By Meletus EZE
The Administrator, Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), Dr Ike Adinde, has called on governments in Africa to launch aggressive intervention in Information Communication Technology (ICT) by investing in digital skills to stimulate economic growth.
Adinde made the call on Tuesday at ongoing International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and Digital Bridge Institute Regional Human Capacity Building workshop in Abuja, and said that investment in ICT would also bolster youth employment.
The theme of the three-day workshop is “Strengthen Capacity on Internet Governance in Africa’’.
“Digital literacy in the 21st century has become as important as the ability to read and write was in the 19th century.
“Policy makers and governments in Africa ought to launch aggressive intervention into the ICT industry by investing in skills development to stimulate economic growth and reduce youth unemployment and insecurity in Africa.
“Ironically, a few of our youths have the wherewithal to enrol for some of the human capacity training opportunities provided by the ITU centres of excellence and other tertiary institutions. This makes the case for intervention even more imperative,’’ Adinde said.
According to him, there is a convincing argument that if Africa wants to transform and become a global player, it must transform its human capital.
Adinde said Africa must open access to quality education and training for the young population by deliberately creating funds that would increase access to acquisition of digital skills.
He said Smart Africa Scholarship Fund launched during Transform Africa Summit 2015 in Rwanda, which had over 2,500 delegates from 81 countries was a good example.
“The Fund aims to provide financial support to our youths who are seeking post-graduate and certification- level training at the continent’s best ICT Centres of Excellence.
According to him, the ITU Centres of Excellence in Africa strongly canvassed this position in 2016 at the Capacity Building Symposium in Nairobi, Kenya.
“It is time that we made a bold decision in this direction to provide funding access for digital skills literacy by earmarking a proportion of Universal Service Fund (USF) for digital skills literacy.
“This resonates strongly against the backdrop of indications that surplus balance exist in USFs across Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA).
“A GSMA report in 2014 on the utilization of USFs revealed that over half of the inactive funds (with undisbursed/surplus balances) within the 69 countries studies are based in SSA.
“The report went further to state that, `if it is not possible to disband the majority of the funds and return the monies collected, then these USFs will require significant reform and restructuring’.
Adinde said as the ITU workshop focused on Africa’s concern about human capacity-building; it was another opportunity to focus discussions on the future of skills and knowledge.
“As we seek to change the African landscape in this era of connected economy, we must take strategic decisions that are implementable within the shortest possible time because of the changing terrain.
