Communications Minister Backs Bayelsa State on ICT Human Capital Devt

The Ministry of Communication has pledged its support for the Bayelsa State government in its plan to develop ICT human capital among its youths. Minister of Communications, Adebayo Shittu, gave the assurance during the recent official launch of the ‘Baylesa ICT Ignition Week’ and ‘Innovation Ecosystem’ in Yenagoa.

He promised the state that the ministry would provide it with policy and personnel support, that will enable it create the appropriate framework for development of digital capacity among its young population.

Shittu during his discussion with the Governor of Bayelsa State, Henry Seriake Dickson, said the “digital economy holds huge potential for entrepreneurs and small and medium-scale enterprises (SMEs). New digital trends such as cloud computing, mobile web services, Big Data , Artificial Intelligence, smart grids and social media, are radically changing the business landscape, reshaping the nature of work, the boundaries of enterprises and the responsibilities of business leaders. We need no further conviction that we have entered the age of the Digital Economy.”

While expressing happiness for the launch of the ‘Baylesa ICT Ignition Week’ as a startpoint to train young digital entrepreneurs in the state, Shittu said that the ministry would be both a partner and a mentor in achieving the desired objectives of creating digital geeks for the knowledge economy.

“ICT is a critical component of the world’s economies today, having permeated all sectors. The importance of ICT innovations cannot be over emphasised as it has shown to be the world highest earning sector as most of the world richest personalities evolved from ICT innovations and en- trepreneurship, hence the need to build the capacity of our teaming youths in digital skills to enable them compete with their peers across the globe” Shittu said, while commending the state for setting the pace to run initiatives designed for capacity building around ICT in the Niger Delta region.

“It is my pleasure and privilege for being with you on the occasion of the Official Launch of the Baylesa ICT Ignition Week & Innovation Ecosystem on the important theme: Human Capital & Youth Development in Bayelsa through ICT For Economic Restoration. It is apt and could not have come at a better time than this when government is putting all measures in place to leverage ICTs and to reposition our national economy,” said Shittu, while being welcomed by the governor. “This Ignition Programme put together by Young Innovators of Nigeria (YIN) in collaboration with Bayelsa State Government demonstrates Dickson’s commitment to restore Bayelsa State youths with requisite 21st Century skills that will transform the state’s natural wealth to human capital and will further boast the quality of skills by start-ups across the state,” Shittu said.