By Ijeoma Olorunfemi
Prof. Isa Pantami,Minister of Communications and Digital Economy says the government is committed to enabling its Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs) harness the gains and opportunities in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
Pantami made the commitment at the opening ceremony of a Ministerial training programme for the Board and Management Staff of the National Information Technology Development Agency(NITDA) in Abuja.
The training programme had its theme as: “Equipping NITDA for Growth and Resilience for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
The minister described the opportunities and gains in the 4IR as enormous, saying that the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari had continued to leverage on them to develop the country in all ramifications.
“During a retreat organised by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation in 2022,eight priority areas wete handed to our ministry which targeted leveraging on opportunities in the 4IR.
“The ministry recorded A+ in all the eight priority areas because job creation, increased revenue generation, digitalisation and partnership with the private sector, among others have changed the narrative in the Nigeria digital economy ecosystem,” he said.
Pantami added that it became necessary to organise the training for the boards, management and staffer of all the agencies and parastatals under the ministry to learn, unlearn and relearn.
According to him,under the 4IR,emphasis is on acquiring global skills and not necessarily certificates.
He said the focus of the trainings was on enhanced skills, successful leadership and the 4IR to enable NITDA be the driver of the nation’s digital revolution.
Director-General of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa, said the training had become necessary to enable the management staff brush up their skills and update their knowledge about the 4IR.
Inuwa commended the government for providing the necessary atmosphere and support for NITDA to execute its mandate.
He assured that they would work harder for the growth and development of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Digital Economy sector.
The 4IR is the current and developing environment in which disruptive technologies and trends such as the Internet of Things, Robotics, virtual reality and artificial intelligence are changing the way modern people live and work.(NAN)
