To expand capacity, grow digital literacy and arm young Nigerians with requisite digital skills, Nigeria’s telecom regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has disclosed it is collaborating with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and North West Development Commission (NWDC).
Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, Dr. Aminu Maida, said this in a message after a recent tripartite meeting of the leadership of the Commission, NITDA and NWDC last Thursday at the NCC Corporate Headquarters, in Abuja, FCT.
The three organisations said arrangement would require pooling resources for a joint digital skills programme for the youths.
Besides, the partnership will use NCC facilities, including its Digital Industrial Park (DIP), in Kano State, which is expected to be upgraded into a technology and creative hub for Northern Nigeria.
Likewise, the collaborative effort will leverage NITDA certification to train youths across seven North-West states.
In his remarks on the partnership with NITDA and NWDC, Dr. Maida stated: “I had the pleasure of receiving my colleagues—the Director General of NITDA Nigeria, Kashifu Inuwa, and the Managing Director/CEO of the North-West Development Commission, Prof. Shehu Abdullahi—for a productive meeting on a proposed tripartite partnership between the Nigerian Communications Commission, NITDA and the NWDC.”
Further highlighting the relevance of the agreement his verified social media account, also explained: “Together, we explored opportunities to collaborate on capacity development initiatives that will expand digital literacy, equip young Nigerians with relevant digital skills, and improve their productivity as we work to build a more inclusive digital economy.”
Similarly, the North West Development Commission has affirmed the partnership with the NCC and NITDA for a strategic partnership to “deliver large-scale digital skills training for young people” across the seven states of the North-West Nigeria.
Speaking on the meeting with Heads of NCC and NITDA, Managing Director/CEO of NWDC, Prof. Shehu Abdullahi Ma’aji, affirmed the meeting with Dr. Maida, and Malam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE, Director-General of NITDA.
Prof. Ma’aji revealed in a statement that the stakeholders in the meeting “resolved to pool resources, facilities and technical expertise behind a single, jointly-governed programme.”
The NWDC stated: “The initiative is to utilise NCC facilities for the delivery of the training, alongside NITDA’s digital expertise and certification, structured as an intensive cycle blending in-person instruction with online learning.
“The tripartite partnership is designed to raise the skills and employability of young people across the region, a priority the Commission has identified as central to unlocking the North West’s economic potential.”
According to the Managing Director and CEO of NWDC, human capital development remains central to the Commission’s mandate, and digital skills are its entry point.
