TheCable

Isa Pantami, minister of communication and the digital economy, says Nigeria has the potential that can transform the county into a global digital powerhouse.

The minister said while commissioning ‘Digital Nigeria Centre’ at the Father O’Connel Science College, Minna, Niger state.

The project was facilitated by old students and Zubairu Dada, minister of state for foreign affairs and executed by the Universal Service Provision Fund, USPF.

Pantami said through diligent implementation of the digital economy agenda, Nigeria has the potential of a critical mass of ‘digital natives’ that can transform the country into a regional and global digital powerhouse.

The minister was represented by Reuben Muoka, the new director of public affairs at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

“With the tools being provided through the DNC, creative Nigerians can play a key role in the creation of digital jobs across all sectors of the country. Such jobs are either based on or are dependent upon Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs),” he said.

He said the current implementation of Nigeria’s National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), 2020-2030, shows the importance of innovation and startup ecosystem to the development of an indigenous digital economy. 

The minister added that the DNC targets students and youths for skills acquisition to increase ICT literacy, platform for accessing online educational resources, equip students with ICT skills, and facilitate ICT adoption in teaching and learning.

He also advised effective use of the centre.

The DNC, formerly known as School Knowledge Centre (SKC), is one of NCC’s statutory mandates of expanding the frontiers of universal access and universal service and ensuring service provision to unserved and under-served areas of the Nigerian economy.

According to the commission, the Minna project is the second to be commissioned after the first DNC located at Ijesa Muslim Grammar school, Ilesa, Osun state, in January 2022.