Huawei Technologies has hosted an ICT Academy Teachers Summit in Abuja with the goal of strengthening the partnership between the company and higher education institutions in Nigeria.
Speaking at the event held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, deputy managing director of Huawei Technologies, Stephen Zou, emphasised the company’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s talent development ecosystem. He said, “We gather to connect with our valued academic partners, brought together by the Huawei ICT Talent Ecosystem. This collaborative framework aims to foster strong ties in ICT talent cultivation and development, crucial for advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation. We commend all those present for the progress achieved so far.
“We recognise the solid foundation laid by esteemed institutions such as Ahmadu Bello University, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, University of Ibadan, University of Port Harcourt, and many more. Your dedicated nurturing of ICT talents underscores your pivotal role in propelling talent development within the nation.
“Since 1999, Huawei has thrived in the enabling Nigerian environment, emerging as a premier ICT solution provider. Our ICT talent cultivation initiatives, including the Seeds for the Future programme, Huawei ICT Academy, Huawei ICT Competition, and The Job Fair, exemplify this approach. We firmly believe that Digital Transformation hinges on talent, not just technology.”
Also, at the event, Huawei solidified its commitment by signing memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the University of Port Harcourt.
The executive secretary of NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje, who spoke at the event, thanked Huawei for the partnership with the body, adding that the MoU has further cemented the relationship. According to him, the MoU will facilitate the training of students in 21 polytechnics across the nation. He also explained that the collaboration will help in the dual certification of students, which is expected to provide them with hands-on certification. He also thanked Huawei for the 70 per cent discount provided for the training.
Vice chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Professor Owunari Georgewill, described the partnership as fantastic, saying the world is now digitised. He further said that the University will continue to contribute its quota to the digital era and that with the MoU and support from Huawei, students of the school will also train the trainers.
“You can’t digitise the world if people are not trained. We are very grateful to Huawei. The impact of this support is that the students will be industry-ready, and when they graduate, they will be easily employable,” he said.
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