Stakeholders in the telecom and ICT sector have called on the federal government to strengthen the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) instead of establishing a new National Telecom Academy to tackle the widening skill gaps in the industry.
The stakeholders spoke in Lagos during a consultative forum on skill gaps in the telecom value chain, organised by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
Abraham Durosawo, vice-president of the Nigeria Infrastructure Fund at the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), said the DBI has performed creditably well over the years, noting that the institute requires more empowerment, funding, and an expanded mandate to provide practical training that meets industry needs.
“The mandates and scope of the Digital Bridge Institute should be looked at and expanded to contain some of the gaps we have seen in the market. It has done excellent work; we just need to strengthen it,” Durosawo said.
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He added that the DBI’s shareholder base should be widened to include long-term investors with sufficient capital.
Tony Emoekpere, president of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), and Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), also stressed that skill shortages remain one of the most pressing challenges in Nigeria’s digital economy.
Adebayo noted that while training is important, retention is equally critical, pointing out that he lost 12 skilled technicians in four years as a result of migration to countries such as Canada, Germany, the US, and the United Kingdom (UK).
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The forum resolved that addressing the identified gaps is central to sustaining growth in the sector and ensuring Nigeria’s competitiveness in the global digital economy.
