Education
Source: This Day
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has joined other forces to pledge its support for young girls, who want to delve into the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) as a profession. The Commission said the purpose was to enable them contribute their quota to national development and achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG).
Making this declaration at the just concluded International Girls in ICT Day celebration organised by eBusiness life Communication Limited, publishers of eBusiness Life Magazine, Director, Policy, Competition and Economic Analysis, NCC Mrs. Lolia Emakpore, who was represented by Mrs. Ogoo Okorie, disclosed that the commission had been in partnership with eBusiness Life since the inception of the campaign and would continue to do so until the aim is achieved.
The campaign is an initiative of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), aimed at encouraging young girls to consider careers in ICT and further enlighten them on the intricacies of the profession. As part of this year's week-long celebration, eBusiness Life in partnership with the NCC took students from different schools on facility visits to Omatek Computer factory and Huawei Technologies facility in Lagos. The visits were geared towards giving them a hands-on experience on ICT.
Addressing the students at the event with theme: "Tech Needs Girls To Invent The Future", Okorie encouraged the young participants to utilise the opportunities presented by current trends in technology to leverage themselves and carve a niche in the ICT industry locally and globally.
"They say what a man can do, a woman can do it better, and you have seen it in practice. So don't be intimidated by the boys, you can attain the same height, and even surpass it if you want," she said.
The Chief Executive Officer of MainOne Cable Company, the event sponsor, Funke Opeke, highlighted the importance of enlightening young girls on different options present to them before they make a decision on the professional path to take.
Marketing Manager, MainOne, Mrs. Morenike Alder, who represented the CEO, charged the girls to work towards achieving their dreams in the ICT field.
In her welcome address, Chief Executive Officer of eBusiness Life Communication, Mrs. Ufuoma Emuophedaro, pointed out that the ICT sector remained dynamic and the future exciting.
She noted that as the world moves towards an ICT -based knowledge society, the revolution in Apps and the explosion in telemedicine, remote learning systems and research and development make the ICT industry the most exciting choice any young person can make.
She further observed that a lot of teenage girls now use computers and the Internet at rates similar to boys, but are five times less likely to consider a technology-related career.