Re: [GKD] Nigeria: Silicon Valley Transplant
Dear Colleagues, I have big concerns about using Rostow's five stages of development as the base paradigm for this discussion (the original title of his work was The Stages of Economic Growth: A Non-Communist Manifesto so it is clear where his politics lay). Many authors refuted his theories in the sixties and seventies (see for example Anthony Galt and Larry Smith, Models and the Study of Social Change, 1976). The final stage is supposed to be the age of high mass-consumption which hardly fits the reality of what is happening in the world today, as developing societies become less equal and maldistribution of resources increases, not diminishes. And yet the stages mentality lives on. This is evident in the all-or-nothing perspectives on availability and access to ICTs and Internet. Either you make broadband available to neglected populations and areas or they get zilch (nothing). No one considers that there is and has been for many years a range of gap-filling intermediate technologies (such as email via HF or VHF radio) that could provide, over time, a platform for creating the higher order critical mass because it can respond to real, existing needs now on a cost-effective basis. Such needs, for example, probably do not suggest unlimited web browsing as a priority response. The problem with uncritically leap-frogging over these is that, based on experience, the 'leapfrog' may truly not happen during our (or more importantly, users') lifetime, and, second, who is worried about who is doing the leapfrogging and who is being leapfrogged over? Even these mostly unsung, simpler technologies could be considered disruptive in the sense of uniquely addressing critical, existing needs first and then allowing for creative expansion into other topical areas and geographical locations. For me, one of the prime examples of this implementation approach is described at http://www.peoplefirst.net.sb/general/pfnet.htm (interesting to me is that old-fashioned HF radio-based email is described therein as wireless, probably to claim kinship with the latest genre). There may even be ways to technologically leapfrog directly to Wi-Fi (and special applications, like VoIP telephony) as at http://www.sas.cornell.edu/cresp/ecopartners/cluster/cluster.htm, but in both instances a community-needs/community involvement approach is paramount, working in conjunction with the technology. Nevertheless, the discussion is timely as I have frequently wondered if the nearly fifty-year old ghost of Rostow's stages keeps us from recognizing the value of these experiences and expanding them to all the hinterlands, even if take off to high mass consumption will never be the end result. Gary Garriott (former ICTD LAC SURF Adviser) On Tuesday, January 4, 2005, Jeff Buderer wrote: This is an interesting conversation and I see the points from both sides. I think Ken is right in questioning the idea that you cannot as Tim says skip the first three stages and go straight to flying. I want to make an important distinction here between infrastructure approach and readiness and mental/organizational capacity/readiness. There are preconditions to take off such as outlined by former Kennedy/Johnson advisor Walter Rostow: http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:RcpyDDw_J4wJ:www.duke.edu/~jcd10/SO C126/Devolop1.doc+stages+to+take-offhl=enlr=lang_en I feel also that these preconditions to nation-state development critical mass also apply today. Because what Rostow is talking about applies not just to nation states but to all aspects of human development. His stages to take-off are a generalized set of criteria relating to developing momentum towards a critical mass within a particular system towards rapid growth and replication. ..snip... The concept of disruptive technologies offers another new concept to the mix. When disruptive technologies as well as approaches are applied effectively as part of a comprehensive package of solutions to address not only development, but world urgent issues like global warming, AIDS and loss of biodiversity, we start to see that the old rules of development don't always apply. ..snip... ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, a Non-Profit Organization*** To post a message, send it to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/
Re: [GKD] Nigeria: Silicon Valley Transplant
crawl, walk, run, fly... leap-frog ... cheetah-polevault Happy New Year Everyone! I have been following the rich deliberations that have been going on in this forum. Thanks to EDC for making it possible. I have gained a lot from it. It might not be appropriate to dwell on the above topic amidst the Tsunami Crisis. However as an optimistic entrepreneur and a Nigerian American resident and doing business in the Silicon Valley, I just want to throw in my 2 Kobo. (Warning: This may not be commercially equal to 2 pence but may exceed it when expressed in terms of psychic income.) What of Quantum Leap ...? Digital vs. Analog? CK Prahalad said it all at the 2004 WRI Eradicating Poverty through Profit Conference in San Francisco. The Western World has spent several years in cracking the economic and ICT development codes. It would be foolish of the developing countries to trail the same path of crawling, walking, running over the same hurdles of trials and errors that have already been fine tuned with clinical trials. Why crawl if there is a template for flying which one can customize to suit one's need? There is no need to re-invent the wheels. The reality is that many Nigerians did not have to own, or learn how to use, a land phone before a cell phone. To be statistically thrifty, over 1,000 functional users of cell phones in Nigeria today (including my mother) are illiterate. I didn't have to send my mother to school before buying a cell phone for her. Is it a quantum leap for her or what? Let us all see what we can do in parallel to make this project a success and make money from it as well! OneVillage is already playing this right. Let us be realistic. Like many countries, Nigeria has the potentials and a track record of executing some large scale PET PROJECTS successfully despite the fact that their system may stink and other societal needs might be over looked. The New Federal Capital, Commonwealth Conference, FestAC, All African Games, etc, are just a few pleasant global surprises from Nigeria. You know, if Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties were waiting to perfect Alum Rock and East Palo Alto before encouraging the establishment of industries and small businesses next door, there probably wouldn't have been a Silicon Valley by now. Nigeria has a lot of infrastructure and social problems but not more than India. Somebody needs to drive the standards, package it with image rebuilding initiatives and follow it up with training, evaluation and global lobbying (Lobbying, NOT bribery). Yes, Nigeria needs it. El Rufai is in order. He seems to have a good track record of getting the job done too. However, I think David Sawe is correct. With many necessary things lined up in parallel with construction, I have no doubt that there could be a Silicon Valley in the Federal Capital Territory. Why not? Nigeria has a lot of untapped wealth, indigenous intellectuals and global sponsors/investors that can make it happen. They just have to QUANTUM LEAP their system to make it Silicon Valley-Ready while the constructions are going on. The government probably needs a more elaborate version of some of those Silicon Valley Corporate Readiness Boot-Camps that I organize. Do people really know what Silicon Valley is? Seriously, some people get disappointed when they find out that it is not a Technology Plaza or Park. For those who are still interested in this topic, the article below will show you that the Capital Territory probably has more in common with the Prune Valley (the real name of the Valley before chips took over) than we think. ONE DAY BEGINS A STORY. My comments are seen after each link. *** Orchards to Online: Top 10 Events That Shaped Silicon Valley Posted in San Jose Mercury News on Thu, Feb. 28, 2002 1. The Computer Chip http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/living/2765031.htm - Nigeria has several unknown inventors like Emeka Uzoh with over 98 Worldwide semiconductor patents, Emeagwali the computer guru, and others. 2. San Jose Sprawl: Dutch Hamann http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/living/2765036.htm - Who knows, El Rufai might be the one. He is probably not squandering the money allotted to his office like many others. 3. Founding of Hewlett-Packard http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/living/2765046.htm - In addition to ChevronTexaco and Shell presence, HP, Intel and IBM already have bigger eyes on Nigeria for the future. The role of small businesses cannot be overlooked. Nnewi Nigeria, would not be what it is today without them. 4. Minority-Majority Ethnic Shift http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/living/2765064.htm - This is already happening in Abuja in terms of ethnic and national diversity.The climates are similar too. 5. End of WWII: Urbanization http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/living/2765065.htm - Urbanization? Think of Abuja 12 years ago. 6.
Re: [GKD] Nigeria: Silicon Valley Transplant
Dear GKD Members, Its been a while since this was originally posted but in relation to current discussions, I wanted to add this response to the original comments by Femi Oyesanya. The comments relate to the Interesting parallel between this Nigerian government proposal and the Unity Center www.onevillagefoundation.org/ovf/unitycenters.html concept that we have developed through OVF, explaining how if it was done a little differently, the Nigerians might just be able to pull it off. These comments also relate to the recent post I made in relation to Walter Rostow's Stages to Take-off. On 12/03/2004, Femi Oyesanya [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: A recent Nigerian Newspaper article cited the Nigerian Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nasir El-Rufai, as saying that the Nigerian Government has given the approval for the building of a Technology Village. Nigeria will be building its own Silicon Valley on a 650 hectare property, located in a suburb of the Federal Capital city, Abuja. The Newspaper article quoted El-Rufai as saying, we want to create a city of knowledge in Abuja. And on the way to the airport, we have got about 650 hectares of land we have reserved out of the Abuja master-plan. What we hope to do with the technology village, which is going to cost us between $300 to $400 million is to have the highest quality infrastructure attracting the best brains in information and bio-technology, pharmaceutical and Information Technology (IT) research to work in Abuja. (1) ** Silicon Valley Story The determination of such a center's success is not so much the technology or the planning but the building of a framework of governance from which financial, technological and social infrastructure can emerge in a climate of trust and transparency. Such a realization of a grand vision, necessarily involves the social and cultural components of storytelling and myth-making. Silicon Valley at its essence is a replaying of the modern American mythology of rugged individualism. The story of Apple Computer being started in Steve Jobs' garage is repeated again and again, so that it has become the classic Silicon Valley success story. It is the story of hard working, highly intelligent people who identify innovations and know how to make them happen by working with other, often underappreciated innovators. Ironically, though, the very necessary ingredients which led to America's Silicon Valley success (and its overall success in modern times) are being weakened from the pressures of a ruling class that eshews accountability and transparency. * Pre-conditions to Take-off: 1. Such a center would ideally be organized to avoid any of the transparency and corruption issues that plaque Nigerian civil society. In this way it could be a model for a more decentralized model of governance as an alternative to the nation-state model and therefore putting Africa on the leading edge of post-industrial development. 2. Rather than seek to create one massive center it might be more realistic to develop several prototype nodes that could experiment with leading ICT as well as other leading sector innovations and then integrate them to create new models of living that are suitable for emerging markets. These nodes would be designed to be rapidly replicated into surrounding regions, eventually forming a decentralized, distributed grid that would facilitate sustainable commerce. This would include communications, food production, consulting as well as ICT related services. 3. Emphasis would be on an open source, community scaled and ICT augmented development paradigm rather than a top-down proprietary model that reinforces elite-periphery dynamics. Jeff ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, a Non-Profit Organization*** To post a message, send it to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/
Re: [GKD] Nigeria: Silicon Valley Transplant
In addition to David Sawe's noting that shortcuts can occur in technological development, and that there is not only one linear path of progress that all must doggedly follow, his posting contains another interesting point that should perhaps be emphasised. The 'death of distance' means that those talented, and sometimes more fortunate folks from poorer world regions who are educated and live abroad indeed can now contribute to the development of their 'very own countries'. There are several ways in which this can be done, especially with new ICTs, but one is the UNDP Transfer of Knowledge through Expatriate Nationals (TOKTEN) Program (see for example the call to the Somalia Diaspora to engage in rebuilding that country) at http://www.so.undp.org/Home.htm John Lawrence UNDP consultant, and Adjunct Professor, SIPA Columbia University. On 12/30/04, David Sawe [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Well it seems that this particular chicken-and-egg problem is rather multi-dimensional. Hence there is need to include, in addition to crawl, walk, run, fly, some provision for leap-frog and indeed even cheetah-polevault where that may be possible. In this case, Nigeria's Government has decided to move boldly. It is an inescapable fact that people in developing countries are going to be receiving training in basic -AND- advanced sciences, either in their home countries or abroad. This is not necessarily from the government's funding, but also from scholarships, private resources, and all kinds of other sources. However, such people will not be able to contribute meaningfully to their own country's development if compelled to live and work abroad where they'll be helping solve the problems of developed countries instead of those of their very own countries. Additionally, one of the key advantages of ICT -- that of the death of distance -- offers opportunities for development activities, training and education, access to capital, etc. that far out-reach anything that would have been imaginable just twenty years ago. In the context of developing countries, this is significant because all too often our populations are spread out thinly across a large geographical area, but are entitled to consistent services wherever they are. They constitute the engine of growth that is being revved up by establishing centres of excellence which will focus on listening to and addressing their needs, by harnessing those technologies that can best deliver the most affordable and sustainable solutions to their problems. ..snip... ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, a Non-Profit Organization*** To post a message, send it to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/
Re: [GKD] Nigeria: Silicon Valley Transplant
This is an interesting conversation and I see the points from both sides. I think Ken is right in questioning the idea that you cannot as Tim says skip the first three stages and go straight to flying. I want to make an important distinction here between infrastructure approach and readiness and mental/organizational capacity/readiness. There are preconditions to take off such as outlined by former Kennedy/Johnson advisor Walter Rostow: http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:RcpyDDw_J4wJ:www.duke.edu/~jcd10/SO C126/Devolop1.doc+stages+to+take-offhl=enlr=lang_en I feel also that these preconditions to nation-state development critical mass also apply today. Because what Rostow is talking about applies not just to nation states but to all aspects of human development. His stages to take-off are a generalized set of criteria relating to developing momentum towards a critical mass within a particular system towards rapid growth and replication. From my perspective we are talking about a rule of physics that applies to human phenomena and relates specifically to a core area of interest to the group here: growth and modernization (and preferably fitting the triple bottom line criteria of ecologically, socially and economically sustainable development). I see ICT as an augmentation tool that can rapidly change the dynamics and characteristics of the growth curve that Rostow described. The concept of disruptive technologies offers another new concept to the mix. When disruptive technologies as well as approaches are applied effectively as part of a comprehensive package of solutions to address not only development, but world urgent issues like global warming, AIDS and loss of biodiversity, we start to see that the old rules of development don't always apply. Now I want to emphasize I am not talking about rejecting Rostow's assumptions because to me to reject those preconditions he is talking about is sort of like saying the law of conservation of energy does not apply. However what we see is many assumptions that conventional development policymakers and economists make about the best way to develop a society not only are increasingly irrelevant, but are counterproductive to the stated goals and intentions. What many of us are seeing materialize is something that is truly a bittersweet experience for us, because we see the potential of disruptive technologies and approaches to totally transform human reality like never before. However, the human network readiness on a global level is still not in place to properly execute this. Therefore, it is very frustrating for many of us to visualize the integration of these various disruptive technologies and approaches into a comprehensive and whole systems approach to sustainable development. We see the potential is there but the capacity to effectively implement (so that the effectiveness of ICT as an augmentation tool is obvious and unchallenged) is still missing. The central component of this thesis relates not only to ICT/wireless. What we are seeing is that new technologies in every aspect of human existence are rapidly making the old technologies and centralized infrastructure systems obsolete. This has important implications on the very way in which economies grow because: 1) It impacts ROI, primarily by significantly reducing the infrastructure costs of development. 2) We are at a unique point in history. Those previously marginalized by highly hierarchical systems of command and control suddenly have access to tools to disrupt the conventional order/status quo of contemporary society. The technologies are there and ready to be applied, what is needed now is the effective ICT augmented global network. However, this is not just an issue of organization but mental and organizational readiness: right attitude and right mindset. There has to be a basic level of educational aptitude, strong social networks, effective governance, financial backing, a general economic justification for developing an integrated ICT infrastructure and network and finally a firm resolve to do so, and maybe that is what Tim is getting at. You can have all the innovative ideas about wireless networks and disruptive and sustainable technologies, but if there is not the right execution or implementation, it has limited value... as theory that seems plausible but is not proven to be true on a practical level. To effectively address the unprecedented challenges that humanity now faces (which extend far beyond issues of development to embrace the very nature of modernity and human existence) we need to get many of us (including me) who spend a lot of time on the computers talking, more fully engaged in implementation in the field. Jeff Buderer | [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sustainable Design/Project Development oneVillage Foundation USA | http://www.onevillagefoundation.org oneVillage.biz | www.onevillage.biz 102 Ballatore Ct. San Jose CA 95134 Cell 408.813.5135 Yahoo IM: jefbuder
Re: [GKD] Nigeria: Silicon Valley Transplant
Dear Colleagues, Well it seems that this particular chicken-and-egg problem is rather multi-dimensional. Hence there is need to include, in addition to crawl, walk, run, fly, some provision for leap-frog and indeed even cheetah-polevault where that may be possible. In this case, Nigeria's Government has decided to move boldly. It is an inescapable fact that people in developing countries are going to be receiving training in basic -AND- advanced sciences, either in their home countries or abroad. This is not necessarily from the government's funding, but also from scholarships, private resources, and all kinds of other sources. However, such people will not be able to contribute meaningfully to their own country's development if compelled to live and work abroad where they'll be helping solve the problems of developed countries instead of those of their very own countries. Additionally, one of the key advantages of ICT -- that of the death of distance -- offers opportunities for development activities, training and education, access to capital, etc. that far out-reach anything that would have been imaginable just twenty years ago. In the context of developing countries, this is significant because all too often our populations are spread out thinly across a large geographical area, but are entitled to consistent services wherever they are. They constitute the engine of growth that is being revved up by establishing centres of excellence which will focus on listening to and addressing their needs, by harnessing those technologies that can best deliver the most affordable and sustainable solutions to their problems. Meanwhile, it is also worth remembering that not all of any developing country consists of poverty. Therefore there are also sectors of the economy that are using ICT regularly and would therefore benefit by having access to cheaper services and products of quality if these can be generated locally by having the best brains working together. In the case of Nigeria, merely the petroleum extraction industry alone could possibly make this Technology Village quite immediately be sustainable. Addressing the issue of the educational pipeline from elementary school through to job acquisition (and beyond to entrepreneurship development) is something that must be addressed in parallel with enhancing the provision of service delivery to the needy. Surely no politician anywhere would last for very long if they ever try to convince their constituencies otherwise? In closing, let me take this opportunity to wish all fellow GKD members a Happy New Year! With regards, David Sawe On 12/28/04, Timothy Gilbert [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: What is the phrase crawl, walk, run, fly. It sounds like someone in Nigeria wants to skip the first three stages and go straight to flying. On the other hand there is a chicken and egg problem here to mix metaphors. Why train/educate people in basic sciences if there are no jobs for them to apply their knowledge and skills? The challenge, it would seem, is to find an engine consistent with current conditions that runs on part economic development, infrastructure, training, higher education, venture capital and government support. Once the engine is running sufficiently to enable the full life-cycle of elementary education through job aquisition, it can be revved up to drive down the path toward a Technology Village. ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, a Non-Profit Organization*** To post a message, send it to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/
Re: [GKD] Nigeria: Silicon Valley Transplant
What is the phrase crawl,walk, run, fly. It sounds like someone in Nigeria wants to skip the first three stages and go straight to flying. On the other hand there is a chicken and egg problem here to mix metaphors. Why train/educate people in basic sciences if there are no jobs for them to apply their knowledge and skills? The challenge, it would seem, is to find an engine consistent with current conditions that runs on part economic development, infrastructure, training, higher education, venture capital and government support. Once the engine is running sufficiently to enable the full life-cycle of elementary education through job aquisition, it can be revved up to drive down the path toward a Technology Village. Tim Gilbert Solutions Consultant 203-426-7965 203-241-4551 - cell [EMAIL PROTECTED] IBM Learning Solutions..creating the future of learning Internet: www.ibm.com/learning Intranet: w3.ibm.com/services/learning On 12/03/2004, Femi Oyesanya [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: A recent Nigerian Newspaper article cited the Nigerian Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nasir El-Rufai, as saying that the Nigerian Government has given the approval for the building of a Technology Village. Nigeria will be building its own Silicon Valley on a 650 hectare property, located in a suburb of the Federal Capital city, Abuja. The Newspaper article quoted El-Rufai as saying, we want to create a city of knowledge in Abuja. And on the way to the airport, we have got about 650 hectares of land we have reserved out of the Abuja master-plan. What we hope to do with the technology village, which is going to cost us between $300 to $400 million is to have the highest quality infrastructure attracting the best brains in information and bio-technology, pharmaceutical and Information Technology (IT) research to work in Abuja. (1) ..snip... ***GKD is solely supported by EDC, a Non-Profit Organization*** To post a message, send it to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To subscribe or unsubscribe, send a message to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]. In the 1st line of the message type: subscribe gkd OR type: unsubscribe gkd Archives of previous GKD messages can be found at: http://www.edc.org/GLG/gkd/
[GKD] Nigeria: Silicon Valley Transplant
Nigeria: Silicon Valley Transplant By Femi Oyesanya [EMAIL PROTECTED] A recent Nigerian Newspaper article cited the Nigerian Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nasir El-Rufai, as saying that the Nigerian Government has given the approval for the building of a Technology Village. Nigeria will be building its own Silicon Valley on a 650 hectare property, located in a suburb of the Federal Capital city, Abuja. The Newspaper article quoted El-Rufai as saying, we want to create a city of knowledge in Abuja. And on the way to the airport, we have got about 650 hectares of land we have reserved out of the Abuja master-plan. What we hope to do with the technology village, which is going to cost us between $300 to $400 million is to have the highest quality infrastructure attracting the best brains in information and bio-technology, pharmaceutical and Information Technology (IT) research to work in Abuja. (1) The decision to build a Technology Village must be the Federal Nigerian Government solution to addressing gaps that exist in Technology growth. Several studies have noted that Nigeria lags behind in most Technology development. A formal study conducted in 2003, by the Economist Intelligence Unit and IBM, concluded that E-business in Nigeria faces serious obstacles: inadequate telecoms infrastructure, unreliable power supply and authorities who, by and large, lack the means to push e-business forward (2) In short, there are two primary reason for Technology Development failures in Nigeria: (a) Lack of Technology Development supporting Infrastructure, such as Power Supply, Water Supply, Fiber Optics Telecommunications Network, Transportation, etc. (b) Lack of appropriate Technology Development and Technology Growth Acceleration Policies. The proposed Nigerian Silicon Valley sounds impressive at first analysis, given the problem with basic Infrastructure; one can argue that a Technology Village can isolate itself from some of the infrastructural problems. For example, the Village could have its own Independent Power Plant, Water, Supply, and Transportation System. A Nigerian Silicon Valley could be an artificial Technology Oasis. This Technology Oasis would be home to Nigeria's Technology Development, Technology Research, and Technology Service Industries. The Oasis would serve as the nerve center for Nigeria's Technology research and innovation. Venture Capital entrepreneurs would pour Investment Capital into the Oasis, product development would create jobs, and Nigeria would witness a Technology growth revolution. The above wishful thinking, has to be the line of thought that went into the decision making process, that now has the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory wanting to dish out 650 hectares and spend $400 Million on a venture that has key success factors of business clusters like Silicon Valley, California, missing. Silicon Valley is not just hectares of Land. Silicon Valley is a special habitat for innovation and entrepreneurship. It consists of dense, flexible networks and relationships among entrepreneurs, investors, university researchers, consultants, skilled employees -- connecting people to ideas.(3) Abuja and its surrounding satellite towns, do not yet have the supporting underlying Technology readiness capacity needed to transplant a Silicon Valley clone. The first missing element of success, which arguably might be the most important, is that Abuja does not have a major research oriented University. Outside of governmental affiliated research bodies, such as: National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Sheda Science and Technology Complex (SHESTCO), National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Energy Commission of Nigeria (ECN), National Biotechnology Development Agency (NABDA), and a few others, Abuja lacks the Research and Development composition that we see often around California's Silicon Valley. For example, Abuja University was founded only in 1988, and has not yet matured into a research oriented academic institution. On the other hand, Silicon Valley, California, is the home of University of California, San Francisco, Stanford, and the University of California, Berkeley. According to an article written by Andrew Issacs, Executive Director, Management of Technology Program, University of California, Berkeley, In Silicon Valley, there were many contributing factors: (A) gradual development of the Venture Capital industry (B) gradual improvement in local universities (C) gradual influx of technically strong labor (D) gradual growth in government investment in RD. These factors reinforce each other, over time making it more difficult for it to happen anywhere else. (4) It is also shocking that the recently released, National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy (NEEDS) did not have a provision for building a Technology Village. Understandably, the national economic plan can be revised
