The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFUND) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to deploy emerging technologies and ensure digital inclusion in tertiary institutions across the country.
The MoU process, which started four years ago between the two institutions, covers areas such as information technology infrastructure deployment, deployment of emerging technologies and digitisation of services in tertiary schools, human capacity and project management.
Others are IT academy deployment; ICT policy development and emerging technologies; deepening of research and development with ICT in tertiary institutions.
Speaking at the event in Abuja, Director-General of NITDA, Dr. Isa Pantami, noted that the MoU is very strategic and important considering that no government institution can single-handedly deliver on its mandate. He observed that the MoU is about emerging technologies, which are things institutions of higher learning in the country require, adding that NITDA was established to implement the country’s IT policy, develop and regulate IT in the country through standards, guidelines and frameworks .
Pantami explained that NITDA is the IT project clearing house for all the federal public institution and that all the agencies of government must seek clearance from NITDA before purchasing, deploying or using IT in the country.He observed that though most tertiary institutions are already using ICT in their activities, there is a need to upgrade to include emerging technologies to be at par with the global trend. Read more