The Catalyst: Nigerian Tech Evolution Through a Journalist’s Lens

In The Catalyst: Nigerian Tech Evolution Through a Journalist’s Lens, Dayo Oketola provides an in-depth exploration of Nigeria’s transformation in the telecommunications and tech sectors over the past two decades. Beginning with the landmark introduction of GSM in 2001, Oketola chronicles how bold initiatives led to over $70 billion in private investment and the creation of more than 500,000 jobs, revolutionizing the country’s digital landscape.

The book, spanning 352 pages across 14 chapters, blends personal anecdotes with detailed industry analysis, celebrating achievements while critically addressing ongoing challenges. It highlights the intersection of telecommunications, fintech, and infrastructure, showing how these advancements have driven national development. Key themes include the importance of strategic planning, governance, and inclusivity, particularly for vulnerable groups such as persons with disabilities and women.

Oketola also examines the regulatory landscape, the successes and failures of frameworks, and the operational struggles faced by key projects like NigComSat-1R, Nigeria’s communications satellite. The book emphasizes the role of technology as a catalyst for economic empowerment, documenting how mobile technology and fintech have enabled public health interventions and economic inclusion.

Looking to the future, The Catalyst explores government initiatives in broadband expansion and the rise of 5G, highlighting the vast opportunities ahead for Nigeria’s digital economy. The book is an essential read for ICT stakeholders, policymakers, researchers, and anyone interested in Nigeria’s evolving digital ecosystem and its social and economic impacts.