NAN-H-89
ICT
By Chinyere Nwachukwu
Lagos, Oct. 27, 2016 (NAN) The Minister of State for Education, Prof. Anthony Anwukah, on Thursday said that continuous investment in Information and Communication Technology (ICT) would create avenues to grow the country’s economy.
Anwukah made the remark at the presentation of the 2016 Outstanding Performance Awards ceremony organised by the Federal Ministry of Education in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the event was organised in collaboration with FSTC, CISCO academy, and TAFMUN, an affiliate of the United Nations.
He charged the 104 unity colleges to take steps to focus more on ICT by participating in international competitions.
The minister commended some students and management of the Federal Science and Technical College (FSTC), Yaba Lagos for coming top in this year’s award ceremony.
The minister called on all the unity colleges across the country to stand out as flagship institutions by thinking outside the box.
According to him, unity schools must take step further by tilting more towards ICT by participating in international competitions.
He said that ICT was the only way out, going by the current economic challenges facing the country.
Anwukah said that investing in ICT would create avenues to build the country’s economy and provide opportunity for employment with hands-on experience for Nigerian youths.
“FSTC Yaba has distinguished itself in this regard as the flagship and the only unity college that is coming out with a lot of awards from participating in ICT competitions within the country.
“This is why I am saying that we can be where the Asian tigers are if we really do the right thing.
“We are largely consumers of other people’s technology and the time to overturn the trend is now.
“Over the years, we have relied so much on foreign technology; so we must strive to look inwards and begin to see how we can harness our local materials.
“We must also begin to promote our own indigenous technology because we have the personnel and content.
“Rather than patronising other people’s technology, we can invite the technology manufacturing companies to come with their soft wares to Nigeria and manufacture here.
“I want to commend FSTC, Yaba for their landmark achievements in the field of ICT.
“With all that I have seen today, the future of these students are assured,’’ he said.
Earlier, the Principal of the College, Rev. Chris Ugorji, said the institution was fully aware of the importance of ICT to national development and global competitiveness.
Ugorji said that it was in line with the realisation that the college registered for the Cisco Netriders ICT Africa Competition that was organised for all colleges, including tertiary institutions in Africa.
He noted that the college emerged the overall best among colleges and also placed second position in the country.
Ugorji said the college had also participated in programmes and competitions organised for institutions under the Federal Ministry of Education.
According to him, this is part of the mandates to train the Nigerian child to acquire relevant skills for national development.
“The concept is in line with the spirit and letters of the National Policy on Education.
“It is also in tune with the vision and mission of the founding fathers of the 104 unity colleges across the country.
In his brief remark, Mr Imoh Akpan, the Area Academy Manager, CISCO English sub-Saharan Africa, said that so far, over five million people had registered in its networking academy programme across the globe.
He said that the programme had been translated into 19 languages.
Akpan said that in Nigeria alone, 172 academies with over 71,000 students had been trained in the academy.
He noted that, of the figure, 16,000 students were from the unity colleges in the country. (NAN)
CCN/AIB/IGO
=========
Edited by Abdulfatah Babatunde