From Henry Ibya, Makurdi
Managing Director of Benue Digital Infrastructure Company, BDIC, Terwase Gbande has disclosed that the agency intends to create over 100,000 digital jobs within the next three years.
Gbande, who made the disclosure while addressing journalists during an extraordinary congress of the state council of Nigerian Union of Journalists, NUJ, yesterday in Makurdi, said the company was established by the state government to drive digital transformation.
He highlighted BDIC’s key achievements since its establishment to include the deployment of over 10 fully operational digital platforms, such as Benue Geographic Information System, BENGIS, and the Benue Executive Document Management System, EDMS.
He also mentioned the development of over 20 additional platforms in progress and strategic partnerships with top institutions like Huawei Technologies and the United Nations Development Programme, UNDP.
The managing director disclosed that the company has launched a major digital skills programme where it intends to carryout training of civil servants, pointing out that about 40,000 public servants across the state and local governments are already undergoing training.
He noted that so far, over 4,800 civil servants have been trained in areas like ICT fundamentals and digital workflow systems.
The managing director called for a strong partnership with the NUJ to support the digital transformation of journalism in the state.
He said the proposed partnership would include establishing NUJ Digital Skills Labs, training journalists on digital content creation and cybersecurity, as well as supporting the launch of community-based digital news platforms.
According to him, the company’s efforts are in line with the economic development vision of Governor Hyacinth Alia, who has provided an enabling environment for digital transformation in Benue State, expressing gratitude to the governor for his visionary leadership.
Disclosing that the digital revolution is underway, with BDIC ensuring that Benue State is at the forefront of this transformation, Gbande expressed optimism that through partnerships and capacity building, the company and the NUJ could empower journalists and create a digital culture that drives employment, empowerment and wealth creation.
