Kah, who was speaking at the West Africa Symposium on Technology, Science, Sustainability and Computing at the UTG, said producing good software will be more valuable to the country than oil discovery.
He added: “We are not the main producers of ICT which is very saddening and will actually make us poorer because we consume and consume. Those that will yield the values and benefits of ICT are those that are participants in the creation and development of a diversity of ICT and digital elements.
“If we do not do what we are supposed to do, this revolution, the digital revolution, will be a mirage to all of us like other revolutions. This is one that doesn’t need much, other than creativity, ability and commitment. Once you have that, I can assure you, it is much valuable than even oil. I often said software, good software, well designed and developed software is more valuable than an oil discovery.”
Kah added: “We all know what is happening in the world. Oil prices are sliding downwards, which is going to throw huge economies into huge turmoil. But knowledge assets, which software and ICTs are, will never decelerate; it can only enhance and increase in value.
“ICT has something… well, let me put it this way, ICT has an attraction with young minds and it is one of the few areas of knowledge endeavour that knows no colour, boundary or gender. All it knows is your attitude, your abilities and the hard work and your ingenuity and when you do, you can be right here in The Gambia and compete with anyone globally and perhaps build that company that is yet to be built; that will yield billions of dollars.”
Also speaking, Dr Morrison Dawson, special guest and lecturer from the University of Missouri, who is also on his second visit to the UTG, said: “One of my reasons for having this conference is to share ideas and knowledge. I have three beliefs: education is power, education is freedom and ICT is the future. ICT enables you to go pretty much anywhere you want to go. One of the things that we would talk about tomorrow is actually tools and ways to actually start up your own product, your own services and actually be entrepreneurs.”
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