The proposed Information and Communications Technology (ICT) University would take off in September this year. This was disclosed by the Minister of Communications, Mr. Adebayo Shittu at a lecture titled “Jobs Nowhere But Jobs Everywhere: ICT To the Rescue of Unemployed Youths and Graduates” at the Faculty of Law, University of Ibadan, Oyo State, at the weekend.
According to Shittu, government is prepared to use ICT to foster youth empowerment and development through loans, sponsorships and financial support, among other schemes, to encourage business ideas.
He said with about 20 million unemployed graduates in Nigeria the Buhari-led administration leverage on ICT to provide job and wealth creation, while diversifying the Nigerian economy.
The Minister said government has established some form of ICT infrastructure across the six geopolitical zones and plans to build a national ICT park and exhibition centre in Abuja as part of preparations for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. He disclosed that government plans to “build a $1 billion ICT company” to boost indigenous technology.
Elaborating on the planned ICT University, Shittu said, “We already have the Digital Bridge Institute, which is for short-term training programmes, in six locations across the country and we will transform this institute into the ICT University of Nigeria. This unique university would, by God’s grace, take off effectively in September 2017 and would be run as a public-private partnership with the best business and entrepreneurship models.
“I have engaged with several stakeholders at the international level, Facebook, Motorola, Ericsson and I am still talking to many more stakeholders. We are encouraging them to come and adopt the respective university campuses as their own.
“I am happy to report that this project is receiving global boost and endorsement. The committee set up has been working round the clock on the realisation of this objective, and has indeed submitted its final report. A vice chancellor and other senior officials would soon be appointed.
“The ICT University will be a multi-campus institution of the present Digital Bridge Institute of the Nigerian Communications Commission located in Abuja, Lagos, Enugu, Kano, Asaba and Yola.”