The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called on every state in the country to emulate what the Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, was doing in the area of Information Communication Technology (ICT) and telecommunications.

Mr Sunday Dare, the Executive Commissioner (Stakeholders Management), made the call in Benin on Thursday at the South-South Stakeholders Parliament with relevant agencies in charge of telecommunications matters.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the stakeholders parliament has as its theme, “Optimising The Benefits of Telecoms Infrastructure in Nigeria”

Dare in his keynote address at the forum, said that Edo had taken the lead role in the sector.

He said the commission decided to hold the regional parliament in Benin, in-line with the passion of the state government to place ICT at the heart of governance.

He particularly lauded the state for establishing the Ministry of Science and Technology, to enhance the pace of development.

According to him, the recent commissioning of the Edo Technology Hub, is reputably the first state backed technology hub in the country.

“I can recall that his excellency met with the NCC leadership in Abuja sometime this year,  to explore opportunities for improving access to telecommunications infrastructure and providing Edo citizens with world class telecoms and ICT facilities.”

Dare noted that choosing Edo State as the venue for the parliament is a strong reaffirmation of the state’s pride of place in ICT deployment.

He said Edo had articulated a framework to attract robust telecoms infrastructure to drive manufacturing, education and other socio-economic activities.

“NCC is already supporting the state with fiber connectivity and computer laboratory services in the College of Education in Benin City and the Institute of Continuing Education, in Abudu,” he stated.

The NCC commissioner said the meeting would enable everyone to know that telecoms infrastructure was critical to the socio-economic progress of every state in Nigeria. (NAN).