FG approves N8.9bn National ICT Park – Pantami

The Federal Government has approved the building of the first National ICT Park, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami has said.

Pantami in a statement on Thursday said the approval was given during the Federal Executive Council meeting on the February 10, 2021, after a memo he presented to the council.

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“The Park is the first of its kind due to its nature, activities and the state-of-the-art facilities it will have. The Park will also accommodate the National ICT Exhibition Centre, as well as Museum for ICT and postal services, to showcase technology-related innovations by Nigerians”, the minister said in the statement signed on his behalf by his technical assistant, Dr Femi Adeluyi.

He added that the N8.9billion National ICT Park will be supported by the National Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre (NDIEC) that was earlier presented to and approved by the FEC on November 11, 2020 and whose groundbreaking was done by him on February 4, 2021.

“Both (the NDIEC and the Park) are legacy projects of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR. All the parastatals of the Ministry will be involved in managing the National Centres. The National ICT Park would be a focal point for the supervision of both public and private ICT hubs in the country”, Pantami said.

Daily Trust reports that the N8.9bn Park will be built on a 4,200 square meter land.

It will serve as a centre for National ICT policy formulation, research and development.

Through it, the Federal Government will provide the enabling environment for creative Nigerians to come up with innovative technologies, according to the minister.

He also said the Park will have a number of benefits including boosting the digital economy, provision of space and environment for the growth of innovation driven enterprises (IDEs), serving as an incubator for cutting-edge technology and a mentorship platform for innovators, amongst others.

It will provide a central location for Nigerian innovators with vibrant and developmental ideas to receive mentorship and all that they need to thrive, he added.