THE Senate Committee on Information and Communications Technology, ICT and Cyber-Crime has commended the initiative of Adebayo Shittu, minister of communications, to establish an ICT University of Nigeria. The committee eulogised the minister for his ingenuity in proposing a specific training institution for manpower development in the ICT sector, which will be the first of its kind in Africa.

Senator Foster Ogola, vice chairman of the committee, who led the delegation on an oversight visit to the ministry of communications, said the idea of establishing the ICT University of Nigeria is one of the greatest achievements of Shittu in office as minister, adding that it is highly commendable.

He promised adequate support of the committee in providing the necessary legislative framework for effective take off of the institution as soon as possible. He said the visit is in the exercise of legislative oversight of the Senate as enshrined in Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution, and that it is a follow-up to the presentation of the 2017 budget of the ministry, which he said, is a prelude to the consideration of the budget.

Ogola pointed out that the visit was aimed also at having first-hand information on details of performance of the 2015 budget, 2016 budget so far and detailed information on specific projects of the ministry as well as costs and locations of certain projects. The Senator used the occasion to inform the minister of the committee’s planned stakeholders’ conference meant to accelerate the penetration of ICT in Nigeria, with the attendant need to control cyber risks and other ICT-related challenges.

The conference is ultimately expected to identify gaps inherent in the system and generate appropriate synergy in the relationships of stakeholders with a view to ensuring consistency, complementary and articulated structured approach to resolving the challenges.

Other members of the team include Senator Abdullahi Gumel, member and Senator Abiodun Olujinmi, member, Ayoh Ogon, Clerk of the Committee and staff of the Committee.

The minister had earlier told the senators the need to upgrade the Digital Bridge Institute, DBI, owned by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, into a multiple ICT campus university to specifically provide manpower for the ICT sector.

Shittu said the ministry has approached the federal ministry of education and the National Universities Commission, NUC, for the necessary institutional framework for the establishment of the university while identified stakeholders have been approached to participate in the Public-Private-Partnership project.

—  Apr 3, 2017 @ 01:00 GMT

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