I think it is difficult for our innovations to really become widespread in usage.
Not because they are not good, but because of our target market. Nigerian developers have crafted so many solutions over the years that are lying unused not because the solutions are not perfect in themselves but because the market friction was just too much.
Have you ever tried pitching a school management system to an “illiterate” principal? Illiterate not in terms of been unable to read and write but as Alvin Toffler said:
“The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn. ”
Our cutting edge tech innovations have to be convincing enough for it to be approved and it must not be too efficient either. If it is too efficient, people might lose their jobs!
For example, a cool 18 year old codestar can easily woop together a library management system to allow proper documentation and tracking of books. Pitching it will be easy, but implementation will be hard. All those paper files they have kept over the years will need to be digitalised first and the clerks will have nothing more to do.
The last enemy to be conquered is not lack of skills or innovative ideas in the ecosystem. The last enemy to be conquered is this resistance to change. Without breaking this barrier, our innovations will remain broken.
