NCC, CAPDAN Seek Upgrade of Computer Village to ICT Hub

Emma Okonji

In order to build capacity in a knowledge-based economy that will boost local manufacturing and reduce capital flight through the importation of foreign technology products, the Computer and Allied Products Dealers Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN), has urged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), to consider upgrading the computer village market in Lagos to a technology hub, where people will be trained on local manufacturing of computer and allied products.

CAPDAN Chairman, Comrade Ojikutu Ahmed Adeniyi, who made the proposal during the visit of NCC to CAPDAN on Wednesday in Lagos, said there was need for collaboration between NCC and CAPDAN to train young and talented traders at the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) that is currently being managed by NCC across the country.

Pleased with the proposal, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, welcomed the idea and promised to collaborate with CAPDAN to upgrade the Lagos Computer Village to technology hub, that will accommodate technology incubation and development, geared towards growing indigenous technology that will address national and global needs.

“NCC should establish an Information and Communications Technology (ICT) hub for computer village traders, a replica of what is obtainable at Silicon Valley in the US and India’s Bangalore, to enhance the development of mobile hardware technicians in the areas of phone assemblage, phone diagnosis, transmission, cell site connection, call centre operations, among others,” Adeniyi said.

According to him, the computer village market has talented young traders who could be trained to begin manufacturing and distribution of technology solutions that will address societal needs. He said if achieved, the issue of faking products by Nigerians, would drastically reduce and Nigeria would experience a surge in genuine homegrown technology manufacturing products. The CAPDAN leader also called on NCC to include its members in the NCC work study groups of some initiatives.

Pleased with the contribution of ICT to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), Danbatta assured CAPDAN of the willingness of NCC to assist its members in the area of training and capacity building. He said the DBI would remain open for collaboration and training.

Adeniyi, however said CAPDAN would appreciate such gesture more, if NCC is willing to train CAPDAN members on modern software engineering like JAVA and other software skills that would help them gain mastery to become better software developers.

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