Ministry restates need for ICT varsity

Sector’s growth roadmap out in August

The Ministry of Communications has stressed the need for the country to have an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) university in Nigeria.

This, according to the ministry is targeted at making Nigeria more competitive and also guard against the country becoming a dumping ground for foreign technologies.

The minister of Communications Technology, Adebayo Shittu, who said this in Abuja, yesterday, noted that an ICT varsity would be a pool that will provide manpower for and train human capital development for a fledging ICT in Nigeria.

Shittu said this while receiving the members of the Editorial Board of Kakaaki Magazine, who came to present him with an award as the ‘Democracy Man of the Year 2016.’

“We are working on an ICT University which will be the first in Africa. It will train high caliber personnel that will service the ICT industry”, said the Minister who disclosed that the recently compiled ICT Roadmap 2016 would soon become operational.

In an interview with The Guardian in Lagos, recently, the minister hinted on the possibility of turning the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) in Lagos and other cities into a multi-campus ICT varsity.

Shittu had said that DBI, a former Nigeria Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) training ground, but later refurbished by the Nigerian Communications Commission, can help tap the full potential of the telecommunications and technology sector.

Shittu disclosed that as part of the implementation of the ICT Roadmap, some activities, seminars and sensitization programmes would be rolled out in the next few weeks.

He said,” by the time the roadmap must have been in operation before the end of next month, most of what we are doing here will be known to Nigerians. Every Nigerian is affected by what the telecoms industry is doing”.

The minister, who acknowledged the fact that the ICT industry is a new terrain for him, said he was able to achieve certain feat since assumption of office because of the clement working relationship he has with the Permanent Secretary, Sonny Echono, the directors and other management teams in the ministry.

Speaking on his working bond with the Permanent Secretary, he said,” I love my working relationship with the Permanent Secretary. We are two great minds that love challenges. In fact, it is a marriage made in heaven. And we both work harmoniously with the directors. I love working with each and every one of them.”

Barr. Shittu expressed his appreciation to the Kakaaki team for finding him worthy of being honoured as the Democracy Day Man of The Year 2016, while he urged the organization to continue to partner with the ministry and its agencies. He added that his office is open to any constructive ideas.

Presenting the award and magazine to the minister, the Group Chairman/ Publisher and Editor-in-Chief, Chief Tai Olusoccer said the selection committee of the magazine found Barr. Shittu worthy of this year’s award because of his unprecedented achievements in the sector within a short period of time despite being a non-ICT expert.

“Out of all the names of personalities shortlisted for this year’s award, your name scored the highest marks largely because despite the fact that you are coming from a non-ICT field, you were able to achieve the mileage you have so far reached in propelling the ministry. So, the award is a deserved one for you sir”, he stated