The various e-learning initiatives of government and the private sector across the country will among other things provide the breeding ground for the eventual increase in Information Technology potential of Nigerian youths, the Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency, Prof. Cleopas Angaye, has said.
He spoke at the inauguration of Omatek e-learning and 24-hours alternative power solution for schools in some states.
The NITDA DG, who also inspected Omatek’s new production factory and new product innovations, said Nigerian-made computers had an edge over their foreign counterparts, stressing that the local brands were made to attune to the Nigerian environment.
Angaye said the deployment of e-Learning suite on all the completed Rural Information Technology Centres in over 300 rural communities as well as some institutions of learning by NITDA and other e-learning centres by private companies such as Omatek would make a difference in education.
He said the e-Learning centres were geared towards equipping Nigerian students and those in under-served areas with tools of making online studying materials for their use through the centres.
According to him, e-Learning concept, which began in the early days of IT revolution, has gained popularity around the world with many classrooms now being used for e-Learning.
This, he said, had evolved to accommodate different learning styles through a variety of activities.
“It also assists to develop knowledge of the Internet and computer skills that will help learners throughout their lives and careers,” Angaye said.
He added that successful completion of online or computer-based courses would build self-knowledge and self-confidence while encouraging students to take responsibility for their learning.
Angaye, who said the level of compliance with government directives to Ministries, Departments and Agencies to patronise local PCs had been low, & nbsp; said NITDA was working on the standardisation requirement of the government order to ensure that what they bought were inter-operatable.
“We have not concluded our survey on local Original Equipment Manufacturers. There are issues of inter-operatability. There are software issues and there have to be standards. We do not want our MDAs to go to various places to import components that do not inter-operate,” he said.
He, however, said that NITDA had taken the lead in the patronage of local PCs as all the PCs in its RITCs are from Nigerian manufacturers.
Angaye said government was ready the patronage and collaboration to help private companies to grow.
“Whatever initiative Omatek is involved in, we will support; we are ready to work with other OEMs and start-ups as government wants to transform the economy,” he said.
He said the local OEMs were doing enough to promote the goals of the IT industry, noting that comparatively the quality of Omatek was good and should be patronised.
“The Omatek casing is unique. If you follow the standard rules of usage, Omatek computers are as good as any,” Angaye said.
In her response, Omatek Group Managing Director, Mrs. Florence Seriki, asked NITDA to put pressure on government to re-open the issue of tax rebates and pioneer status for the ICT industry.