The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami and his counterpart in the Ministry of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, will on January 14, 2022, commission a Digital Nigeria Centre (DNC) project in Osun State
Also to grace the event as a Special Guest of Honour is the Governor of Osun State, His Excellency, Adegboyega Oyetola.
Previously known as School Knowledge Centre (SNC), the Digital Nigeria Centre is targeted students and youths for skills acquisition in order to increase Information and Communication Technology (ICT) literacy among school teachers and students; provide a platform for accessing online educational resources; equip students with ICT skills; facilitate ICT adoption in teaching and learning; and increase pass rate in mathematics, English language and other science subjects.
The project according to a statement signed by Director of Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde is to give concrete expression to the underlining principles and fundamental philosophy of the emergent digital culture in Nigeria, particularly Item No. 2 of the eight pillars of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030,
This project, the first to be commissioned in Osun State since the modification of the project as DNC, is
Located at the Ijesa Muslim Grammar School, the four components of the DNC include ICT Tool component (made up of 40 desktop computers with embedded operating systems, server, printer, remote-controlled projector, high resolution scanner, and e-learning software). Another component is the Power structure, consisting of an inverter that comes with its charger, solar panels, batteries and automatic changeover.
There is also a Connectivity component, made up of routers, switches, firewall for network protection, modem, fibre/microwave radio or VSAT and bandwidth for internet connectivity. Finally, there is a non-ICT component constitutive of the furniture, cabinet, cooling systems, and allied appliances.
The DNC is a project of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), an arm of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), established under the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 with the overarching objective to carry out the Commission’s statutory mandate of expanding the frontiers of universal access and universal service by ensuring service provision to unserved and under-served areas of the Nigerian economy,,
Since inception in 2006, the USPF under NCC supervision and directive of the Honourable Minister, has implemented series of programmes and projects that promote ICT inclusion and adoption to mainstream accessibility to communication services for citizens and position Nigeria for global competitiveness in the emergent digital culture