Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) has become the first institution in the world to operate simultaneously as an International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Academy training centre and a Digital Transformation Centre (DTC).
Ravenewsonline reports that the milestone was highlighted in Abuja during a visit by an ITU delegation to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Headquarters to discuss support for DBI’s new role.
Mr David Desser, president, DBI, said that the status will enable the institute to expand digital skills training beyond telecommunications professionals to underserved and rural communities.
He said the development would enable DBI to expand its role from training telecommunications professionals to reaching underserved and rural communities with digital skills.
“We made that bold application, and with the support of NCC, we were given that approval, and that makes DBI the first in the whole world to become both an ITU DTC and an ITA at the same time.”
Mr Desser said the institute’s new role would strengthen Nigeria’s participation in the global digital transformation agenda.
“We are here to say thank you first of all to NCC for supporting this initiative and also for bringing our guest to you as a major state actor within this sector.”
The visit to the NCC was part of efforts to engage key stakeholders in supporting DBI’s digital transformation programme.
Representing Dr Aminu Maida, executive vice-chairman, NCC, Mr Babagana Digima, director of Research and Development, said the Commission supported digital transformation as part of efforts to improve efficiency, accountability and access to information.
He said the NCC had itself moved completely from paper-based to digital operations.
“From the onset of the EVC tenure, we transformed from paper-based communication within the Commission to digital 100 per cent. So we don’t use papers for any of our official duties.”
Mr Digima said the transformation had improved record-keeping and created a clear audit trail for the Commission’s activities.
“It helps us keep data. It helps us make things available and easy to deal with and, of course, gives a very good audit trail for all of our activities.”
He also described DBI as an important institution established by the NCC to help bridge Nigeria’s digital divide, noting its long-standing collaboration with the ITU.
