Jonathan Orders Inclusion Of ICT In School Curriculum

President Goodluck Jonathan has expressed deep concern that
many nations are currently placed above Nigeria because the country was not
part of past developmental revolutions.

Speaking in Abuja at the inauguration of the Presidential
Committee on Broadband, he said the nation cannot afford to let the opportunity
to participate in the Information Communication Technology  passed by.

To this end, he directed the Ministry of Education to
incorporate ICTs in school curriculum.

Explaining the importance of Broadband, he said it has the
potential to facilitate the creation of new industries and introduce
significant efficiencies into existing ones in all sectors of the economy.

He also revealed that the National ICT policy has set a
target of a five-fold increase in broadband penetration by 2017.

To achieve this lofty goal, he said it had become imperative
that a proper and feasible plan is articulated and hence, government
constituted the committee to develop a comprehensive broadband roadmap for the
country.

The committee co-chaired by Engr Ernest Ndukwe and Jim Ovia
is expected to come up with a Broadband strategy and roadmap for the country.
It has three months to turn in its report.

The president also explained why the Ministry of
Communication Technology was separated from the Information ministry, saying it
was for the country to leverage on the abundance opportunities in ICT sector.

He said,”As at the time we talked about industrial
revolution, this part of the world never participated, we talked about green
revolution, we tried it but it was on the pages of paper. There was no
revolution witnessed in this country. The real technological revolution we
never participated.

“That is why people always say that if you look at our
Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) that started at the same time
as Brazil, Brazil, are building aircraft and we are still managing furniture.
So, technological revolution, we  have
not participated.

We are now talking about ICT revolution.