The Minister of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, on Tuesday, announced that the telecommunications infrastructure company, IHS Towers, has offered to renovate the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Innovation Park in Kano, which was looted and vandalized during the August 1, 2024 ‘Endbadgovernance’ protest.
According to the Minister, the Park is more than just a building but a symbol of Kano’s, and Nigeria’s, aspirations to be at the forefront of the global digital economy.
He said the facility will serve over 300 Kano youths who are currently benefitting from the government’s 3 Million Technical Talent (3MTT) program. The initiative, he noted, is training three million Nigerians in digital and technical skills to ensure the country is not just a participant but a leader in the global technology space.
IHS support
Announcing the development via post on his X handle, the Minister noted that he had in August promised to quickly restore the facility for the benefit of Nigerian citizens, including the 3MTT Nigeria fellows who were meant to use the Park for their applied and hands-on learning.
“I am pleased, therefore, to announce that we have received the support of HIS Towers has committed to the full renovation of the location so we can finally put it to good use.
“To all our 3MTT fellows in Kano, as I said yesterday, you, together with many young people across Nigeria, represent the future of the global digital workforce, and your dreams and aspirations are valid,” he said.
Backstory
In August, some youths hiding under the Endbadgovernance protest had broken into the Digital Park built by the NCC, vandalized the building and carted away equipment including computers and furniture.
- According to the Miniter, about 150 desktop personal computers (PCs) and laptops were stolen from the facility which was meant to be commissioned two weeks after the incident.
- Tijani also admitted that the Park was built under the immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari, but not completed.
“The property is one of the properties that the last administration actually worked on, but they didn’t deliver it. A number of things were incomplete. It was only just two months ago that the last set of equipment was put in there. And we just agreed two weeks ago to launch the facility next week,” the Minister had said at the time.
He estimated the value of the building and the equipment carted away to be in millions of Naira, adding that the only reason it had not been put to use before the attack was that the generator to power the place was being worked upon.