The proposed ICT University of Nigeria, the first of its kind in Africa and one of the pet projects of Nigeria’s Minister of Communications, Barrister Abdur-Raheem Adebayo Shittu, has received the endorsement and goodwill of Facebook and other industry giants at the just concluded World Summit on the Information Society tagged WSIS FORUM 2017, in Geneva, Switzerland.
Barr. Shittu, at a side meeting with Facebook Robert Pepper, a resource person at the conference, was assured of Nigeria’s readiness for the ICT University take off.
The university to be run on a multi – campus basis in six locations across the country with established infrastructure, will robustly address the dearth of adequate training of technocrats in the industry to meet international standards.
Mr Pepper, who was visibly elated by the Minister’s disclosures, promised the full involvement and support of Facebook, saying it falls within the confines of Facebook vision for Africa.
In other interactions with representatives of Google, Access Partnership, Microsoft Group, AT&T and other investors targeting the African continent, the Minister was able to convince them that Nigeria, going by her population and strategic position as the largest economy in that region is the best investment destination for wise investors.
Meanwhile, many resource persons and Smart Cities investors have been invited by the Minister to attend Nigeria’s Smart Cities Summit 2017,to be held in Abuja by the first week of August.
The WSIS Forum, which started on Monday June 12, 2017 and was rounded off last Friday, June 16.No fewer than 70 Ministers, including Nigeria ‘s Minister of Communications attended the week long summit. During the week, over 133 educative sessions were held with participants from across the member countries of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
It will be recalled that the six centres of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) with headquarters in Abuja and others in Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Yola and Asaba, will form the nucleus of the ICT University of Nigeria Multi- campus proposed University, an initiative of the Muhamadu Buhari administration.
