BY DWELLETH DANIEL
The Federal Government through the Ministry of Communications and Digital Technology has said that Nigerians have the potential to compete with United States of America (USA), United Kingdom (UK), Russia and other developed nations in the area of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector based on available human resources in the country.
The incoming Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr. Festus Yusuf Daudu, made the disclosure in Abuja, during the official handing over ceremony between him and the outgoing Permanent Secretary, Mr. Musa Istifanus.
The Permanent Secretary stated that Nigeria has passed the stage of comparison in the area of ICT with other developing countries within and outside the region adding that Nigeria should be competing with the likes of the United States of America, United Kingdom, and Russia.
He said the renaming of the Ministry as Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy was designed to be in line with global development noting that Nigeria cannot be left behind in the ICT world. The world is moving forward, we need to move with the globe”. Engr. Daudu stressed.
Mrs. Phil Oshodin, Head (Information/Press & Public Relations) in a statement made available to the media quoted the Perm Sec as requesting for maximum cooperation from the management staff of the ministry and urged them to work as a team in order to achieve the mandate of the Ministry for digital Nigeria.
He said: “a tree cannot make a forest. You need a collection of trees to produce a forest and I believe that all of you seated here are a collection of diverse human resources required to make the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy achieve its mandate”.
He noted that finances are the most difficult challenges in the system and urged the staff to maximize the little available in order to achieve the Ministry’s numerous policies and programmes for digital Nigeria.
The Outgoing Permanent Secretary, Mr. Musa Istifanus thanked the management and staff of the ministry for their cooperation and support in the implementation of the policies and programmes of the ministry.
He said, the new challenges before him now is to use the experience he acquired in the ICT sector and collaborate with his counterpart in the ministry to promote surveillance technology that would enhance the efficiency of Nigeria troops in cubing the issues of kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism in the country.
