As the world gradually reopens albeit slowly and cautiously with restrictions in place, the importance of Technology and the urgent need to position solutions in every sphere of human endeavour, are topics on the front burner.
Meetings, by default, now hold virtually and face-to-face engagements are very limited. Businesses have had to respond to new challenges as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. We must say that we are impressed with the ongoing responses. People have become innovative and creative in their responses to the COVID-19 challenge.
Google started off in the second quarter of 2020 by providing Google Meet Video Conference Service free to those who wish to use the facility. Then by June 2020, Google released news of their noise-cancelling AI for meetings. This delightful innovation silences everything else but our voices in meetings. Courier companies are cashing out; providing food and household essentials. Hospitals are setting up virtual systems for consultations, and schools have gone online. It was heart-warming to hear that in Lagos State in Nigeria, a donation of 20,000 digital appliances has just been announced, in support of learning in government-owned schools.
Throughout the periods of lockdown and partial lift of the lockdown in Nigeria, NiRA has continued to provide sterling support to all. The NiRA Accredited Registrars have continued to provide .ng domain registration services and domain hosting. The systems and applications have continued to be the foundation on which most was providing online services to their clients.
There is no doubt that Technology has become a pillar for stabilising the world in these uncertain times and that as it responds to various needs, innovating quickly, it will take its rightful place as the mainstay of global development.
Muhammed Rudman
President, NiRA