DBI sees ICT technical training upscale skill acquisition, reduce unemployment

The Administrator of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), Dr. Ike Adindu, has said that ICT technical training has the potential to upscale skill acquisition and reduce unemployment in the country, by stimulating entrepreneurship and wealth creation.

To this end, the institute has inaugurated $1 million Telecommunication Network Equipment Laboratory, for skills training and development of capacity of engineers in the country and African region.

Speaking at the inauguartion in Abuja, Adindu said that for sustainable development to take place, significant investment must be made in upgrading the skills of Nigerian workers, adding that urgent measures must be taken to train and make available to the industry highly skilled human resources to serve as the key drivers of the economy.

He explained that the Telecommunication Network Equipment Laboratory project started with the donation of a complement of modern telecommunications equipment by Huawei Technologies Nigeria Limited, to DBI.

According to him, the laboratory is equipped with worldwide industry standard training systems that combine hands-on skill training with the required theory, which integrates seamlessly into operational and production Setup and cuts across various technical fields.

He said, “We are proud that the laboratory is equipped with Transmission equipment (Optical Fibre-SDHM WDM and Microwave radio), 2G/3G wirless Radio Access Nodes, (BSC, RNC, BTS Node-B) and ultra modern Next Generation Core Network Switching Centre which gives complete end-end telecoms scenario” all donated by Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited.”

Also speaking, Deputy Managing Director, Huawei Technologies, Mr. Kelvin (Yang Yang), commended the increasing ICT developments in Nigeria adding that as a global leader in providing leading ICT solutions and innovations, Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited is committed to seeing high-tech facilities and operations in the world, especially Nigeria.

He noted that the company has been a key player in consistently contributing significantly to the growth and development of ICT in Nigeria over the years. This is attestable with its CSR programs such as ICT for Change which has been focused on training thousands of Nigerian youths and civil servants across the nation in the last four years. The company’s flagship global CSR program, Seeds for the future, focuses on providing world class ICT training to Nigerian students with a fully funded trip to China to experience global trainings and facility tours. Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited has also been committed to enhancing rural connectivity across Nigeria to aid broadband and mobile penetration to unreached regions.

Noting the significant contribution of the company to ICT growth and development in Nigeria, Dr. Ike Adinde, Administrator, Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) stated that “today is the best day in the Digital Bridge Institute as we commission this global telecommunications laboratory. I must say that the Nigerian government recognizes all that Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited has been doing and appreciates its consistent efforts towards driving ICT development in Nigeria.”

In his remarks, Chairman, Governing Board of the DBI,  Titi Omo-ettu, observed that telecommunications laboratory which is donated by Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited represented a leap in the efforts of the institute to provide qualitative hands-on practical telecommunications and ICT training in line with its core mandate of building functional skills.