ICT: FG Engages Academia, Stakeholders for Innovation

ICT: FG Engages Academia, Stakeholders for Innovation

In its quest to foster rapid revolution, innovation, industrial growth, and sustainable development in the Nigerian ICT sector, the Federal Government says it is facilitating greater linkages between the Academia, stakeholders in the ICT sector and the international telecommunication union (ITU) for cordial collaboration to attain the nation’s (ICT) set goals and objectives.

Minister of communications, Dr. Adebayo Shittu, who was represented by Technical Assistant to the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Patricks Oghuma disclosed this while addressing participants at the international conference on Information Technology in Education and Development (ITED-2019) with the theme “Advancing the Capacities of Information Technology professionals for Rapid National Development”, held at Baze University, Abuja.

He said, “We count on the continued engagements of the private sector and interest groups of ICT professionals to support the economic policies of this administration. Our destiny with regards to national development are in our own hands as ICT professionals”.

Dr. Shittu maintains that the Ministry of Communications will ensure Nigeria continues its good work within the ITU and also ensure her interests in relation to the national ICT policy is protected and enhanced which explains why it has identified the need to collaborate with academia in the area of research and national development.

He charged the Academia to undertake focused research, targeted at solving specific problems, leveraging on its huge students /talents capacity, adding that they should let the outcome of their research findings are relevant and useful for the market and national development in the long run.

The Minister Regretted that these days, universities are being evaluated based on the number of papers they write and publish rather than on practical knowledge and result oriented techniques that companies need.

He described the “mathematics-based science” as a mismatch, stating that the trend must be changed in tandem with the creative economic paradigm of the 21st century.

He assures that his Ministry would not rest on its oars to rejuvenate its mandate by ensuring ICT professionals are always consulted and engaged, as well as liaise with research think tanks, relevant scholarly communities for national development.

Highlighting the significance of the conference, the President, Academic Information Technology Professionals (AITP), Prof. A..A Obiniyi said the aim of AITP is to enhance quality education and ensure high impact research in computer science, information technology and related disciplines, with interest in use of information technology to enhance national development

He pointed out that the time has come for Nigeria to set a pace for the establishment of professionalism in the IT, teaching and related discipline and must therefore brainstorm on how to put Nigeria on the global map by looking into what we have to get what we need.

According to him, “we need to explore a new, innovative and emerging form of research emanating from our laboratories which can bring to bearing local contents”.