….Commissions ICT center in Ibadan
The First Lady of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, says the struggle toward the elimination of female genital mutilation (FGM), HIV/AIDS, syphilis, and hepatitis can be actualized with the cooperation of traditional rulers and other stakeholders.
She stated this in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, when she met with the Traditional Rulers Council of the state ahead of her inauguration of the community ICT center of the Renewed Hope Initiative in collaboration with the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who decried the high prevalence of FGM in South West Nigeria, noted that the practice, which is cultural, can be abolished with the determination and commitment of the traditional rulers.
The First Lady, who also pointed out the damage the lack of enlightenment about HIV/AIDS is causing among the younger generation, appealed to the traditional rulers to set machinery in motion to escalate the preventive and management measures of these life-threatening diseases.
Thereafter, the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, inaugurated a new community ICT center in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
The center, located in Oladipo Alayande School of Science, Oke Bola, Ibadan, was established by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in collaboration with the Renewed Hope Initiative.
While performing the inauguration, the First Lady said the center marks another milestone in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration’s efforts to bridge the digital divide and empower more women and youths, in line with the priority area of the Renewed Hope Agenda to accelerate economic diversification through industrialisation and digitalisation.
“The knowledge of ICT serves as a significant tool for empowering communities, especially women, enabling them to break traditional barriers and access new opportunities. By equipping themselves with ICT skills, women and girls can enhance their educational prospects, participate in the global economy, and support their families. This center we are commissioning today is the third. By the grace of God, the fourth centre, which is located in Benue State, will soon be ready for commissioning.
Other digital economy centres have been fully equipped with computers and ICT materials in five (5) states namely – Cross River, Ebonyi, Jigawa, Niger, Oyo and the Federal Capital Territory. Ten (10) additional digital economy centres in Abia, Delta, Edo, Kano, Katsina, Lagos, Nasarawa, Ondo, Yobe and Zamfara will be ready for commissioning soon.”
She applauded the collaboration with NITDA, noting its impactful efforts in bridging the digital gap across the nation.
She was joined at the ceremony by Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, who applauded the intervention, noting that it is critical to promoting the utilization of AI and other digital technology by Nigerians, particularly now that there is an urgent need to encourage earnings from non-oil sources.
At the ceremony, Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, called on the beneficiaries to take full advantage of the center and position themselves to compete on the global stage.
Director General of NITDA, Kachifu Inuwa Abdullahi, encouraged the management of the center to work toward cross-pollination of ICT skills by extending access to other members of the community.
To meet the mandate of the president on closing the digital gap among Nigerians, the DG disclosed that the agency has designed and embedded ICT skills acquisition programs into school curricula.
