FG inaugurates members of the Digital Literacy Council

Henshaw  Ogubike, Deputy Director, Press and Public Relations Unit, Ministry of Communications, made this know in a statement on Thursday in Abuja.

Shittu said that members of the council had been carefully selected to represent key stakeholders, Industry representatives including corporate executives, top government officials and academicians.

The minister said; “in view of the seriousness attached to this great task, I have also taken the responsibility of chairing the council’’.

Shittu said some of the council members who were present include the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Communications, Sonny Echono.

According to him, others are the permanent secretaries from the ministries of Sports and Youths Development, Chinyeaka Ohaa, Women Affairs and Social Development, Phyllis Nwokedi   and Ministry of Transportation’s Permanent secretary.

The Director-General ,   Public Service Reform, Joe Abba, Adamu.Rashidi , Executive Secretary,  National University Commission (NUC), the Vice Chancellor,  University of Ibadan, Prof Idowu Olayinka are also members.

Others are Vice Chancellor of Bayero University, Muhammed  Bello, Managing Director of Galaxy Backbone Ltd ) and  Mr Stanley Jegede, CEO Phase 3 Telecom.

According to the minister, Digital Literacy Programme will provide the opportunity for individuals and communities to understand the use of information and communication technologies.

Shittu said the economy was now experiencing a downturn due to the dwindling revenue from Oil and Gas and due to inadequate economic diversification.

According to him, government believes that the ICT sector has the potential to be the arrow head for weaning the country off oil and gas.

He said that the ICT Roadmap was therefore developed as an integrated, multi-stakeholder framework that would be used to direct activities of the ICT sector for the period 2016 to 2019.

“And one of the integral components of the ICT sector Roadmap is the development of a smart, globally competitive workforce and digitally literate population.

“And the key initiative targeted at achieving this objective is the Digital Literacy Programme .

“The existence of a Global Digital Literacy Council will define and serve as a credible and authoritative voice on issues driving the development of Global Digital Literacy Standards and systems.’’

He said that this council would also oversee and guide the development of digital literacy standards and ensure that such standards were market-driven.

Shittu said that the council would be expected to develop a National Digital Literacy Policy and Strategic Action Plan for the implementation of this initiative as well as identifying and harnessing opportunities for partnerships.

“ Its decisions would be implemented by the Digital Literacy Management Committee under the leadership of the Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami,’’he said.

The minister charged the council to seize the opportunity of the inauguration to deliberate and agree on its modus oparandi.