By 
By Doris Minimah
Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, today, virtually commissioned 11 completed projects for the digital economy sector.
“We are sparing no efforts in the implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a digital Nigeria,” said Pantami in Abuja while unveiling the projects located across the country.
“The eleven projects being commissioned today can be mapped to relevant pillars of NDEPS. These projects have been designed to support the development of the country’s digital economy for a Digital Nigeria in line with the president’s mandate to the ministry,” the minister added during the virtual commissioning of the eleven completed projects.
The Chairman of occasion, Governor Hope Uzodinma of Imo State, commended the minister for his efforts at leading the ministry in the campaign to achieve the objectives of Digital Nigeria despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He stressed that while projects commissioning ceremonies have traditionally involved a lot of physical activities on sites, the COVID-19 pandemic has altered everything including how projects are launched.
The launching ceremony today is the second phase of official unveiling of projects completed by agencies under the purview of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. About six digital economy projects across the country were virtually commissioned last month by the minister to deepen the national agenda for Digital Nigeria.
Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, said the ministry led by Dr. Pantami has remained committed to advancing the country’s digital agenda as underscored by the second phase of virtual commissioning of the eleven ICT projects.
“To me, what is so amazing is that the pandemic accelerated the way we execute project, under the leadership of Dr Isa Ali Pantami, my boss and my mentor. While other sectors shutdown and lockdown, at our ministry, the pandemic makes us to work harder and accelerated us in doing more,” said Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mallam Inuwa Kashifu Abdullahi, at the virtual commissioning.
The 11 projects commissioned include:
Information Technology Innovation Centre, Kogi State
Information Technology Capacity Building Centre, Jigawa State
Information Technology Capacity Building Centre, Imo State
Tertiary Institution Knowledge Center (TIKC) Delta State
New Neighborhood Post office, Delta State
Remodeled National Mail Exchange Centre, Bayelsa State
e-Health/Data Sharing Center, Bauchi State
Virtual Examination Centre, Borno State
Emergency Communications Center (ECC) llorin, Kwara State
Emergency Communications Center (ECC) Calabar, Cross Rivers State
School Knowledge Center (SKC), Gombe State
