CALABAR: VIBRANT VISTAS FOR A DIGITAL PARADISE

GALVANIZING NEW PARADIGMS

A couple of months ago Calabar joined the fray of digitally powered cities in the class of Stockholm, Los Angeles, Seattle, Kansas City, Dublin, California, Ohio amongst a host of others that are digitally wired to drive intelligent ecosystems with integrated infrastructure. With infrastructure designed to foster an expansive digital city-wide agenda, Calabar is definitely heading for the skies. Having joined the wagon of digitally wired cities, building digital clouds and innovation horizons for landmark revolution is critical to shore up the city to the next level of radical transformation. With the current Oil bust, grappling with the reality of economic diversification is vital to the redeem country from the doldrums.

Calabar remains the first Nigerian capital city. Its landscape is dotted with unbeatable historical and cultural landmarks. It is presently Nigeria’s cleanest city and carnival capital. Following the implementation of installation of its metropolitan dark fibre optic network infrastructure, Calabar will be the first Nigerian city to take this giant stride to becoming a digital city. This milestone was achieved through a strategic partnership between the Cross River State Government and MTN, Africa’s telecommunications giant.

UNDERSTANDING THE 21ST CENTURY CHALLENGE OF GOVERNANCE

The crux of industrialization in emerging cities, states and provinces is a function of visionary leadership premised on strategic thinking. The government is therefore an indispensable organ at the pivot of sustainable growth, a product of spatial reflections. Most of the highly rated countries, states or communities are premised on functional governance with credible life transforming initiatives. Each day, the government is faced with the constant challenge of evolving new trends in order to meet the demands of its growing population.

This challenge has no doubt ignited the passion for regular research into new frontiers and innovation in fostering the required expansion by the helmsman whose success or failure will be attributed to his/her outputs while in office. The imperatives of re-engineering and revamping one’s territory are a 21st Century challenge to governance.

Information Communication Technology has become fundamental to astronomical development as seen in recent times, and this has no doubt redefined the dynamics of credible governance across continents and climes.

RADICAL ENGAGEMENT FOR COMPETITIVE RELEVANCE

The Cross River state helmsman, Liyel Imoke has no doubt tried to transform his state to ensure it’s competitively ahead with his laudable initiatives like the Cross River Geographical Information System and now the digitalization of its capital city.

Now that Calabar has become the most broadly wired city for voice, data and video telecommunications and various technology driven services in the country, what is the implication for this continental tourist hub? This milestone is definitely an enabling base for the growth of all forms of socio-economic advancements that thrive on telecommunication technologies. The need to diversify its economy for accelerated boom is imperative. Its Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) is likely to experience an unprecedented boost with an increasing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).

THE TASK AHEAD

With this ground breaking stride the need to deploy and execute an integrated roadmap for superior impact cannot be wished away while building and deploying intelligent mobility infrastructure.

The need to also look inwards in order to generate sustainable power is fundamentally exigent to avoid infrastructural collapse.

The capacity to generate defined clumps of Innovation ecosystems to identify revenue streams, enable public-private partnerships, and open public data up to developers and user communities and also encourage indigenous innovation cannot be underestimated.

Creating an enabling ecosphere for collective intelligence and co-creation capacities of user/citizen communities will accelerate innovation growth.

As the city becomes smarter, the government, businesses, and communities would progressively rely on technology to surmount the challenges from speedy urbanization, having a formidable Digital Force to help trigger the required revolution is compulsory.

With the advent of Internet of Things and big data, new opportunities will emerge for the small, big players and decision makers, Tech Gladiators should be ready to go for the kill. It is a gold mine that must be fully harnessed!

Calabar is the new digital clime for strategic takeover. It is time for vibrant collaborative communities, highly competitive markets and strategic co-creation engagements.

With a strong tourism base, huge digital space and a vibrant cultural clime, Calabar city and its custodians must galvanize its varied potentials for astronomical rennaisance and let other states take a cue to entrench a digital stronghold for revolutionary advancement as the nation leapfrogs into the ilk of highly competitive nations.

Let the match begin…

Onuchi Onoruoiza Mark (Corporate Communications Strategist and Innovation Catalyst) [email protected] twitter: @Markpoet