Pantami commissions 7 NITDA, NCC projects in 5 geo-political zones
By Ogaga Ariemu
As part of efforts to consolidate on implementing the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami on Friday has commissioned seven projects Geo-political zones of the country.
The projects were actualised by National Information Technology Development Agency(NITDA) and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) under the ministry.
The projects included Community ICT Centre, Dutse,Jigawa State for North West, IT Hub,Abubakar Balewa University, Bauchi for North East,Digital Economy Centre,Imo State Polytechnic, South East,Digital Economy Centre,Garki Secondary School,Abuja for North Central.
Others were Digital Economy Centre,Ojodu Grammar School,Lagos State,Emergency Communications Centre Abeokuta,Ogun State for South West and Emergency Communication Centre,Enugu also for South East.
Others were Digital Economy Centre,Ojodu Grammar School,Lagos State,Emergency Communications Centre Abeokuta,Ogun State for South West and Emergency Communication Centre,Enugu also for South East.
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami at the commissioning of the projects said it was the Ninth Batch of the NDEPS nationwide projects.
Pantami said that the projects were in line with the key agendas of President Muhammadu Buhari which included economic development, security and fight against corruption.
“The ICT parks of the digital economy centres are more inclined to economic development and secondly they are also in line to fighting corruption.
“We are using the digital centres to build capacity for our citizens and we also do encourage them to migrate from manual way of doing things to online.
“The emergency communication centres are part of government agenda to fight insecurity through activating emergency numbers in cases of emergencies,” Pantami said.
He also said that the Federal Government of Nigeria approved the National Policy on Virtual Engagements in the Federal Public Institutions,hence making the virtual commissioning institutionalised.
He added that the virtual activities had saved cost for government.
Pantami also said that the ministry had almost completed the National Digital Innovation Startups Policy to promote startups entrepreneurship and innovation.
According to him, private and public sector should adopt solutions by startups because the government is creating the enabling environment for them to be successful.
Mr Festus Dauda, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy,said the centres would bridge the digital divide and ensure fulfilment of the President Buhari’s promise of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in yen years.
Earlier the Director-General of National Informatuon Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr Abdullahi Kashifu, Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Prof Umar Danbatta and other Chief Executive Officer of parastatals under the ministry gave their congratulatory messages and hoped that the projects achieved and facilitated the digital economy agenda.
Mrs Racael Adesola, Principal Ojodu Grammar School,Lagos state, said the centre by the National Information Technology Development Agency was alreadybin use by students.
Adesola said that students were using the computers to enhance learning,do class activities and she urged the government to sustain such interventions.
