By ebosele@hotmail.com –
The Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Gas), Rt. Hon. Obongemem Ekperikpe Ekpo, has commended the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB) for demonstrating how Nigeria’s Local Content Policy can transform lives through strategic investments in education and community development.
Speaking at the commissioning of a modern Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Centre at Ika Comprehensive High School, Ikot Akpan Anwa, Akwa Ibom State, the Minister described the project as a major step towards advancing digital literacy, human capital development and sustainable socio-economic growth.
Ekpo said the ICT Centre, equipped with modern facilities and high-speed internet connectivity, would expose students to digital learning, research and innovation, preparing them for opportunities in a technology-driven economy.
“This ICT Centre is far more than a building equipped with computers; it is an investment in the future of our children and a gateway to knowledge, innovation, creativity and opportunity,” the Minister said, adding that countries investing in digital education today would become global leaders tomorrow.
He noted that the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda by expanding access to quality education, empowering young people and promoting inclusive economic growth through technology.
The newly commissioned facility comprises a 50-seat computer laboratory with networked desktop computers, an interactive smart board, projector, server room and Starlink high-speed internet. It also features air-conditioned learning spaces, a staff room, a store, separate convenience facilities, a 15kVA generator and a 15kVA solar power system with battery backup to ensure uninterrupted power supply.
Representing the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the Board’s Director of Corporate Services, Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu, said the project underscores the Board’s commitment to developing digital skills among young Nigerians.
According to him, the ICT Centre will provide students with access to digital learning resources, artificial intelligence tools and global knowledge platforms, while supporting computer-based examinations and research.
Halilu urged the school and host community to take ownership of the facility by ensuring its proper maintenance and sustainability.
“Our expectation is not simply to hand over a facility but to see measurable outcomes in the lives of the students who will use it,” he said.
Managing Director of Standard Institute of Technology Limited, Engr. Alexander Nsidibe, whose firm executed the project, thanked the NCDMB for the opportunity to deliver the facility. He pledged one year of post-handover maintenance support and expressed confidence that the centre would significantly improve students’ digital competencies.
In her welcome address, the Principal General of Ika Comprehensive High School, Mrs. Nkom John Umoette, described the ICT Centre as a transformative intervention that would bridge the school’s digital infrastructure gap.
She said the absence of an ICT facility had limited students’ exposure to technology and computer-based learning, expressing appreciation to the Minister and the NCDMB for providing a resource that would enhance academic performance and expand future career opportunities.
A representative of the host community also applauded the Minister and the NCDMB for the intervention, noting that the facility would eliminate the hardship previously faced by students who travelled to Uyo and neighbouring communities to register for and sit computer-based examinations such as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) tests.
