By Kehinde Ibrahim, Lagos
THE Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Gas, Rt. Hon. Obongemem Ekperikpe Ekpo, has commended the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board, NCDMB, for using its community-focused interventions to promote education, digital inclusion and human capital development across Nigeria.
Ekpo gave the commendation at the commissioning of a modern Information and Communication Technology, ICT, Centre at Ika Comprehensive High School, Ikot Akpan Anwa, Akwa Ibom State, describing the facility as a strategic investment that would expand students’ access to digital education, research opportunities and global knowledge resources.
According to the Minister, the project demonstrates how the implementation of Nigeria’s Local Content Policy can extend beyond the oil and gas industry to deliver tangible socio-economic benefits to host communities and other underserved populations.
He said the centre would strengthen digital literacy among young Nigerians while providing them with the technological skills required to compete effectively in an increasingly digital economy.
The ICT Centre, constructed and equipped by the NCDMB, features a modern computer laboratory with 50 networked desktop computers, an interactive smart board, projector, server room and Starlink high-speed internet connectivity.
The facility, which can accommodate up to 70 users, also includes air-conditioned learning spaces, a staff room, store and separate convenience facilities. Its power infrastructure comprises a 15kVA generator and a 15kVA solar power system with battery backup, while dedicated network infrastructure has been installed to ensure reliable connectivity.
Ekpo described the facility as more than a conventional school infrastructure project, noting that it would serve as a platform for knowledge acquisition, innovation and creativity.
He said investments in digital education were essential to preparing young Nigerians for the demands of the future, stressing that countries that equip their younger populations with relevant technological competencies would be better positioned to drive sustainable economic development.
The Minister added that the intervention was consistent with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly in the areas of quality education, youth empowerment, digital transformation and inclusive economic growth.
He noted that providing students in rural and underserved communities with access to modern ICT facilities would enable them to acquire relevant digital skills and participate more meaningfully in a technology-driven economy.
Representing the Executive Secretary of the NCDMB, Engr. Felix Omatsola Ogbe, the Board’s Director of Corporate Services, Dr. Abdulmalik Halilu, said digital literacy and ICT capacity development remained important components of the NCDMB’s human capital development mandate.
Halilu explained that the Board’s objective was to contribute to the development of a skilled workforce capable of meeting the needs of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry while also supporting broader economic development.
He said the new ICT Centre would give students access to digital learning platforms, research tools, artificial intelligence applications and global knowledge resources, thereby broadening their educational opportunities.
According to him, the project reflects the NCDMB’s commitment to extending the benefits of Nigerian Content beyond the oil and gas sector to schools and communities where young people can develop the skills needed to drive innovation and productivity.
Halilu, however, emphasised that the sustainability of the project would depend largely on effective collaboration between the NCDMB, the school authorities and the host community.
He urged the school and members of the community to take ownership of the facility, protect the equipment and ensure that the centre remains functional for the benefit of present and future generations.
He said the Board expected the project to produce measurable improvements in the academic and digital capabilities of students rather than simply serve as a completed infrastructure project.
“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, urging the school and host community to safeguard the centre and ensure that it continues to deliver value over the long term.
Speaking on behalf of the project delivery team, the Managing Director of Standard Institute of Technology Limited, Engr. Alexander Nsidibe, thanked the NCDMB for entrusting the company with the delivery of the project.
Nsidibe described the ICT Centre as evidence of the Board’s commitment to quality infrastructure, education and human capital development.
He said the facility would strengthen students’ digital competencies and better prepare them for future opportunities in the workplace and industry.
He also pledged the company’s continued support for the maintenance of the centre for one year following its handover.
In her welcome address, the Principal General of Ika Comprehensive High School, Mrs. Nkom John Umoette, described the project as a major intervention that would help bridge the school’s digital access gap.
Umoette explained that the school had previously operated without an ICT facility, limiting students’ exposure to digital learning, computer-based education and other technology-enabled academic resources.
She expressed appreciation to the Minister and the NCDMB for the intervention, saying the facility would equip students with essential digital skills, improve their preparedness for computer-based examinations and expand their prospects for academic and career advancement.
A representative of the host community also commended the Federal Government and the NCDMB for providing the facility, describing it as an important investment in the educational development of young people in the area.
The community representative noted that the centre would significantly improve access to digital learning and computer-based examinations, particularly for students who previously had to travel to Uyo and neighbouring communities to register for or sit examinations such as the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) examinations.
According to the representative, such journeys imposed additional financial and logistical burdens on students and their families.
The new facility, he said, would reduce those challenges while creating a more convenient environment for students to access digital resources, undertake computer-based examinations and acquire skills that would be relevant to their future education and employment.
The commissioning of the ICT Centre underscores the growing emphasis on leveraging Nigerian Content interventions not only to strengthen domestic capacity in the petroleum industry but also to support education, technology adoption and socio-economic development in communities across the country.
