By Michael Oche
The Vice-Chancellor (VC), University of Ilesa, Prof. Taiwo Olufemi Asaolu, has called for more collaborations and interventions from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), that would support core objectives of the university in the areas of teaching, research and community services.
Prof. Asaolu also commended the NCC and the DBI for the training of 100 academic and non-academic staff of the university under the Advanced Digital Empowerment Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADEPTI), organized by the DBI.
The Vice-chancellor, made the call as the 2024 DBI ADEPTI Coordinators, University of Ilesa, Prince Adesoji Ezekiel Fagbemi, appealed to the VC, other tertiary Institutions, government Ministry Department and Agencies (MDAs) as well as private establishment to partner with DBI, as their preferred choice in ICT training and education.
Prof. Asaolu and Prince Fagbemi spoke at the closing ceremony of the 2024 NCC-DBI ADEPTI training for 100 workers of the University of Ilesa, where the Vice-Chancellor presented certificates to the participants, nominated from all the departments.
While appreciating the sponsors and the organizers of the programme, the VC said, “I would like to commend the sponsors, facilitators and the participants for making the programme a success and I am confident that the knowledge and skills gained by the participants will help them in performing their work better and effectively.
“The University warmly appreciates the NCC and the DBI for bringing this training to our doorstep and we look forward to more collaboration in the near future.
“I need to reiterate that we are open to collaborations and interventions that will support our core objectives in the areas of teaching, research and community service not only from the NCC and DBI but from other organizations with shared objectives.”
He added that the initiative really underscores their commitment to enhancing technological proficiency among the staff and empowering them to excel in this era of rapid digital transformation.
According to him, in this new world of work that is primarily driven by technology and innovations, it is expected of all staff to be digitally competent in order to be relevant and productive.
The ADEPTI Coordinator for the center, Prince Fagbemi, in his remarks stated that the training was designed strategically for tertiary institutions across the federation to bridge the digital skill gap in our schools.
He added that the programme was fully sponsored by the NCC and implemented by the Digital Bridge Institute.
According to him, “the DBI is an institution established by the NCC. It is Nigeria’s foremost centre of excellence in ICT training and education. The role of the DBI is to bridge the digital divide in the country and maintain the highest standard through their various training programmes.