ABEOKUTA– The Minister of Communication, Innovation & Digital Economy, Hon. Bosun Tijani, has encouraged Nigerian students to prioritize education, stating that his struggles in school shaped his present position.
The Minister stated this while on a visit to his alma mater, Anglican High School Quarry, Abeokuta in Ogun state on Thursday.
Addressing the students, Tijani declared that the training and discipline imbibed in him during his secondary school shaped him to become the person he is today.
“This school shaped my life. Though I have my challenges as well. Till today, those experiences shaped how I behave, and provided the platform for my present position.
He however warned the students not to allow their environment or humble beginnings to limit them from where they are heading.
“My message is that where we come from is both important and cannot limit where we are heading. I was a student in this school, and the lessons learnt in this school shaped who I am today.
“Coming back to the school is also a way of encouraging the students here to believe that they are beginning today and they can also become a Minister in future, they can become an Ambassador, they can become a Governor. They can shake the world, they can become President, our kids should key in on that, because it is the most important”, he said
Tijani, while giving back to the school however disclose plans to establish a fellowship funds to support brilliant students, while adopting the school as a digital communication priority
“There are a number of things I have announced today, including a fellowship programme where the top three students at every level, that is JSS 1-3 and SS1-2, will be given one hundred thousand naira each with a laptop, and also be given a school uniform, which is about seventy students every year.
” We have also adopted one of the school buildings. We are going to furnished it and equip it with smart board inside all the classroom in the same vein, we have also adopted the science laboratory, where we will renovate it, we have the Commissioner of Education with us that will ensure that the state of the heart are put into the laboratory.
“The deliberate plan is that the school is already fortunate. The Commissioner also promised to pay further attention to the school, he is one of the best Commissioners in this country”, he added
Meanwhile, as part of visit to the state, the minister also met with members of the Ogun Tech Community (OTC), where he highlighted that the digital Economy has contributed 16-18% to the country’s GDP.
He disclosed that the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration is investing ninety thousand kilometres of fibre optic cables across the country, which means schools will be using the Internet that is not going to come through the jungle but through cables.
“The first thing we did was to launch the largest technology talent accelerator programme in the world, which we called 3MTT and in every street of Nigeria, we have been training young people. The goal is that Nigeria becomes a technology accelerator.
” We have started a programme called buildhaton, we are hoping that these people will grow, and during the holiday, we engage thousands of youth and expose them to courtesy technology in embedded systems. This person, when they grow, becomes the technology people we need in the country.
“Digital Economy in Nigeria already contributed between 16 to 18% of our GDP, the target of this administration is to reach 21% that means we will create more job and by doing more opportunities”, he disclosed
