From: Chidi Nnadi, Enugu
The Federal Government has approved the Digital Bridge Institute, in Enugu, as one of the campuses of the proposed ICT University of Nigeria.
According to the government, the ICT University of Nigeria would now use the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) built by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in Enugu, Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Asaba and Yola as campuses.
Three members of the Implementation Committee for the proposed ICT University disclosed this when they conducted a physical assessment of the Digital Bridge Institute Enugu on Tuesday.
The committee members, Dr. Henry Nkemadu, Matthew A. Olaniyan and the Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mr Osita Okechuwu, who came on the assessment of the Enugu campus, said that the ICT University was expected to begin before the end of the year.
They expressed satisfaction on the state of facilities at the Digital Bridge Institute Enugu, saying that the campus was set for academics.
Interacting with newsmen on the tour, Okechukwu affirmed that the Enugu campus was ready for the take-off of the university, expressing satisfaction on the buildings, road infrastructure, equipment and other facilities on the campus.
Explaining how the idea for the university was mooted, he said: “President Muhammadu Buhari-led Federal Government had mandated the Minister of Communications, Barrister Adebayo Shittu, to set up a University of ICT in recognition of the continuous frenetic growth pace of Information Communications Technology (ICT) and the huge impact on the economy, which the country can harvest the technical talents and specialists it will engender.”
He said the establishment of the digital university was in fulfillment of President Buhari’s objective to set up an ICT university to help enhance the learning environment, as well as create millions of jobs through skilled ICT workforce.
Okechukwu disclosed that in pursuance of that, the Ministry of Communications set up an implementation committee chaired by Prof. Julius Okojie, former Secretary of National University Commission (NUC) with Dr. Amina Sambo Magaji , as secretary.
According to him, the committee was further mandated to determine additional requirements needed for the university to meet international best practices.
He disclosed that the university would be run on a public/private sector partnership (PPP), stressing that multinational ICT companies like CISCO and Motorola would be involved in the operation of the multi-campus institution.
Also speaking, another member of the committee who represented the NCC on the tour, Mr. Henry Nkemadu, said that the facilities at the centre were enough to ensure that the university takes off before the end of the year.