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Internet Group Seeks Beneficiaries for I4J
By Efem Nkanga,
04.23.2008 |
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In a bid to empower youths and
engender self reliant jobs, the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG)
has announced that it will sponsor the internet 14J
initiative and will seek beneficiaries for the initiative to
aid youths in the country to be self reliant and to boost
employment.
President NIG, Engr. Lanre Ajayi disclosed at the end of a
session with committee chairmen of the group, which held in
Lagos, recently , saying that every notable strategy have been
put in place to ensure that those to be selected as
beneficiaries would meet the laid down requirement.
Engr. Ajayi who is also the chief executive PiNet Informatics,
said that NIG has been reviewing processes since the launch of
the initiative on July 12, last year by the Executive Vice
Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr.
Ernest Ndukwe and the Director General of the National
Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Professor
Cleopas Angaye, at a colourful ceremony also held in Lagos, on
how best to ensure transparency and best practices in the
exercise.
He pointed out that interested Nigerians, especially the youths
and upcoming entrepreneurs are encouraged to participate in the
initiative by merely submitting their project details through
form at www.i4j.nig.org.ng.
‘Simply fill a form on I4J website and submit your project, then
the relevant committee would evaluate and get back to the
owners,’ he declared, that I4J is a brainchild of NIG designed
to critically examine and discover the potentials inherent in
the Internet to generate jobs for the populace and transform the
nation eventually. Ajayi said.
According to him, currently NIG has been able to attract some
Promoters for the I4J Initiative, which include Zenith Bank Plc,
representing the private sector, NITDA and NCC both representing
the government of Nigeria in a multi-sectoral partnership formed
soon after the initiative was launched.
He reiterated that the NIG vision for I4J, is to use the
platform to transform Nigeria into an Information Society where
business and government services are available online and the
citizens positively engaged in knowledge-driven economic
activities.
‘I4J is intended to address some challenges facing the nation,
especially in the areas of high rate of unemployment in the
country and improve upon the current low adoption of Information
Technology in Nigerian businesses and governments sectors,’ he
said.
Engr. Ajayi emphasized that the Initiative is intended to close
the widening digital divide between Nigeria and the developed
world by way of engaging some Nigerians in the fight against
Internet scam.
In addition, he said, I4J strategy is to boost the current low
skill and expertise in the area of Information Technology and
the inability of good IT business dreams to see the light of the
day by attracting start up funding locally. He expressed the
optimism that opportunities abound in the country that could
enhance the velocity of changing the nation into an Information
Society, mostly if properly harnessed.
‘We must not loose sight that Nigerians are highly intelligent
and can easily be trained to adopt new technologies. Nigerians
are also enterprising and if appropriately motivated can do
extremely well in business including online businesses’, he
said.
The beneficiaries, he said, would be supported by grants to be
managed independently and provided by the sponsors of an I4J
initiative project of choice.
‘The grant shall not be given in cash to the beneficiary but
used to pay for services supported by the I4J initiative. These
services include web portal development, training - Information
Technology and Entrepreneurship and marketing’, he explained.
He also underscored the need for the grant, saying that it
would enable beneficiaries to set up online services, which are
in demand or may be in demand by their target communities or
market.
‘The amount of the grant to be given to each beneficiary shall
be determined by the sponsor that selects the beneficiary's
project,’ he informed.
He, therefore, appealed to individuals, corporate organizations,
government; local, state and federal as well as their agencies,
to take part in the initiative either as a potential recipient
or promoter.Admission of beneficiaries, he said, would be based
on some criterion, which the opportunity for sustainability,
contribute significantly to the social and economic development
of Nigeria.
Culled from
Thisdayonline Publication
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