The Federal Government has asked universities to take responsibility in training and grooming young Nigerians to become innovators, creators and critical thinking people capability of helping in solving the nation’s problems.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, gave this charge last Friday in Abuja, during the formal presentation of $20,000 to the management of Veritas University, Abuja, the 1st place award, won by the university at the just concluded African Telecommunication Union Innovation Challenge, held in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Minister presented the prize money to the Vice Chancellor of the university, Rev Fr (Prof) Hyacinth Ichoku, at the brief ceremony held at the Galaxy Backbone headquarters, Abuja.
Recall that in a keenly contested Innovation Challenge organised by the African Telecommunication Union and sponsored by Intel, Huawei, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the GSMA, Veritas University’s “Software Engineering Lab,” won the competition with its “innovative focusing on providing hands-on learning experiences for young innovators”.
The award which was received by Representative of the Nigerian High Commissioner to Kenya as well as officials of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy on behalf of Veritas University and was formally presented to the Vice Chancellor of Veritas University last Friday.
Tijani said the world is evolving and urged Nigerian universities to help raise and groom strong people to become part of the workforce that would lift the nation towards economic prosperity.
He said he was extremely excited when he was informed about the outcome of the innovative challenge in Nairobi, Kenya, and decided to host the University to a befitting ceremony on behalf of the Federal Government for doing the country proud.
He noted that the feat achieved by the University calls for celebration recognizing that the University took its work seriously to be able to groom young people to compete in a global space and come out with the level of excellence expected from the country.
He added that there is nation that could progress without the contribution of tertiary education. He said many people do not know the role universities are playing in the society, emphasising that the quality of academic institutions is reflected on the quality of economy of any nation.