How to strengthen human capacity profile in the African region was the fulcrum of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) yearly regional workshop which opened in Abuja today.
Organized by the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), the training arm of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta who declared the workshop open, said that results the NCC expects at the workshop will include recommendations that will target elements of the digital ecosystem, namely, enabling policies and institutions for ICT growth, institutional change for more impact in the ICT Industry, and recommendations for the right communications and broadband infrastructure to improve internet access, speed and volume.
Professor Danbatta said that, “we are noticing a massive increase in data usage, and it is on the basis of these subscriptions that internet access can be acquired, so it is very important that recommendations targeting the improvement in broadband infrastructure are made so that we will reach the maximum target of 30% broadband penetration this year 2018, as we have already reached the 20% minimum target.”
The theme of the workshop is “Strengthening Capacities in Internet Governance in Africa”.
The Administrator of DBI, Dr Ike Adinde, said that the workshop is to discuss Africa’s concerns about human capacity building, focus discussions on the future of skills and knowledge in order to seek changes in the African landscape in this era of connected economy.
Dr Adinde said, “digital literacy in the 21st century has become as important as the ability to read and write and governments in Africa ought to launch an aggressive intervention into the ICT industry by investing in skills development to stimulate economic growth and tame the rising tide of youth joblessness and associated insecurity in the region”.