The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Information and Communication Technology (ICT)

  • Obaseki commends speaker, Edo Assembly on e-governance

    Obaseki commends speaker, Edo Assembly on e-governance

    Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has commended the Edo State House of Assembly (EDHA) led by its Speaker, Rt. Hon. Kabiru Adjoto for the foresight in adopting technological solutions at the Anthony Enahoro Assembly Complex, to improve legislative proceedings.

    Obaseki gave the commendation while inspecting the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) facilities at the Assembly complex in Benin City, the Edo State capital.

    The governor, who was accompanied by some members of the State Executive Council, said “This administration will continue to provide support to drive the adoption of technological innovation to enhance governance, which include legislative proceedings at the State Assembly Complex.”

    According to him, “We are pleased with what we see, and the improvement made so far by the present leaders and members of the State Assembly. By adopting technology to digitise its legislative proceedings, the assembly has cast its name in gold, as this will stand as a legacy which will be remembered in future. This development will enhance quality legislation at the Assembly.”

    In his remarks, Speaker, EDHA, Rt. Hon. Kabiru Adjoto, said, “The decision to adopt new communication technologies in the Assembly became necessary to promote quality legislation and ensure the legislative process becomes fully digitalised. This will assist us embrace the use of modern technologies in our proceedings, as it befits any legislative assembly in carrying out its duties in the 21st century.”

    Adjoto noted, “Our intention to adopt new technologies is to achieve full digitalisation of the Assembly Complex as the use of modern technologies are also extended to the hallowed chamber of the Assembly Complex to allow for recording of the proceedings of the house. This will ensure effective legislation in the future.”

    He added that this became necessary because it will encourage each member of EDHA to contribute to the legislative process, noting, “When members are aware that proceedings of the house are recorded, everyone will be encouraged to make contributions to the legislative process. We will also create a website to provide members of the house easy access to important documents which can be easily retrieved and worked on.”

  • FG saves N24.7bn from TSA, IPPIS/BVN monthly – Buhari

    FG saves N24.7bn from TSA, IPPIS/BVN monthly – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari says Federal Government’s leveraging on Information and Communication Technology ( ICT ) and the enforcement of Bank Verification Number ( BVN ) has saved the nation of N24.7 billion monthly.

    The president disclosed this when he declared open the 2017 eNigeria Conference, organised by National Information Technology Development Agency ( NITDA ) at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, on Tuesday.

    The president also revealed that the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System ( IPPIS ) and Bank Verification Number (BVN) had eliminated ghost workers and reduced waste, thereby saving the nation N20 billion monthly.

    He said that the consolidation of 20,000 accounts had saved the nation N4.7 billion.

    According to him, the TSA policy has also facilitated transparency, accountability and ease of transactions and payments between government and businesses as well as government and citizens.

    “We have done a lot to transform our government, especially in the areas of strategy, policies and digital infrastructure investments.

    “You may recall that on assumption of office, we enforced the policy on Treasury Single Account (TSA). Today, we are all witnesses to the impact it has made on our financial management.

    “We have so far consolidated over 20,000 accounts, resulting into about N4.7 billion monthly savings.

    “In addition, the policy facilitated transparency, accountability and ease of transactions and payments between government and businesses as well as government and citizens.

    “Another initiative leveraging on ICT and making huge impact on the economy is the introduction of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and Bank Verification Number (BVN).

    “Its implementation has helped to eliminate the menace of ghost workers, thereby reducing waste in the system by saving government over N20 billion monthly.

    President Buhari described his presence at the event as a demonstration of his commitment and strong belief in using ICT as a major driver of developmental governance and economic reform plans aimed at bringing about the true CHANGE his administration promised Nigerians.

    According to him, ICT is strategic in driving productivity and efficiency in all sectors of the economy.

    He noted that currently, almost all sectors of the nation’s economy leverage on ICT to increase efficiency, productivity and performance.

    President Buhari commended NITDA’s efforts on fostering the patronage of indigenous IT products and services through continuous engagement with indigenous OEMs, relevant stakeholders and other laudable initiatives.

    He observed that ICT played a pivotal role with agencies of government such as the Corporate Affairs Commission ( CAC ), Federal Inland Revenue Service ( FIRS ) and the Nigeria Immigration Service ( NIS ).

    He stated that the affected agencies had leaned on ICT in improving public service delivery in an efficient and transparent manner.

    “So far, 31 reforms have been completed by the council and these reforms are already making noticeable impact on our economic diversification efforts.

    “The Agency’s efforts at enforcing Federal Government’s directive on ensuring that all ICT projects in the country are cleared by it before implementation are highly commendable.

    “These efforts will ensure that government’s ICT procurement is transparent.

    “It is aligned with government’s IT-shared vision and policy, save costs through promotion of shared services, avoid duplication, ensure compatibility of IT systems, thereby improving efficiency across government and enforce the patronage of indigenous companies.’’

    The president expressed the hope that the conference would come up with practical, viable solutions and recommendations to further develop local content in ICT as well as how it could best regulate the deployment and use of ICT systems to foster a digital economy in Nigeria.

    The president used the opportunity of the conference to express displeasure over refusal of some heads of government’s ministries, agencies and departments to wear the Armed Forces Remembrance Emblem.

    He noted that very few of dignitaries at the conference wore the 2018 Armed Forces Remembrance Day emblem, which he inaugurated on Wednesday.

    He urged all heads of ministries, departments and agencies to wear the emblem with pride, to encourage the legionnaires as well as families of those who paid the supreme price for the unity of the nation.

    Buhari said the emblem launch was a worthy tradition of recognizing and appreciating the sacrifices of the veterans in the First and Second World Wars, Nigerian Civil War and Peace Support Operations around the world.

    The three-day conference has as theme: “Fostering Digital Economy through Local Content Development and Effective Regulations.”

    NAN

  • Abia trains 300 students on ICT

    Abia trains 300 students on ICT

    The Head of Abia State e-Library, Miss Pearl Solomon, said on Tuesday the state government has trained about 300 children from various primary and secondary schools in the state on Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

    Solomon stated this in Umuahia at the end of a computer training programme.

    She said the training which lasted one month was given to the trainees free of charge in order to encourage youths to develop their computer skills.

    “It will interest you to know that these children were trained to become computer literate.

    “We have started a process and we are determined to ensure that every Abia child is ICT compliant. I urge parents to make their children available for subsequent computer training,” she said.

    A former Secretary to Abia State Government, Prof. Mkpa Mkpa, urged the participants to utilise what they learnt at the programme in order to impact positively on the society.

    Mkpa said the computer was like a “double-edged sword” which had the capability to make or mar an individual and urged the participants to utilise it productively.

    NAN

     

  • ICT can reposition Nigeria’s economy – Ganduje

    ICT can reposition Nigeria’s economy – Ganduje

    Gov. Abdullahi Ganduje of Kano State on Sunday said the nation’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector could revive the country’s economy with the needed infrastructure in place.

    The governor made the call while declaring open a two-day conference in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the creation of Kano state.
    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the conference is part of the week long activities organised to celebrate the anniversary.‎
    Ganduje said that ICT would ‎enable the state to key into the present global trend for its economy ‎to thrive. ‎
    He expressed the hope that the presentations at the ‎conference should serve as a yardstick for weighing the future ‎prospects of the state.
    ‎The governor said that his administration was determined to change the economic landscape of Kano. ‎
    The Emir of Kano, Malam Mohammad Sanusi II called on the State Government to continue to give priority attention to education with particular emphasis on girl-child education.‎
    He also called on the federal and state governments to encourage private entrepreneurs to invest in the power sector.‎

    The governor also visited Kano central prison as part of activities to mark the anniversary.

     

  • Nigeria yet to harvest dividends of ICT revolution – NCC

    Nigeria yet to harvest dividends of ICT revolution – NCC

    Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), says Nigeria has yet to acquire the full dividends of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) revolution.

    Danbatta made this known during the 8th Edition of Beacon of Information and Communication Technology (BoICT) Lecture and Awards in Lagos.

    Represented by the Executive Commissioner, Stakeholders Management, NCC, Mr Sunday Dare, he said that the ICT revolution had no barriers or frontiers.

    “Nigeria, though already plugged into the ICT ecosystem, is yet to harvest fully the dividends of the ICT revolution sweeping across the world.

    “While our youth have fully embraced ICT, our government, institutions both public and private are still in the process of adopting ICT in their operations and activities. Yet, the future lies in ICT.

    “Nigeria must make deliberate policies that will accelerate ICT penetration.

    “Our educational curricular must integrate ICT at all levels of education and our systems and institutions must be brought into compliance by training and re-training our people,” Danbatta said.

    He said that though government had made some commendable strides in adopting ICT in various aspects of its operations, more systematic and accelerated approach was still needed.

    Danbatta said that ICT had become a one-stop shop for modern tools of development, innovation, employment opportunities and for a smarter world.

    He said that as the world moved towards the Fifth Generation (5G) revolution and the Internet of Things (IoT), Nigeria must embrace fully the opportunities offered by the ICT.

    He said that Nigeria’s ICT initiatives must focus on cyber crimes, cyber security, indigenous software development, digital multimedia platforms, amongst others.

    The convener of BoICT, Mr Ken Nwogbo, said that the lecture aimed at charting the way forward for the ICT sector and put the country on the global ICT map.

    Nwogbo said that the awards were to reward best practices and recognise outstanding contributions to the growth of the sector.

    He said that the awards were given based on merit and designed to reward individuals and firms that had helped make life better for Nigerians.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NCC won the awards of ”Regulator of the Year” and ”Best Use of Social Media”, while it’s Public Affairs Director, Mr Tony Ojobo, won the ”Spokesman of the Year” award.

     

  • Osun trains 2, 100 teachers in ICT

    The Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) in Osun state, has trained 2, 100 teachers in Information and Communication Technology (ICT), and new teaching methodology.

    Alhaji Fatai Kolawole, Permanent Secretary of the board, said on Monday that the training was to prepare the teachers in the effective discharge of their duties.

    He said that teachers, as harbingers of a better future, needed constant retraining to empower them impart qualitative education to their students.

    Kolawole said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo, that the training was part of the board’s agenda of improving teaching and learning in the state.

    According to him, quality teachers ensure better future of any nation.

    “Our duties as a board is to train and re-train teachers in virtually all disciplines who will in turn impact on the students with a view to prepare them for the future.

    “The essence is to build a better future through responsible citizenry, who have been adequately informed to contribute their quota intellectually to the development of our nation.

    “The state had trained about 2, 100 teachers in teaching methodology and Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

    “These teachers were selected from all the 30 local governments in the state, including Modakeke area office,” he said.

    The permanent secretary said that the government is working hard to improve the welfare of teachers in the state.

    “It is only when they are well-taken care of and is made more comfortable because of their sensitive job, than they can impact positively on the students.

    “Despite the drastic fall in allocation accruing to the state, the government in Osun is working round the clock to better the lives of our teachers and other workers alike.

    “We will stop at nothing to make them comfortable and better equipped to carry out their obligations,” Kolawole said.

  • Obaseki promises to introduce e-governance

    Obaseki promises to introduce e-governance

    Governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo state, Mr Godwin Obaseki, has stated that he planned to eliminate wastage and block leakages by introducing  e-governance.

    Obaseki said e-governance is more transparent, accurate and makes governance run faster.

    He spoke at an interactive session with some social-media expert.

    The APC candidate said he would make Edo the hub of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), with a view to gainfully engage youths in the sector.

    Obaseki promised to revolutionize governance in a manner that both the people and government can have immediate feed backs on issues affecting them.

    He did, “We have built the foundation where we can consolidate on the achievements made in the education sector, but priority will be on primary education because that is the basis and we must get it right from day one.

    “And that is why I said this election is very critical to me and the APC because we want to avoid a disconnect of what the current administration has achieved in the past seven and half years

    “Not getting it right with polices have always been the problem of many state governments. Once you get the policy right, every other thing will fall into place,” he stated.