Cisco Africa Team has expressed interest and willingness to partner Nigeria in the digital economy sector in order to further drive the vision of the Federal Government in the digitalisation process.
The organisation’s senior vice president, public policy and governmental affairs for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Russia, Ms Pastora Valero stated this at a virtual meeting initiated by Cisco today.
She commended the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami over what she described as his unprecedented legacies in establishing a burgeoning digital sector that has caught global attention, urging him to consider avenues of partnerships and collaborations with Cisco.
“We have keenly followed your progress and would very much like to be a part of your vision in driving the sector and are open to partnerships in that regard,” she said.
Also, in her remarks, the senior director, policy and governmental affairs, Africa, Charmaine Houvet said Pantami’s policies were in line with global trends and the potential for development in Nigeria could not be ignored, adding “the leadership that the Honourable Minister has brought to bear in the sector is highly commendable and Cisco is willing to be a part of this journey.”
Pantami, in his response, said “we are championing a paradigm shift in the country leveraging on technology to give preference and priority to proven skills over paper qualifications, particularly digital skills”. He drew the team’s attention to the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) Document, particularly pillars two and seven, centred around digital literacy and skills and digital societies and emerging technologies, with the objective of capacity building through digital skills acquisition.
The minister’s spokesperson, Mrs. Uwa Suleiman, in a statement, said Pantami identified the need for partnership in the areas of training and urged Cisco to “establish training academies across Nigeria, especially in underserved areas in order to empower citizens with the requisite skills required to maintain global relevance”.
The statement added the minister in response to Cisco’s prayers, immediately set up a technical team to draw up a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in that regard.
