CHAIRMAN, Zinox Technologies Limited, Dr. Leo-Stan Ekeh, has applauded President Goodluck Jonathan’s led Federal Executive Council (FEC) for their passionate focus on education.
Ekeh also advocated for the empowerment of what he called a ‘Golden Jubilee Generation.’
Speaking on the recent FEC approval of N1.7 billion for primary school textbooks in Lagos, Ekeh said that it was encouraging to note that the initiative was coming from government at a time when the world was beginning to doubt the capacity of Nigeria to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.
He commended the new policy that guarantees a regular training and retraining programme for teachers and urged President Jonathan to remain focused always on doing what is best for Nigeria.
He called on all stakeholders in education to take advantage of the favourable disposition of government to ensure that Nigerian educational system quickly transits to the e-books culture that is changing the face of education worldwide.
While assessing the impact of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) in the past 50 years of Nigeria, Zinox boss said that the year 2001 would always be remembered for being the turning point in the development of Nigeria.
He recalled that 2001 was the year that Nigeria joined the ICT revolution with the launch of Zinox Computers and the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM), despite skepticism that these two related events have changed the course of Nigeria’s development.
Citing for instance, the ICT capacity acquired by the banks, he said it have given them the confidence to embark on universal and global operations, while the educational sector could now compete with institutions anywhere in the world.
The agricultural sector, he said, has access to international research efforts, noting that the impact of ICT has been felt even in the media which is today digital, among others.
According to him, at the end of the first decade of the 21st Century majority of Nigerians could now claim access to ICT tools that enhance productivity.
Ekeh emphasised that the 50th anniversary celebrations give Nigerians an opportunity to enhance the measurable contributions of ICT to national development.
He further said that the celebrations would translate to a direct investment if the Federal and State Governments give one laptop to every serving National Youth Service Corp member on October 1, 2010.
“That way, we would be empowering a new generation of Nigerians from whom we can expect innovations in the next two to three years,” he said.
This, he said, could be monitored by branding them the ‘Golden Jubilee Generation’ adding that the governments should use the donation of these laptops as a means of challenging Nigerian youths, stressing that the Niger Delta Commission should use this opportunity to give every repentant militant a laptop.
“If properly monitored and supported by a professional micro credit scheme that these laptops as tools of innovation could leapfrog this nation into a silicon valley” he said.
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