AS part of
its deliberate digital inclusion policy to address digital divides across a
broad spectrum of the society generally and the school system in particular, the
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) recently took digital dividends to
some institutions of higher learning in the country.
These schools included
Ekiti State University, Ado Ekiti, The Polytechnic, Ibadan, Imo State
Polytechnic, Umuagwo, Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Ahmadu Bello University,
Zaria, University of Benin, Government Junior Secondary School, Jabi, Abuja,
Katsina State College, Katsina, Government Secondary School Dan Musa, Katsina
State, among others.
The NCC acknowledged the gap in ICT services early enough
and opted to cushion these needs by taking services, equipment and infrastructure
to these centres of learning.
The
Commission through the Advanced Digital Awareness Programme for Tertiary
Institutions (ADAPTI) has been able to empower several of these higher
institutions by donating digital centres, computer laboratories fitted with
laptops and internet connectivity, generating sets as part of the digital
dividends.
While secondary schools benefit through the Digital Awareness
Programme (DAP). DAP ensures that teachers are empowered first to pass
knowledge to the students. DAP promotes hands-on digital empowerment by
creating an environment where students have direct knowledge of usage of
computers and ICTs in support of their studies.
Executive
Vice Chairman (EVC) Dr. Eugene Juwah explains that this is one of the ways we
can reach the unreached and serve the unserved and underserved members of the
society. Juwah further assured that many more institutions and schools will be
covered especially now that the broadband revolution has begun. “Broadband will
make a world of difference”.
Director,
Public Affairs, Mr. Tony Ojobo in a statement explained that to continue the
distribution of digital knowledge, and awareness in schools and support
students in acquiring knowledge of computer in their studies, the Commission
donated ICT/Telecommunications books to Ekiti State University, recently.
Juwah
specifically said the Commission wants to put smiles on the faces of students
and the school system. The EVC who was represented by Ms. Josephine Amuwa
(Director, Policy Competition and Economic Analysis), stated in Ekiti that one
of the core functions of the NCC is the implementation of programmes and plans
that promote the development of the communications industry and in order to
achieve this, the NCC has implemented several capacity building initiatives to
enhance the knowledge base of the participants in the telecoms industry in
Nigeria.
Some of these initiatives include the establishment of the Digital
Bridge Institute in 2004 in order to contribute to the creation of
knowledge-based information society in Africa, through human resource capacity
building in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector.
The EVC stated
that the Commission in 2005 also established the NCC library for use of
researchers and undergraduate students from various tertiary institutions
across the country. He further explained that higher institutions in Ekiti
State, which fall within South West geo-political zone, have not benefitted
from the National Books Donation Initiative of the Commission since inception
of the project which is carried out in phases, hence the need to begin from the
Ekiti State University.
Eighty Seven ICT/Telecom Engineering books on behalf of
the EVC were donated by the Commissioner of NCC, Mrs. Biodun Olujimi and
received by the Vice Chancellor of Ekiti State University Prof. Oladipo Aina. The
Vice Chancellor thanked the Commission for contributing ICT/ Telecommunications
books to the University which will impact and add value to the lives of the
students.
The
Commission has also taken the ADAPTI project to The Polytechnic, Ibadan Oyo
State, where 110 laptops were commissioned. The Advanced Digital Awareness
programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADAPTI) is one of the programmes through
which the NCC strives to bridge the digital divide through the provision of
computers in order to equip lecturers and also to improve the skills of students.
The EVC who was represented by the NCC
zonal coordinator in Ibadan, Mr. Banji Ojo in his speech stated that The
Polytechnic, Ibadan was among the 52 beneficiaries of the ADAPTI project of the
Commission in 2013, and that more than 222 institutions of higher learning
across the country have so far benefitted from ADAPTI since it began in 2008.
Speaking at the event, Juwah stated
that the key objectives of these programmes are to prepare the nation for a
digital tomorrow and equip the youth with the necessary skills to tap into the
potentials of the digital age and in the case of ADAPTI, it is aimed at
improving the resource persons in the process of impacting knowledge. The EVC
further explained that the Commission is committed to assisting the nation in
the quest for ICT penetration through ADAPTI.
Hon. Oyetunde Ojo, the Chairman of the
House Committee on Communications, urged the students to take advantage of the
computers, which were commissioned, advising that the laptops are for the use
of lecturers to improve their administrative skills. He also advised the
students of The Polytechnic to stay away from crimes such as cybercrime and
focus on their education in order to contribute to the nation’s wellbeing.
The Digital
Awareness Program (DAP) is a special intervention programme by the Commission
to address the digital information knowledge gap in the country especially
among the teeming youthful population. The strategy in this programme is to expose
schools and colleges to Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
awareness, usage and application by facilitating access to ICT tools. Under the
project, selected institutions of learning spread across the country are
equipped with computer laboratories fully installed with internet facilities
and their teachers exposed to ICT training in order to equip them to teach their
students, Ojobo further explained in the statement.
By the last
count, the DAP Project has supported 229
secondary Schools across the six (6) geopolitical zones of Nigeria, including
the Federal Capital Territory with the provision of twenty one (21) desktop
computers, Local Area Network, printers, scanners, VSAT dish and deployment of
one year bandwidth subscription for Internet access. These facilities are
complemented with standby generators and a special accommodation built for that
purpose; thus aggregating everything into a fully kitted Computer Laboratory.
The programme also entails human capacity building and managerial training for
key personnel in charge of the Centres from the beneficiary institutions.
As part of
the Commission’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) to facilitate ICT
Awareness in secondary schools and support students in acquiring knowledge of
computer in their studies, the Commission commissioned two projects in Katsina
state recently.
One of the beneficiaries is Government Secondary School, Dan Musa, Katsina State
A newly
constructed computer laboratory with 20 Desktop computers with internet access,
Generator Set, Air conditioners, NCC branded window blinds, was commissioned at
the school. The Executive Governor of Katsina State, Alhaji Ibrahim Shehu Shema
was represented by Alhaji Suleiman Nuhu Kuki, Special Adviser (Science and
Tech) at the event.
The projects
were facilitated by Alhaji Jamilu Mohammed Dan Musa, a former Commissioner of
Water Resources in the State. So many stakeholder graced the occasion.
Katsina
College, Katsina State also benefitted with a newly
constructed Computer Laboratory, 20 Desktop Computers with internet access,
Generator Set, Air-conditioners, NCC branded window blinds were commissioned at
Katsina College, Katsina, a prestigious institution and an Alma Mata of so many
prominent Nigerians.
In Imo State
a constructed computer laboratory,
installed generator, air conditioners and branded window blinds at Omuma
Secondary Technical School in Oru East LGA was one of the DAP projects while
ADAPTI projects with 110 laptops were supplied
and installed at each of the following locations:
.Imo State Polytechnic, Umuagwo
. Skills
Acquisition Centre, Orlu (a campus of Imo State Polytechnic)
.St. Damian School of Nursing, Okporo
.Federal Polytechnic Nekede
These are some of the initiatives by the
Commission to spread digital awareness through digital inclusion, Ojobo added. *Sonny Aragba-Akpore, Head, Media at NCC contributed this piece from Abuja.
ITREALMS ... delivering news for ICT4D
No comments:
Post a Comment