By Rasheed Abubakar and AbdulMumin AbdulQadir
After making time to chair the 60th Anniversary Lecture of the National Universities Commission (NUC) in Abuja on Tuesday, December 6, Nigeria’s Minister of Telecommunications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) and his team set for Osogbo, the Osun State capital, to kickstart his much anticipated Southwestern Tour.
The tour which lasted four days was informed by the commitment of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to encourage youths to focus more on skills acquisition to tackle unemployment and underdevelopment in Nigeria using digital economy.
The states visited between Wednesday and Saturday, December 7 to 10, include Osun, Oyo, and Ondo.
Muslim News findings revealed that Prof. Pantami, who has been rated among the most performing Ministers under the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, had previously visited Lagos and Ogun States, where he advocated promotion of indigenous technology solutions.
At Fountain University
On Wednesday, December 7, he arrived the premises of Fountain University, a faith-based private university that is committed to excellence in all-round learning where he was warmly received by Prof. Amidu Olalekan Sanni, the Vice Chancellor of the institution.
The Professor of Cyber Security at the Federal Univerity of Technology Owerri (FUTO) was there to deliver a lecture on the topic “Digital Economy, Digital Youth: The Imperatives of Sustainable Development in the 21st Century” as a distinguished speaker and the first Nigerian ever invited to deliver a lecture in the institution.
Award of Honour presented to the Distinguished Guest Lecturer of Guest Lecture Series 2022, @ProfIsaPantami. The award was presented by the Vice Chancellor of Fountain University, Professor Amidu Olalekan Sanni. pic.twitter.com/fyfVLP5GTt
— Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim, CON (@ProfIsaPantami) December 7, 2022
Prof. Pantami disclosed that the solution to youth unemployment in Nigeria is to focus on digital innovation and entrepreneurship, saying Nigerian youths must acquire digital skills to break the yoke of unemployment.
According to him, “In other words, lack of digital innovation and entrepreneurial skills will increase the proportion of the digital youth that are unemployable and the number of unemployed graduates. Therefore, our citizens need to become entrepreneurs, innovators, and risk-bearers, to create more jobs in society.
“It is rather disturbing to note that a great number of this percentage are graduates from Nigerian universities, colleges of education, and polytechnics who are in the job markets in search of non-existing jobs. It is worth noting that any society that lacks innovation and entrepreneurial skills will have to contend with the challenge of unemployment.
... Becomes varsity’s Grand Ambassador
On Thursday, December 8, 2022, the Honorable Minister gracefully received an award of honour presented to him by the Vice Chancellor of Fountain University, Prof. Amidu Olalekan Sanni as the Distinguished Guest Lecturer of the Guest Lecture Series 2022 and was appointed a Grand Ambassador of the great citadel of learning.
At Great ife, OAU
Later in the day, his convoy moved to another university, and the destination, this time, was the premiere Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, Osun State.
Prof. Pantami delivered a lecture at the convocation ceremony of the institution, popularly known as the great Ife, a university which is one of the schools to reckon with in Nigeria and the whole of Africa.
The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy in Nigeria stressed that for Africa to prosper economically, the region must play active role in digital innovation.
Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (OAU)!
As a Guest Lecturer, Minister of Comms & Digital Economy, @ProfIsaPantami, arrived OAU, Ile-Ife to deliver his lecture titled " Research, Innovation and Sustainability Developmen." He was received by the Pro-Chancellor, VC etc pic.twitter.com/g3LWLHrwta— Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim, CON (@ProfIsaPantami) December 9, 2022
He stated that Nigeria, being the largest economy in Africa, must lead the paradigm shift from natural resources based economy to a knowledge driven economy.
“Africa must be an active player in the fourth industrial revolution. There is no time for us to continue to follow other developed countries we must do the linkage between research and innovation, we must admit that the success rate is very high. don’t anticipate that any outcome will lead to innovation and innovation will lead to sustainable development,” he stated.
Pantami speaks on Digital Economy success story in Ibadan
From there, the energetic Minister of Communications and Digital Economy moved down to Ibadan in Oyo State on the same Thursday to chair the 10th National Council of Communication and Digital Economy.
In Ibadan, Oyo State, Minister of Comms and Digital Economy, @ProfIsaPantami leads the Digital Economy family to pay a courtesy visit to the Governor of Oyo State, Engr Seyi Makinde. The Minister is in Ibadan to chair the 10th National Council on Communications & Digital Economy pic.twitter.com/1uSr38P8Za
— Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim, CON (@ProfIsaPantami) December 8, 2022
He affirmed that digital economy had contributed significantly to economic growth, job creation as well as increase in the revenue generation of the federation than any other sector and cannot be left under another ministry.
Prof. Pantami urged state governments to create a ministry of digital economy in order to boost economic growth.
In Ibadan, Pantami, the 2020 Nigerian Muslim Personality of the Year, led the Council on a courtesy visit to the government of Oyo State that same day, before proceeding to pay homage to the Olubadan, the great monarch of Ibadan.
In the early hours of Friday, December 9, Pantami’s delegation arrived the International Conference Center in Ibadan for the 10th regular meeting of the National Council of Communication and Digital Economy to grace the event till later in the afternoon.
At the occasion, he made a presentation and interacted well with innovators, corporate organizations and notable persons present during a tour of the pavilion.
In Ondo, Pantami calls for more skills
On Saturday, Prof. Pantami was at Achievers University in Owo, Ondo State where he delivered a lecture on “Digital Economy and Entrepreneurship” as the convocation lecture. The event took place prior to the commencement of the 12th Graduation/Convocation Ceremony of the University.
With friends, colleagues and associates during @ProfIsaPantami's conferment of Honorary doctoral degree by the Achievers University, Owo, Ondo State. pic.twitter.com/yZU7SWjCOg
— Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim, CON (@ProfIsaPantami) December 10, 2022
The Minister, who recently authored series of books on Cyber security and ICT, etc, called on the stakeholders at the event to place less emphasis on certificates obtained from school but more emphasis must be placed on the skills which would make Nigerian graduates employable.
He expressed worry over the situation of the country whereby graduates finished university and were not unemployable, saying there was a difference between unemployment and unemployability.
Afterwards, he was conferred with an honourary doctoral degree alongside the Olowo of Owo, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ajibade Gbadegesin Ogunoye; and former President of Court of Appeal, Justice Isa Ayo Salami, before proceeding to commission the Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) CBT Center and the College of Social Management Sciences (COSMAS) situated inside the school premises.
Having done so much within the span of few days, the Digital Sheikh as Prof. Pantami is fondly called by admirers brought his tour to a gracious close with photograph sessions that involved himself, the Olowo and some other dignitaries.
