The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami on Friday commissioned seven Digital Economy Projects in five Geo-political zones of the country.
The commissioned projects were part of efforts to consolidate on implementing the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS).
The projects are Community ICT Centre, Dutse, Jigawa State for North West, IT Hub, Abubakar Balewa University, Bauchi for North East, Digital Economy Centre, Imo State Polytechnic, South East, Digital Economy Centre, Garki Secondary School, Abuja for North Central.
Others were Digital Economy Centre, Ojodu Grammar School, Lagos State, Emergency Communications Centre Abeokuta, Ogun State for South West and Emergency Communication Centre, Enugu also for South East.
Pantami at the commissioning of the projects said it was the ninth in the series of the NDEPS projects.
He said that the projects were in line with the key agendas of President Muhammadu Buhari which included Economic Development, Security and Fight against Corruption.
“The ICT Parks of the Digital Economy Centres are more inclined to Economic Development and secondly they are also in line to fighting Corruption.
“We are using the Digital Centres to build capacity for our citizens and we also do encourage them to migrate from manual way of doing things to online.
“The Emergency Communication Centres are part of government agenda to fight insecurity through activating emergency numbers in cases of emergencies,” Pantami said.
Pantami also said that the ministry had almost completed the National Digital Innovation Startups Policy to promote startups entrepreneurship and innovation.
According to him, private and public sector should adopt solutions by startups because the government is creating the enabling environment for them to be successful.
Mrs. Rachael Adesola, Principal Ojodu Grammar School, Lagos state, said the centre by the National Information Technology Development Agency was already in use by students.
Adesola said that students were using the computers to enhance learning, do class activities and she urged the government to sustain such interventions.
Mr Festus Dauda, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, said the centres would bridge the digital divide and ensure fulfillment of the President Buhari’s promise of lifting 100 million Nigerians out of poverty in ten years.
Director-Generals and Chief Executive Officer of parastatals under the ministry gave their congratulatory messages and hoped that the projects achieved and facilitated the digital economy agenda.
