Friday, 29th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search
Breaking News:

‘ICT is key to national development’

By Kehinde Olatunji
11 October 2017   |   2:18 am
Africa Chair for IEEE World Internet of Things (WIoT), Chris Uwaje has identified Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as key to national development.

Chris Uwaje

Africa Chair for IEEE World Internet of Things (WIoT), Chris Uwaje has identified Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as key to national development.

Uwaje, a former President, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), stated this at the Sixth yearly national dinner party of Government College Ughelli Old Boys Association (GCUOBA) held at the weekend in Lagos.

According to him, if the nation must survive emerging critical challenges, traumatic impact and secure opportunities and benefits presented by globalisation order of the 21st century, it must step forward to be counted and digitally ready at all levels.

He stated also that for the country to survive emerging impacts of Machine-to-Machine Society (M2MS), a national reconstruction is desirable, using the education, science and technology conduit as a basis for incubating a knowledge-based economy, where patriotism, fairness, accountability, transparent, justice and equity are enthroned and merit abundantly rewarded.

Uwaje noted that with over 65 per cent of the country’s population made up of youths, the country’s resources should be deployed and invested in accelerated and quality youth education developments projects.

“The knowledge of Olympaid is here and Nigeria/Africa must step forward to be counted and digitally ready at all levels, if she must survive the emerging critical challenges, traumatic impact as well as secure the opportunities and benefits presented by globalization order of the 21st century.

“Government-to-Government (G2G) process automation is fundamental to the actualization of the objectives set forth in our National Economic Empowerment Development Plans; and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. These plans are focused on how Government-to-Citizen (G2C) interface can grossly benefit the citizenry. G2G is critically essential to facilitate and accelerate the transformation and enhancement of the vital component of Government-to-Business (G2B) processes.”

In his recommendation, Uwaje said there is need to retool and transform the environment of GCU with ramification models by deploying innovative and logic-thinking visual images.

He recommeded a formidable ICT campus-wide Fibre-Opic infrastructure backbone and establishment of special ICT innovation and discovery laboratories and knowledge parks for skill development and entrepreneurship technologies among others.

Chairman of the Occasion Ambassador Christopher Kolade commended the alumni’s effort in refurbishing the school.He recommended that other alumni should emulate the GCU alumni adding that government cannot do everything.

“We live in a society where we complain but the GCU alumni have taken the initiative to rise up to meet the needs of their alma mater If we could play our role and contribute to alma mater the educational sector of the nation will be better.”

President General worldwide of GCUOB, Prof Oritsegbemi Omatete disclosed in his address “We have raised and judiciously spent well over a quarter of a billion naira at our alma mater. We have refurbished and resuscitated dormitories, the Administration block, the Appian Way, the Assembly Hall, the Library, the Sick Bay, a Felix Esi ICT center with 60 computers, the Pavilion, the Laboratories (equip them) – Chemistry, Physics, Biology and Agricultural Science, the electric generator, the generator house, the sports fields and more.

“After raising and spending so much, I remind the government of our proposal for a new model of Public Private Partnership (PPP) in operating education in the state. It has been shown that states that allow this partnership have had substantial improvement in their education quality. We are therefore pleading with the Delta state government to create a Governing Council/ Board for deserving schools like GCU.”

0 Comments