NAN-H-124
ICT
By Elusogbon Dorcas
Ile-Ife (Osun), March 8, 2017 (NAN) Prof. Anthony Elujoba, the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, says Information Communications Technology (ICT) will address economic challenges of any country because of the fundamental role it plays.
Elujoba was represented by Prof. Francisca Aladejana at the 3rd International Conference on ICT, Entrepreneurship Education organised by the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Development Studies (IFEDS) and African Centre of Excellence, OAU, Ile-Ife, Osun.
Elujoba was quoted as making this known in the latest edition of OAU Bulletin made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Ile-Ife.
He said that ICT played a fundamental role of bringing information on education and healthcare closer to people.
He said that OAU had done so much on ICT development and deployment, adding that it had been recognised as the African Centre of Excellence in Software Engineering by the World Bank.
He said that in recent years, entrepreneurship had become a global dream for a lot of people and governments all over the world had been formulating policy on it.
According to him, OAU has long recognised the increasing importance of entrepreneurship and entrepreneurship education in developing a nation’s economy.
He said that OAU had wide range of experience in enterprises promotion and had been involved in several initiatives targeted at the introduction of entrepreneurship education and self employment.
Elujoba said that apart from reducing unemployment, the importance of entrepreneurship depended on positive social changes made through non profit organisations or businesses focused on innovative and sustained development.
Prof. Kehinde Osotimehin, the Director, Instituted for Entrepreneurship and Development Studies, in his welcome address, stated that the theme of the conference: ” Entrepreneurship: Key to Economic Growth and Sustainable Development ” had the potential of addressing the problems of unemployment and poverty.
Osotimehin said that its importance also depended on the positive changes that could bring about innovative and sustainable approaches being core of entrepreneurship.
He expressed confidence that the Institute of Entrepreneurship and Development Studies was adequately equipped to support the efforts of the Central Bank of Nigeria in all the activities of the Entrepreneurship Centres in Nigeria.
According to him, the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and trained professional staff in IFEDs can provide various forms of support in the area of entrepreneurship training, small business development, industrial extension and counseling.
The Director of INTECU, Mr Akintunde Okunade expressed delight at partnering with the institute in organising this year’s conference.
Okunade stressed the importance of ICT to economy of any nation, adding that through ICT, a company could brand and package its products and sell it to the world right inside the office. (NAN)
EDA/ GY
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Edited by Grace Yussuf