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Universities and other learning institutions are key stakeholders in the pursuit of a digital economy, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, has said.
Abdullahi, while receiving a delegation from Yusuf Maitama Sule, North-West University, Kano, led by the acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Aliyu Musa, described universities as factories for producing the critical human resources needed to build and promote any digital economy.
“The greatest resources needed in achieving a developed country in terms of technology, innovations and entrepreneurship is human capital and a university produces those human capitals,” said Abdullahi.
He assured the delegation that the agency will favourably consider their request for intervention in the area of IT deployment and training.
Abdullahi stressed the importance of collaboration among economic stakeholders notably higher institutions, industry and government in a way that would benefit students in terms of training and skill-building that prepares them for work-life outside of the university.
“We drive knowledge based economy and we need your support to develop the sector. The higher institutions are the primary place for anybody coming to the work place as they have to pass through you to get all the knowledge to be in the work place,” said the NITDA’s boss.
He added: “Never before has the need for strong partnership between the industry and the university become more critical as it is today because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Nigeria before rely on so many things from other countries but with the pandemic we have realized that every country needs to build its capacity internally.”
While commending the NITDA for its intervention across various sectors of the economy, Professor Musa noted said the university looked to collaborate with the agency in virtual learning, IT infrastructure and training to help expand the window for developing ICT education through the university.
