Two Nigerian Universities have been given N40 million endowment fund for the development of research in Information, Communication and Technology ICT sector.
The Universities are Bayero University Kano and Federal University of Technology Owerri, FUTO, Imo State.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Professor Umar Danbatta disclosed this in Abuja, at the occasion of Endowment of Professional Chairs on the universities by the Commission.
He explained that the amount will be shared N20 million each between the institutions for the 2019 academic session, while the Commission plans for other potential beneficial institutions in the coming years.
Harnessing potentials
Professor Danbatta noted that the gesture was in line with the mandate of the Commission to enable research institutions to harness their potentials in knowledge based-economy.
He stated that the professional chair project is to provide academic support for ICT research and other emerging telecom industry in the country.
The professional Chair project was born out of the need to provide academic support for ICT focused research and other emerging telecom industry issues that may confront use a nation. This regulatory is novel in telecommunication services regulation in Africa. We believe that it would open up vista of growth opportunities in the ICT sector in Nigeria: For the Academia, it would enhance the quality of research in the sector as well as the quality of academic and professionals in the beneficiary university,” he said.
The Executive Vice Chairman also disclosed that the Commission has spent over N100million in sponsoring of Academic research in the field of telecommunications.
“Our determination to facilitate strategic collaboration and partnership with relevant stakeholders to foster ICT for sustainable development, social and economic transformation, is evident in our strategic collaboration with the academia in Nigeria,” Professor Danbatta noted.
He urged the beneficiaries to channel the fund to the objectives it was meant and challenged the students of the institutions to seize the opportunity to actualize their potentials.
He said the Commission would do more if the objectives for the funding are realised.
Investing in research
The Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Universities Commission-NUC, Professor Adamu Rasheed applauded the NCC and emphasised the need for Nigeria to invest in research and development to solve the socio-economic and security challenges faced, which will in-turn improve the quality of lives of its citizens.
‘’There is an established correlation between success in a nation’s economy and the amount of money invested in that country, there is also a correlation between what is spent in research and development and quality of lives in one’s country,” Professor Rasheed said.
The Vice-Chancellor of the Bayero University Kano, Professor Yahuza Bello appreciated the NCC.
He said that the institute would leverage on the resources given by the NCC to promote and improve ICT sector through emerging technologies.
The Vice-Chancellor of FUTO, Professor Chukwuemeka Eze urged young Nigerians to be at front burner of ICT utilization.
Source: VON
