FG commissions five ICT projects in Ekiti, Anambra, Lagos

The Federal Government through the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy has commissioned five ICT centres in three states which includes Ekiti, Anambra and Lagos State.

The projects include; Emergency Communication Center (ECC), Igede-Aramoko Road Opposite NYSC office Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, flag-Off of National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA), De Jewels
suite Off poly road, Oke Ureje. Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, School Knowledge Center (SKC) ljaloke Grammar School Emure Ekiti Along Supare Ikare Road Ekiti, Ekiti State.

Others are Digital Awareness Program for Secondary Schools (DAP), Methodist Girls High School Yaba, Lagos State, Digital Awareness Program for Secondary Schools(DAP), Bishop Okoye Girls Secondary School, Ukpor, Anambra State.

Commissioning the projects virtually, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami said the projects were in alignment with President Muhammadu Buhari’s 3 priority areas.

“Today is our batch 7 for the commissioning of our projects as it was earlier said, the projects are in alignment with the three priority areas of President Muhammadu Buhari that is, Economic Development, security and promoting our economy and fighting corruption.

“These are the three priority areas of President Muhammadu Buhari and we always try to ensure that the projects we execute are directly related to these three priority areas,” the Minister said.

He said the President had mandated the Ministry to develop the national digital economy policy for a digital Nigeria 2020 to 2030 with 8 pillars.

He said the 8 pillars include developmental regulation, digital skills, solid infrastructure, service infrastructure, digital services, soft infrastructure, Digital Society and emerging Technologies, indigenous content development and promotion.

“All these eight priority areas or pillars of our policy are in alignment with the three priority areas of President Muhammadu Buhari.

“In addition today the traditional economy is been relegated by the digital economy globally, since 2016, World Economic Forum estimated the value of digital economy up to $11.5 trillion and that has continued to improve significantly particularly with the new challenge of a COVID-19 pandemic that has compelled many nations to adopt digital technologies in all their activities and many more. It is because of this that we feel it is necessary that we try to diversify our economy by focusing more on the digital economy,” Pantami said.

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“However, let me clear it, We have projects in each and every state of the Federation, for example, emergency communications centre, 19 are so far operational and we plan to continue completing the remaining by the end of this year and beginning of Next year when it comes to smart agriculture, also is a project and training that is being conducted from one state to another the same with a digital awareness program for secondary schools.

“So these projects are ongoing and we do hope that within the time frame we have in the office we will be able to ensure that each and every state benefits from all these interventions.

“Furthermore, I want to re-emphasise here that if you look at the projects being executed by the ministry and the parastatals, you will discover that in each state, we have a minimum of four to five projects so far,” the Minister added.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the occasion and the Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Kayode Fayemi, said communication technology, digital infrastructure is very key to Mr President’s agenda.

“There’s no way we’re going to increase the country’s GDP, there’s no way we’re going to improve the economy of Nigeria if you do not make a giant stride in the area of the digital economy.

“That has been proven if we were in any doubt before now by the COVID-19 pandemic and the difficulty we had to face with physical contact and the result to the virtual meeting just like the one we are having here today.

“I would like to further commit myself and my colleagues in the Nigeria Governors Forum to supporting any and all of these initiatives that they have put on the agenda of transformation in the communications sector,” Dr Fayemi noted.

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE