Nigeria creates 35 new standards for ICT education

Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN) has partnered the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to create 35 new National Occupational Standards (NOS).

The standards aim to bridge the digital skills gap and transform the future of ICT education in Nigeria. Speaking during a validation workshop on NOS in ICT in Abuja, yesterday, the Registrar, Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria, Muhammed Aliyu, said it was in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

Aliyu said the digital skills would enable entrepreneurial development, job creation, employment and national development. He said Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN) has been granted the status of awarding body by NBTE for all Information and Communication Technology related skills under the Nigerian Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF).

According to him, candidates, who would be trained using these National Occupational Standards would be able to work, develop the local economy and be available to outsourced opportunities.

He said: “Information Technology is a dynamic profession, innovations and developments is taking place daily globally, this necessitated our foray into studying the current National Occupational Standards in (NOS) in ICT to ensure it is in line with current trend in IT practice.”

The Executive Secretary of NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje, represented by Dr Musa Hatim Koko, commended the registrar of the council for providing the platform for the initiative.

Data protection and privacy, he said, required no fewer than 500 experts. Giving an overview of the new NOS for ICT, the Head of Business Development at CPN, Benjamin Prince, said the council was open to collaboration to build the sector.