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Huawei foresees Nigeria on ICT world map

By Nkechi Onyedika-Ugoeze, Abuja
05 July 2019   |   3:38 am
Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited has observed that with a growing youth population and rapid advancement in technology

(Photo by Adrian DENNIS / AFP)

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Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited has observed that with a growing youth population and rapid advancement in technology, Nigeria is on its way to the world map for its information and communications technology (ICT) talents.

According to the firm, Nigeria is properly representing Africa on the global scale of ICT knowledge and capacity building.

Speaking at a ceremony yesterday to celebrate the outstanding performance of Nigerian students at the Global Final of the Huawei ICT Competition, held recently at the company’s headquarters in Dongguan, China, Chinese Ambassador to Nigeria, Zhou Pingjian, noted that Nigeria experienced exponential growth in the past 20 years since Huawei Technologies came into the country.

In May, a team of three Nigerian students had emerged among the top three that competed with 49 other teams representing 30 countries racing for the global trophy.

“There were 27,000 mobile phone owners in Nigeria 20 years ago. Today, that number soars to 170 million. Twenty years ago, one minute talk in Nigeria cost $1 dollar; today, that same call costs two cents,” Pingjian said.

In his remarks, the director-general, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Isa Pantami, commended Huawei Technologies for its commitment to ICT development in Nigeria, adding that the initiative aligned with one of the agency’s seven pillars of capacity building and the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) of the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.

Pantami, while signing the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Huawei and NITDA, expressed the need for a renewed partnership.

His words: “We look forward to a new relationship and partnership between NITDA and Huawei that will foster ICT for inclusive sustainable national development in Nigeria.”

Managing Director of Huawei Technologies, Nigeria (Abuja Office), Tank Li, said the company’s vision in Nigeria was to create an ICT talent ecosystem that would form the foundation in the digitalisation plan for the nearest future.

“This year marks the 20th of Huawei in Nigeria. Within this period, Huawei has made progressive achievements through collaboration with the public and private sectors in Nigeria.

“Huawei, through its many corporate social responsibility (CSR) programmes, had strived to touch many lives in Nigeria, especially the education sector. The programmes include the Seeds for the Future Programme, where we send 10 students to China for two weeks, all expenses paid by Huawei, which we have done for the past two years.

“Huawei will continue to invest in this collaboration with universities. This number is expected to increase greatly within the coming months, and continuously supply excellent candidates to Huawei’s ICT talent eco-system,” he added.

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