Education

Nigeria: Schools to benefit from Universal Service Provision Fund

2007-09-07, Issue 318

http://pambazuka.org/en/category/education/43221

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A total of 109 primary and secondary schools have been selected as beneficiaries of the first phase of the 'Schools, University Access Programme to Digital Lifestyle' project of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) an initiative of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The projects to be completed in the next six months would include equipping the benefiting schools with Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) tools.

Highway Africa News Agency

A total of 109 primary and secondary schools have been selected as beneficiaries of the first phase of the 'Schools, University Access Programme to Digital Lifestyle' project of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) an initiative of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The projects to be completed in the next six months would include equipping the benefiting schools with Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) tools.

The Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, revealed this on Thursday while on a courtesy visit to the Osun State Governor, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola, in Osogbo, the state capital.

He said that out of the 109, three schools have been selected from Osun, namely the Odo Otin Grammar School, Okuku, Ansar-UD Deen Primary School Iwo and Community Grammar School, Ipetu-Ile.

As said by him, other schools in Osun and other states not listed in the first phase, would benefit subsequently as NCC has advanced plans to collaborate with various states of the federation, especially in close identification and monitoring of the new forthcoming beneficiaries.

The digital lifestyle programme, according to him, was part of the five-year strategic plan of the fund aimed at extending Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) access to the rural and underserved areas of the country, mainly through schools.

Some of these projects, he outlined, are the Community Communication Centre (CCC), Accelerated Mobile Phone Expansion Project (AMPEP) and National Backbone Infrastructure Project (NBIP).

Ndukwe said, USPF was a creation of the Nigerian Communications Act of 2003, as a vehicle for driving the achievement of national policy goals on universal service and access to ICT.

USPF governing board, he stated has an 11-men team drawn from NCC, Federal Ministry of Information and Communications, Federal Ministry of Finance, National Planning Commission and private sector representatives.

He added that USPF was currently funded through a portion of the annual operating levy charged to telecom operators in the country.

Dr. Ndukwe solicited the support of Osun government to ensure rapid implementation of the proposed projects in the state, through catering for telecom installations both at the state and local government levels.

The collaboration from state governments and its agencies at all levels, he said, would determine the level of benefit to the people. Responding, Prince Oyinlola assured the NCC team of his administration's support at any time, saying he is impressed with NCC under Ndukwe's leadership.

"Our cooperation is just for the asking,? he declared, adding ?There?s nothing that you (Ndukwe) touches that does not excel."

He also advised telcos in the country and the Global System for Mobile communications (GSM) operators, in particular, to ensure improved quality of service before further expansion to the hinter lands.

Gov. Oyinlola accompanied by his cabinet members including special advisers, lamented that from 7.30 am to 10pm it is difficult to make a successful call on all the GSM networks, stressing that often after a long trial, the O?Net, owned by Oodua Telecoms comes to the rescue.

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