Last month I took part in an ICT rural road show organized by the Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) at Gagarawa, Gagarawa Local Government of Jigawa State. The event took place at the Local Government Computer Training Centre, established over three years ago. As the event progressed, participants now realizing the excellent facilities at the centre began to wonder how come that over three years since it was established nobody had been given any training from the facilities at the centre? We were to learn that since the computers were deployed, no trainers had been recruited to train potential beneficiaries of the centre. The computers have merely been kept as items of decoration to be show to visiting dignitaries and journalists. I have since found out that the situation is virtually the same in all the 27 local governments of the state. It is possible in this Jigawa State might have demonstrated some form of exceptionalism, however, the same situation could be found in virtually all the states of the federation or indeed the whole of Africa, where government officials concern with projects usually ends with the award of contracts.
The story behind this is that there is increasing unmet demand for information and communication technology (ICT) skills in the country. While basic digital literary has become globally a necessity for all, there are simply few opportunities in Nigerian and Africa for people to acquire these skills. Because of the high demands for ICT skills, the few who could train others are quickly absolved into high paying jobs in the financial and ICT sectors leaving us with facilities but not trainers.