…..Ndukwe, NITDA, NIMC Too
The
biggest and the first ever ICT Centenary awards in commemoration of the
revolutionary milestones in the ICT ecosystem in Nigeria has received the nod
of Nigeria’s Minister of Communications Technology, Dr. (Mrs) Omobola Johnson
and the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr.
Eugene Juwah who both described the ICT Centenary Award as a positive
development in recognition of individuals and corporate entities that toiled to
create the values that are currently being globally celebrated as landmark
achievements in the ICT ecosystem in Nigeria.
Other
industry leaders that have openly embraced the event include the immediate past
EVC of NCC and Chairman
of OpenMedia, Dr Ernest Ndukwe, the Director General of the National
Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Peter Jack and the Director
General National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Barrister Chris ‘E. Onyemenam.
These industry leaders expressed their support for the programme when a
delegation of the promoters of the event visited them at different times in
Lagos and Abuja.
While
receiving a delegation of the ICT Media Initiative, a coalition of all ICT media practitioners
(print, online and broadcasting), in Nigeria, the Minister told the team
comprising of Messrs Aaron Ukodie (Chairman), Ken Ugbechie (co-chairman), Remmy
Nweke (Secretary), Segun Oruame, Bayero Agabi, Olubayo Abiodun and Mrs. Ufuoma
‘Daro that celebrating the achievements in the ICT sector and the individuals
who have distinguished themselves is worth the drive and she promised to lend
the support of her ministry to the successful hosting of the event.
Though
the Minister emphasised that the ICT sector of the Nigeria economy was yet to
attain its full potential and expressed the need for all stakeholders, both
public and private sectors, to synergise in maximising the opportunities that
the nation can derive from the sector, she nonetheless approve of the need to
give rewards to deserving players in the ecosystem. She particularly endorsed
the plan by the Media Initiative to confer an award on President Goodluck
Jonathan. ‘Considering what the president has achieved in the ICT sector, he
deserves an award’, Johnson said.
While
saying that so much has been achieved in the past decade worth celebrating, the
Minister advised the organisers of the events to ensure a befitting ceremony
worthy of emulation.
Mrs.
Johnson also pledged the Ministry’s intervention in the area of capacity
building for media practitioners, while acknowledging that the Ministry was
also faced with the enormous challenges of skills gap which she hopes to
address with numerous hands-on capacity building workshops from where some
media practitioners could be embedded. According to her, the Ministry of
Communications Technology is faced with budgetary constraints which will not
make it affordable to organise dedicated workshops for media practitioners.
Speaking
in similar fashion while welcoming the group to his office in Abuja, Dr. Juwah
commended the ICT Media Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, for
deeming it worthy to articulate the bold steps that the leadership of the NCC
had taken in the last few years to sustain the growth pattern in the ICT sector
of the economy.
While
throwing the weight of the Commission behind the event, he urged the NGO to
continue its positive advocacy campaign on the significant strides that have
been achieved by all the players in the ICT sector.
The
Director-General of both NITDA and NIMC also commended the ICT Media
Initiatives for the bold move at rewarding individuals and institutions that
have impacted on the ICT for development within the Nigerian space.
“Let
me assure you that I am favourably disposed to your programme, and would like
to see your conference succeed. It is a good idea to come up with a the
non-governmental agency, as it will provide a platform for you to seek
information, knowledge and a consensus.
“I
spent 15 years in policy advocacy in this country when I was in the Nigerian
Economic Summit Group, so I can see the role of a very good platform where
ideas can be vitalised, more so when it is taken from the slogan of the NESG
which says, ‘we came to serve’, Onyemenanm said.
“
We will explore how we can work with you to have a proper commitment and to
develop the capacity building and
actualise your aims”, Jack said.
Mr.
Jack reeled out a number of institutional initiatives that are in the pipelines
by the leadership of NITDA to further boost the on-going efforts to transform
Nigeria to a digital society both in governmental inter-relationship and
communal interactions.
He too emphasised
his commitment to avail media practitioners of both local and international
support for capacity building that would positively impact the contribution of
journalism to national development.
During
the separate visits, Mr. Ukodie had informed his hosts that the one -day event
which will hold in Abuja comprise of a Conference which shall take place in the
day and an Award Ceremony, in the evening.
According
to him, the main theme of the conference is: ICT in the Nigerian Centenary: Matching towards a Connected Nigeria.
“We have also slated other sub-themes for discussion. One of the sub-themes is:
Broadband, for a connected Nigeria and
prosperity.
The conference is intended to
sustain the current growth and momentum of discourses and actions that would
culminate in the cost-effective deployment of broadband. This fittingly
complements the efforts of the Federal Government as exemplified by the
inauguration of the National Broadband Initiative,” he said.
He said that ICT Media Initiative is a synergy across three entrepreneurial media groups namely the ICT Publishers Alliance (ICTPA) – comprising leading ICT publications; Business and TechnologyNews Publishers Foundation (BTPF) - made up of business and technology publishers, editors and very senior news managers across Nigeria; and Nigeria ICT Broadcast Network (NIBN).
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pix: L-r: Remmy Nweke, secretary, ICTMedia Initiative, CommTech Minister, Dr. Omobola Johnson, chairman, Aaron Ukodie, vice chairman, Ken Ugbechie, Bayero Agabi during a courtesy call by the group in Abuja recently.
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