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The Federal Government has called for more input from the academia and experts in the information and communications technology (ICT) sector for the country’s development.
To get this done, government is already facilitating greater links with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the academia and stakeholders in the ICT sector for collaboration to attain the nation’s set goals, especially on ICT.
Minister of Communications, Dr. Adebayo Shittu, 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’ at Baze University, Abuja, at the weekend.
Represented by the Technical Assistant to the Permanent Secretary, Dr. Patricks Oghuma, the minister said: “We count on the continued engagement of the private sector and ICT professionals to support the economic policies of this administration. Our destinies regarding national development are in our hands as ICT professionals.”
Shittu maintained that the ministry would ensure that Nigeria continued its good work within the ITU and that her interests in relation to the national ICT policy were protected and enhanced.
According to him, this explains why the country has identified the need to collaborate with the academia in the area of research and national development.
He charged the academia to undertake focused research targeted at solving specific problems, leveraging on the huge students/talents capacity.
The outcome of such research, he added, should be used for the market and national development in the long run.
The minister regretted that, universities, lately, are being evaluated based on the number of papers they publish, rather than 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.
Adebayo assured that his ministry would not rest on its oars in rejuvenating its mandate by ensuring that ICT professionals were always consulted and engaged for national development.
