The Federal Government declared on Thursday that it would not allow Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) to fall behind in utilizing the benefits and opportunities provided by the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR).
At the opening ceremony of a ministerial training programme for the board and management staff of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Prof. Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, made this declaration at the Transcorp Hotel in Abuja.
The Fourth Industrial Revolution, he said, presents enormous opportunities and benefits, and the current administration will take advantage of them to advance the nation in all respects.
The training program’s theme was “Equipping NITDA for Growth and Resilience for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.”
The Minister asserted that the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, and the Nigeria Communications Satellite (NigComSat) Board and Management Staff recently underwent training.
He continued by saying that in addition to NITDA, the Nigeria Postal Service, NIPOST, and the Nigerian Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) would soon have their training programmes to accomplish the same goals.
According to Pantami, it is obvious that the government wants the benefits and opportunities of the Fourth Industrial Revolution to be fully tapped into based on the content of the eight priority areas that President Muhammadu Buhari handed to his ministry during a retreat hosted by the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation.
Pantami expressed his happiness that his ministry received an A+ in each of the eight priority areas, pointing out that, among other things, the creation of jobs, increased revenue generation, digitalization, and partnerships with the private sector had improved perceptions of Nigeria’s digital economy.
He asserted that because the Fourth Industrial Revolution places a greater emphasis on skills than on certificates globally, it has become essential to organize training for the board and management staff of all the agencies and parastatals under the Ministry.
According to Pantami, to enable NITDA to be at the forefront of driving the country’s digital revolution, the training would focus on skills, effective leadership, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
Malam Kashifu Inuwa, Director General of NITDA, stated that for the management staff to update their knowledge of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and sharpen their skills, training had become necessary.
He expressed his gratitude to the government for giving NITDA the environment and assistance it needed to carry out its duties, and he promised that NITDA, its management, and staff would work even harder to promote the expansion of the information and communication technology (ICT) and digital economy sectors.
