Lagos, Nov. 16, 2023 – Dr Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), has commended plans by Dr. Bosun Tijani, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, to train three million Nigerians on ICT skills in the next four years.
The minister, while announcing the “Three Million Technical Talent (3MTT) programme on Nov. 6, 2023, said it was to increase Nigeria’s pool of technically skilled persons and make Nigeria a net exporter of digital skills in future.
He said the programme had already attracted one million applications.
Maida, the NCC Chief Executive, commended the programme while speaking on ‘Repositioning Nigerian Economy through Telecommunications: 2023 and Beyond’ at the City Business News Summit in Lagos recently.
He said the programme would propel the nation toward sustainable growth, economic diversification and enhanced living standards for all Nigerians.
Maida, who was represented by Ismail Adedigba, the NCC Director of Research and Development, said the programme would increase the level of digital and technical skills among Nigerians, especially young and middle-level talents, to 70 per cent by the end of 2027.
“The vision is thus: to accelerate the growth of Nigeria as a global technical talent hub and a net exporter of talent; to deepen and accelerate our position in global research in key technology areas and raise the complexity and dynamics of our economy by significantly increasing the level of digital literacy across Nigeria.
“In this regard, the Honourable Minister is looking to create a pipeline of three million technical talents.
“This programme, which has commenced already with over 1 million applications by potential trainees, is expected to increase the level of digital and technical skills among Nigerians, especially young and middle-level talents, to 70 per cent by the end of 2027.
“This will position Nigerians to productively contribute to the economy and place us in the top 25 percentile of research globally in the key areas of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), IoT, Robotics, Blockchain and Additive Manufacturing in keeping with the strategic plan unveiled by the Honourable Minister,” he said.
Maida said the policy direction of the ministry, which is being driven by five pillars, would deliver on the goals of fostering economic growth and development.
“These pillars, which include policy, infrastructure, innovation, entrepreneurship and capital; trade and knowledge, are the bedrock of the Strategic Vision Plan (2023 – 2025) and form the guide to channel our efforts to harness the potential of the telecommunications sector and drive positive change in Nigeria,” he said.
Maida said the Commission was committed to providing an enabling environment for the building of the critical infrastructure required to power a strong digital
economy, guarantee improved access to quality broadband connectivity, and the efficient management of the nation’s spectrum resources.
“As we work with our supervising Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy to take these steps to provide the enabling environment for repositioning the Nigerian Economy through telecommunications in 2023 and beyond, we call on Nigerians and, especially our compatriots in the media, to tap into the aspects of these interventions that are relevant to them.
“The ambitious plans we have set out may seem lofty and even incredible, but through strategic partnerships and collaborations with all stakeholders, we believe that they are achievable,” he said. (GBN)
