Rev. Otu Optimistic About DEC Equipping Less Privileged Youths

By Our Reporter  

The Wife of the Cross River State Governor, Rev. Eyoanwan Bassey Otu has expressed optimism that the Digital Economy Centre (DEC) intervention project when completed will equip the less privileged and vulnerable youths of the State who have the desire to learn Computer based skills.

Speaking during a business meeting with the Vice Chancellor of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS), Prof. Augustine Angba, the Governor’s wife who was represented by the Special Adviser Administration, Office of the wife of the Cross River State Governor Dr. Comfort Oko stated that the DEC will be like a training Centre, where people trained on ICT.

While thanking the Vice Chancellor for the prompt response, she noted that the choice of UNICROSS is to ensure that the Centre is sited in a place that will be beneficial to the State. According to her, “it is because of the trust and confidence in the achievements of the Institution that we have a comfortable place with easy access,” expressing optimism in the full support of the Institution to deliver on the mandate of the Project.

Speaking earlier, the Media Director, Office of the Wife of the Governor of Bayelsa State and Project Director, Renewed Hope Initiative, Mrs. Victoria Feboke stated that the DEC is an Intervention project of the Renewed Hope Initiative targeted at youths across the Country.

According to her, “the Renewed Hope Initiative is a Pet project of Her Excellency, the First Lady of the Nation with the Bayelsa First lady as the South-South Coordinator. The Renewed Hope Initiative collaborate with various agencies to set up an empowerment programme to reach out to the youths in the various States.” She informed that Calabar as part of the South-South has been chosen for an ICT Centre and the University of Cross River State has been chosen as where the Centre would situate.

She informed that the visit was to formally notify the management of the Institution that UNICROSS has been accepted for the deployment of the Digital Economy Centre to facilitate access to digital services, adding that the Centre would be furnished with Computers, Internet Connectivity, Local Area Network, e-learning solutions, solar powered inverter, generator, printer, scanner and lots more to aid the trainees.

Expressing the appreciation of UNICROSS, the Vice Chancellor of the University, Prof. Augustine Oko Angba appreciated the team for considering the institution fit for the siting of the ICT Centre. He recounted the challenges of the ICT Unit in the previous years and informed that the story has changed. According to him, “when I came in as Vice Chancellor about three years ago, the ICT Unit was quite sick. Our JAMB Centre was shut down for about three years. We came on board struggling and the first year we came up, we were one of the best Centres in Nigeria, irrespective of the infrastructure decay.” 

He informed that the University has two stations for JAMB and none has failed, adding that Universities with failed stations rely on them for technical support. “In 2020, we won an award from JAMB. I think that tells you how progressive we have been when it comes to ICT and ICT has played a major role in our general growth and development to the extent that our ranking now is growing on a daily basis,” he said.

Continuing, Prof. Angba revealed that “the Higher Education Sub-Saharan ranking placed us at 7th Position in Nigeria even though we are seen as a lesser University and vulnerable, but it tells the speed in which we are growing. So, that you have considered us fit for this project is a testimony to the fact that at the end of the day, you are sharing out of our progress report.”

Extolling the ability of the ICT Unit of the University to provide excellent technical support as the need arises, the Vice Chancellor assured the team of the readiness of the Institution to work with them to support the lofty vision to fruition and releasing the best of their facilities for that purpose. He inferred that education has gone beyond the classroom and ICT has become a thing of the day and every youth should follow the trend.