BENUE STATE GOVERNMENT TRAINS SCHOOL MANAGERS ON ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE 16-05-25
By Sadiq Aminu The Benue Digital Infrastructure Company has commenced a capacity building program on Artificial Intelligence, Coding, and Digital Skills for principals and school coordinators in Benue State.
Declaring the event open, the Managing Director of the Company, Mr.Terwase Gbande said the initiative aims to enhance digital literacy and skills among educators, promoting innovation and quality education in the state.
He sued for collaboration from the participants to develop a mechanism that can transform the education system into a world class digital standard stressing that the aim is for the state to start exporting ICT talents in the next ten years.
Mr.Gbande noted that Governor Hyacinth Alia was the first in the history of the State to make ICT a policy and given it the institutional frame work to operate effectively.
The MD and CEO, BDIC maintained that the creation of a ministry of ICT and Digital Economy,State Digital Service Management Enforcement Agency and State Digital Infrastructure Company were deliberate steps by Governor Hyacinth Alia towards ICT development.
Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Dr. Fredrick Ikyaan who noted that the world had gone global, emphasized the ministry’s commitment to equipping learners with information and communication technology skills to contribute to nation building.
The commissioner of Education and Knowledge Management stressed the need for the Benue Child to be properly equipped with ICT skills so as not to be left behind and commended the Director,BDIC for taking the lead in that regard.
His Communication and Digital Economy counterpart, Mr. Kwaghgba Amande announced that the Benue State Government is to establish a Tech-Skills institution at the Moses Orshio Adasu University Makurdi to facilitate learning of Information and Communication Technology ICT.
Mr. Amande explained that Artificial Intelligence has taken the centre stage and stressed the need for youths particularly students to to key in order not to be left behind and sued for more collaboration between the ministry and other agencies of government for greater impact.
Speaking for Zone A, the principal of Government Model School, Katsina-Ala,Mallam Shuaibu Danjuma, that of Government Model School, Makurdi, Mr.Robert Apir for Zone B, and Mr.Ode Omale from Wesley High School, Otukpo for Zone C, promised to step down the training in their areas and called on Government to provide infrastructure to support the initiative.