*The Federal Government explains the Digital Nigeria Centre is a project of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), an arm of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) established to expand the frontiers of universal access and service by ensuring service provision to unserved and under-served areas of the Nigerian economy

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In order to give concrete expression to the underlining principles and fundamental philosophy of the emergent digital culture in Nigeria, particularly Item No. 2 of the eight pillars of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) 2020-2030, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Honourable Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, and his counterpart in the Ministry of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, will commission a Digital Nigeria Centre (DNC) project January 14, 2022, in Ilesa, Osun State.

Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director of Public Affairs at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in a statement issued Tuesday, January 11, 2022, said His Excellency, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun State, is also expected at the event as a Special Guest of Honour.

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The Commission noted that the DNC, hitherto known as School Knowledge Centre (SNC), targets students and youths for skills acquisition in order to increase Information and Communication Technology (ICT) literacy among school teachers and students; provide a platform for accessing online educational resources; equip students with ICT skills; facilitate ICT adoption in teaching and learning; and increase pass rate in mathematics, English language and other science subjects.

Digital literacy cum computer laboratory in Nigeria听 听File photo

The NCC also stated that the project, the first to be commissioned in Osun State since the modification of the project as DNC, is located at the Ijesa Muslim Grammar School, Ilesa.

The four components of the DNC include ICT Tool component (made up of 40 desktop computers with embedded operating systems, server, printer, remote-controlled projector, high resolution scanner, and e-learning software), said the NCC.

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The statement further said another component is the Power structure, consisting of an inverter that comes with its charger, solar panels, batteries and automatic changeover.

The Commission stated: 鈥淭here is also a Connectivity component, made up of routers, switches, firewall for network protection, modem, fibre/microwave radio or VSAT and bandwidth for internet connectivity.

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鈥淔inally, there is a non-ICT component constitutive of the furniture, cabinet, cooling systems, and allied appliances.

It is as well noted the DNC is a project of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), an arm of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), established under the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003 with the overarching objective to carry out the Commission鈥檚 statutory mandate of expanding the frontiers of universal access and universal service by ensuring service provision to unserved and under-served areas of the Nigerian economy.

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Therefore, as mandated by NCA 2003, the USPF promotes the widespread availability and usage of network and application services throughout Nigeria by encouraging the installation of network facilities and the provision of network services and applications services to institutions, particularly in unserved and underserved areas and for underserved groups within the community.

Since inception in 2006, the USPF under NCC supervision and directive of the Honourable Minister, has implemented series of programmes and projects that promote ICT inclusion and adoption to mainstream accessibility to communication services for citizens and position Nigeria for global competitiveness in the emergent digital culture.

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