The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it is committed to supporting digital transformation initiatives aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s digital economy and bridging the digital divide.
The Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, said this when a delegation from the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) paid him a courtesy visit on Wednesday in Abuja.
Maida, who was represented by Mr Babagana Digima, Director of Research and Development at the NCC, said the Commission had transformed its internal operations from paper-based communication to a fully digital system.
He said the transformation had improved data management, accessibility and the audit trail of the Commission’s activities, adding that the NCC had also encouraged stakeholders doing business with it to embrace digital transformation.
According to him, digital transformation makes information easier to manage and access while improving efficiency and accountability.
He described the DBI as an important institution established with NCC support to help bridge Nigeria’s digital divide.
Maida said the institute had grown into a major training organisation with several campuses and had undertaken various capacity-building programmes, including collaborations with the ITU.
He also recalled that he had benefited from an ITU Academy training programme facilitated through the DBI, adding that the NCC remained ready to provide the necessary support to the institute.
Ms Robin Fish, Senior Digital Skills Officer at the ITU, said the Digital Transformation Centre (DTC) initiative was established to expand access to digital skills and support digital transformation, particularly among underserved communities.
Fish said the initiative was inaugurated in 2019 in partnership with Cisco and had, through its partners, reached marginalised and rural communities in various countries.
She said no fewer than 870,000 people had participated in courses delivered through DTCs, with women accounting for more than 52 per cent of the participants.
Fish said the training was provided at no cost to participants as part of efforts to expand opportunities for people with limited access to digital skills development.
She said the DBI was a unique partner under the initiative because of its dual status as an ITU Academy training centre and a Digital Transformation Centre.
“The training is provided at no cost to participants. The initiative is designed to expand opportunities for people who might otherwise have limited access to digital skills development.
“There are currently 16 DTCs globally, with eight located in Africa,” she said.
Earlier, Mr David Desser, President of the DBI, said the institute had secured approval to become an ITU DTC, in addition to its existing status as an ITU Academy training centre.
Desser said the DBI’s application was supported by the NCC, making it the first centre globally to operate simultaneously as an ITU Academy training centre and an ITU Digital Transformation Centre.
He said the visit by the ITU delegation was aimed at engaging key stakeholders that would support the digital transformation agenda through the DBI, adding that the institute appreciated the NCC’s continued support.
“With the support of the NCC, we were given that approval and that makes the DBI the first in the whole world to become both an ITU DTC and an ITU Academy training centre at the same time,” he said.
