Communication ministry collaborating with academia on ICT research — Minister

Mr Adebayo Shittu, Minister of Communications, on Thursday, said that the ministry was collaborating with the academia, in the area of research and national development, to sustain growth in the Information Communication Technology (ICT) sector.

Shittu made this known in Abuja, at the 3-day international conference on Information Technology in Education and Development (ITED-2019), organised by Academia in Information Technology Profession (AITP).

Our correspondent reports that the minister was represented at the event, by Mr Patrick Oghuma, Special Assistant (Technical) to the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications.

Shittu said that the ministry was facilitating greater linkage between the academia in Nigeria, stakeholders in the ICT sector and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), to accelerate innovation, industrial growth and sustainable development in the sector.

“The ministry will make sure that Nigeria continues its good work within the ITU and ensure her interests in relations to the National ICT policy, are protected and enhanced.

“This explains why we have identified the need to collaborate with the academia, in the area of research and national development.

“I charge you to undertake focused research targeted at specific problems, because in the academia, you have a lot of capacity, in terms of students.

“Therefore, let the output of your research findings be useful and relevant to the market and for national development.’’he said.

Shittu said that the theme of the conference: ‘Advancing the capacities of Information Technology Professionals for rapid National Development’’ was apt and timely in view of emerging trend in the ICT industry.

He said the theme was coming at a better time the government was putting all measures in place to diversify and reposition the nation’s economy by leveraging on ICT.

Earlier, Prof Afolayan Obiniyi, President AITP, said that the time had come for the nation to set the pace for the establishment of professionalism, in Information Technology(IT)research teaching and related discipline.

Obiniyi said that the conference was to brainstorm on how put Nigeria on the global map in the ICT field.

“It is pertinent to note that we need to look inward into what we have to get what need.

“We need to explore a new, innovative and emerging form of research, emanating from laboratories which can bring to bear on local contents.

“Our country has, for long been looking to transfer of technology, which has failed. Thus, it is time to look inward, scrutinise and analyse all relevant technologies and make them home grown,” he said.