The Federal Government has emphasized its commitment to ensuring that youths in Nigeria are in proper tune with ongoing development and improvements on information technology .
Minister of State for Information and Communications, Alhaji Aliyu Bilbis made this known at the commissioning of the Digital Awareness Programme (DAP), and Digital Access Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADAPTI), in Kaduna State noting that the programme is one of the steps that the federal government has taken in ensuring that youths in the nation have access to information and communications tools.
The programme which was initiated by Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has it main objective to provide academic institutions and their neigbouring communities with ICT facilities. The first phase of the programme launched in 2004.
According to him, “This project represents one of the concrete steps by the federal Government to ensure that youths of this country are adequately prepared and equipped for the information technology age.
The project is a demonstration of the federal government commitment to promote access to information and communications tools which is essential not only for education but for all aspects of human existence.”
Bilbis called on other states government to ensure that all part of their local government areas are covered by similar projects to achieve a very wide spread in order to benefit it’s citizenry.
He also urged the benefitting states, to ensure that the use of the facilities are encouraged and provision of security in order to guarantee the sustenance of the facilities.
Chairman Senate Committee on Communications, Senator Sylvester Anyanwu, said that the programme will the nation in achieving it goals on vision 2020 since the 21st century is being driven by Information, Communication technology (ICT), .
“We must realize that every sector of the economy have to use ICT and if it is properly developed, not only will it help in recovering the economic down turn we are in now, it will also provide job opportunities for our youths. It is a sector that has done very well in Nigeria.” Senator Anyanwu noted.
The Chairman Senate Committee on communications assured Nigerians that the Senate will continue to give the necessary legislative backing on ICT connectivity to the grassroots in the country.
The Executive Vice_Chairman (EVC), NCC, Engr. Ernest Ndukwe said with a population of over 140 million, the nation still have a long way to go in the area of ICT.
“With the current population of Nigeria at about 140 million, we cannot rest on our oars. Every Nigerian citizen is entitled to the basic communication tools that are necessary to live in a world where the average citizen is in demand for more than basic voice telephony. Today demand for broadband and internet resources for e_health, e_education, e_commerce, e_business, e_office, e_everything, has continued to rise, and Nigeria must rise up to this challenge.” He said.
The EVC noted that over 221 schools have already benefitted from the programme.
Among the schools that benefitted on the DAP and ADAPTI programmes in Kaduna state, include Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, where 100 laptops were donated to the school, Barewa College Zaria, where 20 desks top with internet access, and generator were given to the college, and Yusuf Aboki Secondary School Shika also got 20 desk top computers and generating set.
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