Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has appointed Oforitsenere Emiko as interim chairman of the governing board of the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI).
The appointment is part of efforts by the commission to reposition the institute to meet the needs of Nigeria’s digital economy.
The NCC also appointed Abraham Oshadami executive commissioner for technical services, and Rimini Makama, executive commissioner for stakeholder management, as interim board members.
The appointments were announced in a statement issued on Monday by the NCC’s director of public affairs Nnenna Ukoha.
According to the commission, the interim board will work with the president and chief executive officer of DBI David Daser and other serving board members whose tenures are still valid.
Established by the NCC in May 2004, the Digital Bridge Institute was created as a training centre for telecommunications and information technology.
The commission said the sector has since expanded into a wider digital economy that requires continuous skills development and technical training.
The NCC stated that the repositioning of the institute is intended to strengthen its role in supporting communications infrastructure, innovation and digital skills development.
The commission also noted that about 70 percent of Nigeria’s population is under the age of 30, making skills development important to the country’s digital transformation plans.
According to the NCC, the institute’s renewed focus will cover education and training, research and development, innovation, economic growth and emerging policy and regulation.
The commission said the strategy was developed through consultations with stakeholders, including the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, the Federal Ministry of Education, TETFund, the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology and the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure.
Emiko studied Electrical and Computer Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, where she obtained bachelor’s and master’s degrees. She began her career at Motorola-Freescale Semiconductors and later founded Kian Smith Company, a firm involved in the gold value chain.
She is also a founding director of the Africa Gold Council, vice president of the Nigeria Indonesia Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NICCI) and a board member of the Global Community Engagement and Resilience Fund (GCERF).
NCC added that the initiative is aimed at aligning the institute’s mandate with current technological developments and supporting Nigeria’s participation in the global digital economy.
