Federal Government, CCMON Establish Devices Service Centre
BY GLORIA USMAN, ABUJA – The Federal Government in collaboration with Certified Computer Manufacturers of Nigeria (CCMON), have established a Pilot Computer/ICT Devices Service Centre in Abuja.
Commissioning of the centre at the office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF), in Abuja, minister of communications, Dr. Adebayo Shittu, said the project which is the first of its kind in the country will remedy the challenges of short lifespan of computers in the country particularly those owned by and used for government activities.
Shittu, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary in the ministry of Communications, Mrs. Nkechi Ejele, said the Service centre will support all computer systems bought in the Public Service to provide after-sales service support which would ensure proper and effective maintenance of computer systems bought by the government.
The minister also said the centre would end the culture of breakdown of computer systems used for government activities thus promised that the gesture would be replicated in every MDAs to ensure that Computer systems bought for the government institutions would henceforth stand the test of time by constant maintenance and servicing.
He said the solution centre would equally serve as a skill acquisition centre for staff that will provide maintenance services to various MDAs which would minimise the cost of yearly procurement of government IT infrastructure.
Shittu explained that the project is a brainchild of the resolutions reached at the 2017 National Council on Communication Technology (NCCT-2017) in Katsina where a proposal to establish a service and repair centre for locally made computers bought by Federal MDAs was assented to.
In his words; “The ministry of Communications identified CCMON and sought a partnership for the execution of the project as one of its beneficiaries which it (CCMON) embraced, as the value proposition of the centre aligns with and would be beneficial to CCMON in particular and the nation as a whole”.
He explained that the collaboration with CCMON is intended to transform and build the capacity of the workforce in Digital literacy and in preparation for a full implementation of the national e-Government master plan, ICT roadmap and also equip benefitting tech-savvy youths with entrepreneurial and job creation skills.
Shittu, therefore, pledged the Ministry’s unflinching support to CCMON and other equipment manufacturers in the area of providing policy direction to create a more enabling environment for as many that wish to set up assembly plants in Nigeria.
The minister lauded the project and thanked the Certified Computer Manufacturers of Nigeria (CCMON) for partnering with the Ministry which led to the successful execution of the project and expressed hope that the project would achieve its purpose of cutting high cost in governance and Promoting local production and Patronage.
In his remark, President of the Certified Computer Manufacturers of Nigeria (CCMON), Mr. Bode Pedro Lauded the ministry and the Federal Government for conceiving what he described as a strategic partnership between the Ministry and his organisation.
