FG approves Cisco Networking Academy in six geo-political zones

The Federal Government of Nigeria through the Federal Ministry of Education has approved the Cisco Networking Academy Program as well as the establishment of six Internet of things (IoT) innovation centres across the Federal Unity Colleges in the six geo-political zones of Nigeria.

This initiative is part of Cisco’s strategic partnership with the Federal Ministry of Education to provide access to quality ICT education in the Country.

The project is driven by one of Cisco’s Networking Academy Support Centres, UNITeS, and so far, two IoT Innovation Centres have already been established at the Federal Science and Technical College, Yaba and at FGC, Bwari, Abuja.

Meanwhile, the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Secure ID, Kofo Akinkugbe, at the Women for Change conference, in Lagos, organized by Cisco, in commemoration of the month of March, which is majorly celebrated as ‘women’s month’, has urged women to be relevant in this digital age, saying it is essential they harness their innate foresight abilities and be technologically innovative in their field of specialization.

Speaking on the theme, ‘Women of Impact’, Akinkugbe narrated that her Smart Card Manufacturing company firm was born from creativity and innovation, ‘‘while seeking a new turf after I retired from the banking sector, I became interested in security and biometrics technologies.

I foresaw that cards with chips, SmartCards will be the next thing in the financial sector.

Thus, I built the required standard capacity around this technology which led to the first VISA certified plant in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).”

At the official opening and inauguration of one of the Innovation Centres at Queen’s College, Lagos, the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu represented by the Director of ICT, Federal Ministry of Education, Ifegwu Orji, stated: ‘Qualitative education in the modern world is intrinsically tied to the development and deployment of ICT in education.

This initiative by Cisco is highly commendable as it will train our students to become global problem solvers and to become competitive on a global level. It is my earnest desire that this centre will produce great minds that will make a difference Nigeria”