’s behaviour. It could help with fast medical prognosis and remedy and is getting used to create medical COVID-19 options. Synthetic intelligence may enhance customer support with the usage of chatbots and advice methods.

Advantages of the Web of Issues embrace productiveness enchancment by means of the monitoring and management of the completely different processes, and likewise the gathering of a considerable amount of information for predictive evaluation. Worth will be extracted – patterns, predictions and different insights – from uncooked digital info. 

5G, the newest technology of cellular communications provides a platform with higher pace, a decrease latency and a higher potential to take advantage of the options of rising applied sciences for our benefit.
With oil costs taking place critically throughout the globe, what hopes for FG on diversification? 

We’ve no alternative however to diversify the economic system to earn income, create jobs and enhance financial progress. The longer term is digital, and it’s important for benefit in a globally aggressive world. 
 
Digital applied sciences can create the avenue for an inclusive post-COVID financial restoration. Get insurance policies proper. Unleash the potential of the youth and actively promote youth innovation. Put money into capability constructing and human capital within the tech sector. And be sure that we spend money on making digital inclusion a actuality. The digital divides are unhelpful, particularly the agricultural digital divides, the gender digital divide.

The web is essential for distant work and studying. However what about people who don’t have any entry to the web or digital assets?
On this regard, the brand new Nationwide Broadband Plan must be speedily and faithfully applied. The influence and prospects of ICT are decided by policy-making and decisive implementation. Prioritising the tech sector in sensible phrases is main. It’s a necessity, not a luxurious. It may be accomplished. It simply requires the political will. 

What recommendation do you have got for organisations sacking staff and going automation? 
Each firm should take digital critically. Organisations ought to evaluation their operations and spend money on efficient, significant and energetic digital transformation that meets their wants. They need to discover digital options. Nobody measurement suits all. Reorganise to stay related and useful and to satisfy organisational aims consistent with the brand new regular. Sacking of staff shouldn’t be the default response. They need to discover alternatives to retrain employees consistent with new technique and realities, promote innovation and imbibe the continual innovation mindset.