Odahiekwu Ogunde, Yenagoa
Bayelsa State Government says it is ready to set up the Information Technology Development Agency to drive ICT development and utilisation in the state.
Commissioner for Communication, Science and Technology, Dr Promise Ekio, made this known at a news conference in Yenagoa on Tuesday.
He said that the law setting up the agency had been been passed by the State House of Assembly.
The commissioner added that the agency was crafted in line with what is obtainable at the federal level with key functions to drive ICT activities, and deepen the use of ICT to ensure that governance is carried out transparently and ICT compliant.
He said that the state government had begun the construction of a technology park in the state capital to be called, ‘Centre of Excellence,’ which would comprise an ICT centre/e-library, innovation centre and administrative block.
Ekio, stressed that the project, which is at 30 per cent completion but stalled due to lack of funds, would generate revenue for the state on completion.
He said, “We have come out with a number of projects that we intend to implement but the only problem we are having is funding and that is affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, which is ravaging the world today and affecting the level of revenue that is accruing to government.
“Any society that wants to develop must be ICT compliant and the policy of government is to drive ICT more than the way before and that is why the government has come out with a law known as the Bayelsa State Information Development Agency.
“The policy of the government is to widen and deepen the use of ICT in all tiers of government, business, education, health, etc.”Â