November 16, 2021

As part of its avowal to the deepening of the nation’s digital economy, the Digital Bridge Institute, DBI, led by its President/CEO, Prof. Mohammed Ajiya, was in full attendance at the opening ceremony of the International Conference on Computing & Advances In Information Technology (ICCAIT) held at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria Kaduna State Nigeria on the 15th of November 2021.

DBI was a headline sponsor of the programme which brought together experts in the digital economy space.

ICCAIT is an international conference organized by the Department of Computer Science of the Ahmadu Bello University where recent trends in the field of ICT and impact of ICT in the evolution of the society/economy of nations are evaluated for processes and policies improvement for a better society.

The keynote address of the conference was delivered by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, who highlighted the impacts of the policy direction of the Federal Government in driving a digital economy which has consistently made ICT the highest contributor to the GDP of Nigeria, after agriculture.

Prof. Pantami emphasised that one of the 8 pillars of the National Digital Economy Strategy (NDES) policy is Digital Skills and this is the major enabler of sustainability in driving digital economy. He further noted emphatically that about 16 policies have been developed by his ministry and all are being implemented concurrently with impactful strides. He also declared the conference opened.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Vice-Chancellor of ABU, Prof. Kabiru Bala who was the Chief Host and other dignitaries including a Member of the Governing Board of DBI who doubles as a don in the ABU, Prof. Sahalu B. Junaidu.

Several scholarly papers were delivered at the opening ceremony featuring international scholars such as Prof. Bashir Shehu Galadanci of the prestigious Bayero University Kano (BUK), Professor Adenike Osofisan University of Ibadan, Dr. Syed M Bukhari, King Saud University, Saudi Arabia among others.

The Conference is scheduled to end on 17th November 2021 and it is hoped that industry changing presentations/papers shall be forwarded to relevant stakeholders for onward consideration and implementation for the benefit of the society.

The President CEO of DBI, Engr. Prof. Mohammed was accompanied to the conference by the Head of Public Affairs, Mr. Akin Ogunlade and the Special Assistant to the CEO. Mr. Abiola Jimoh.