By
Babangida Galleon
Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, has approved for the establishment of Adamawa Digital Academy, with the aim of providing opportunity for civil servants and the youths to be trained on digital skills.
Having achieved remarkable improvement through the State Action on Business Enabling Reforms, SABER and waving the Right of WAY charges on telecommunications companies to zero, Adamawa State Government is putting modalities for the establishment of Digital Academy in the State.
This was disclosed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on ICT, E-governance and Policy Matters, Ahmed Hammajam, while addressing journalists after his meeting with the governor in Government House Yola.
The Special Adviser pointed out that Government through the SABER project which is reformed focused is looking forward to building on a framework that will not only reduced the Right of Way charges on telecommunications companies in the state but will also reduce it to zero level.
According to Hammajam, the development is geared towards attracting telecommunications companies to invest in the state in order to improve ICT sector and create employment opportunities for the youths.
He maintained that having waved away the Right of Way charges, Adamawa State has positioned itself on the path of achieving a robust digital economy noting that already telecommunications companies like the BCN Connectivity Network identify Adamawa State as one of the favourable investment climate.
Hammajam revealed that Governor Ahmadu Fintiri, has already declared support to fully digitalize the state and through the support of the NCC, a Digital Bridge Institute located along Yola-Fufore road will be utilized to achieve that purpose.
He said that Government has decided to use the massive campus infrastructure to established the Adamawa Digital Academy where over hundred thousand civil servants and about 70 thousand young men in the state will be trained on digital skills particularly software development, cloud computing and data analytics.
The Special Adviser affirmed that the development is a requirement for building a digital and vibrant economy, thereby creating smart city that is well connected digitally across MDAs and the state at large.
He expressed confidence that beyond the requirements of the Governor for the state to moved into 10th place on rankings of states with the most robust digital economy in Nigeria before the end of 2025, Adamawa can move 5th or even 3rd place, he assured.
To further buttress the intentions of Government, Fintiri has signed number of regulations including establishment of Adamawa State Information Technology Development Agency which provided friendly atmosphere across various sectors of the State’s economy.
Also speaking, the Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer of BCN Connectivity Network Dr. Awal Abdulahi, applauded Governor Fintiri, for coming up with framework that will ensure Government yearnings on digital transformation are met with the right energy.
According to him dismissing the Right of Way fees is a giant stride for the state adding that for BCN, it is an enabler to creating a platform to be a partner in the digital transformation of Adamawa State to be connected and accessible.
“What we are hoping to do is to provide connectivity not only within Yola, but to see how we can partner and provide connectivity between Yola and the rest of the states in the North especially, the Northeast” he added.
