NAN-H-98
Transformation
By Constance Athekame
Abuja, Oct. 8, 2016 (NAN) Mr Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communications on Tuesday called on the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Centre of Excellence Network (CoEs) to drive the Africa digital transformation.
Shittu made the call in Abuja at the opening of the 3rd Steering Committee Meeting of ITU’s CoE’s Network for Africa.
He said there was urgent need to mainstream the digital economy of Africa to reap from the new digital world that is ever transforming.
“I believe that these centres of excellence must champion the transformation and the Federal Ministry of Communications is proud that Nigeria is represented on ITU Africa Network of Excellence by our Digital Bridge Institute.
“I look forward to receiving the proceedings of your meetings and assure you that the ministry will provide the required support to realise the laudable objectives of the centre of excellence.
“In the next three days, I encourage you to engage in discussions that will advance the growth and development of Africa and its citizens, particularly using telecommunications.
Prof Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), said the role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a growth enabler was no longer debatable.
“Evidence abound in developed economies that ICT is the biggest driver that African countries can harness.
“There are massive opportunities of the digital era; Africa needs to consciously invest not only in ICT infrastructure but also in developing the requisite knowledge and skills through capacity building.
“I have no doubt that the centres of excellence are uniquely positioned to lead bold initiatives to transform the landscape of ICT on the continent through training and development as well as research.”
The NCC boss assured the ITU Africa Regional Office and the Africa Network that the commission would proudly support and, where possible, champion processes that would lead to the implementation taken by delegates.
Earlier, the ITU representative, Mr Marcelino Tayob, said ICT was a key enabler for the development of nations adding that human capacity was also the key to realising the vision of African leaders.
Tayob said it was therefore important that priority be given to ICT sector and human capacity.
Mr Ikechukwu Adinde, the Administrator of the Digital Bridge Institute, said the first two meetings held in South Africa in 2014 and Mauritius in December 2015 were very productive.
Adinde said that at the meeting in Mauritius, it was agreed that time had come for ICT capacity building to be given a focal place in the affairs of the African economy.
He said that while a lot of investments were being made to build infrastructure, little attention had been paid to capacity building.
“It is our position in the centres of excellence that attention should be given to building capacity.
“We have converged again to review performance in the current year and to raise a new agenda on common interest for the CoEs particularly capacity building of the ICT sector for the African economy. (NAN)
COA/HAS/IEA
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Edited By Hajia Sani/Idahosa Asowata