The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says it will soon commence the construction of a N1 billion Digital Park in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Chairman of the NCC, Adeolu Akande said the Commission has also approved other ICT projects for schools in Saki, Ipapo, Eruwa and Otu communities, all in Oyo State.
Speaking at a meeting with youth leaders in Oyo State, during a meeting in Ibadan, Adeolu said the contract for the physical structure of the digital park has been awarded and the budget of N500 million for equipment has been approved in the 2022 budget.
The digital park is one of the four approved by the federal executive council (FEC) as part of efforts to facilitate a digital economy in the country.
The other three digital parks are located in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Katsina, Gombe, reflecting a national distribution across four geopolitical zones.
The physical work of the projects, scheduled for completion in 2022, is projected at N500 million each, while the equipment for each is also projected to cost another N500 million each.
According to the NCC boss, the park when completed, would boost digital skills acquisition among youths, promote innovations, provide jobs and ultimately support the overall digital transformation agenda of the President Muhamadu Buhari-led government.
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The park is to deliver the following benefits: a commercial hub for ICT that will promote entrepreneurial activities in ICT and facilitate smart city deployment across the digital industrial complex;
Provide innovation labs and digital fabrication laboratories (Fablabs) for use by ICT innovators and entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into products and prototypes, provide a safe space for the incubation of innovative applications and promotion of startups for youths with innovative skills who are already occupied in the developments of various applications; facilitate the availability and accessibility of ICT services and promote their usage across the country.
It will also build capacity for youths in the area of digital skill acquisition and innovation by complementing existing initiatives geared towards accelerating the socio-economic transformation of Nigeria in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy;
Leveraging broadband network being deployed by NCC across the country for the development of innovative technologies in software development, incubation, and hardware development through the ICT in order to socially and economically transform communities and societies and; increased digital access for fast-tracking digital innovation across Nigeria.
Akande also disclosed that four secondary schools in Oyo State have been enrolled on the Digital Awareness Programme (DAP) of the commission.
They are Government College, Ibadan; Obaseku High School, Eruwa; Community High School, Ayekale, Saki and Ipapo Community Grammar School, Ipapo.
He said Baptist Primary School, Otu is also benefitting from the new social intervention programme of the Federal Government.
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