By Donald Kumun
Benue State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia ,departed Nigeria at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, on Monday, October 28, 2024, to China and arrived Guangzhou International Airport, China, for an important working visit to Huawei Headquarters, in Shenzhen.
The Governor is expected to attend the 136th Session of China Import and Export Fair Exhibition, aimed at enhancing Benue’s digital transformation and economic growth.
He was welcomed by the Consul-General of Nigeria in Guangzhou, George Collins, Charles Liu and Channel Manager of Huawei Technologies Ltd., China, Engr. Emmanuel Ochie, Managing Director of Certified Systems Ltd.; Eric Liu-Hai Qing, CEO of Sinoki Systems Limited, as well as his advanced team from the State: the Hon. Commissioner for Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Hon. Kwaghgba Amande, Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, Rev. Dr. Fredrick Ikyaan; and the MD/CEO of Benue Digital Infrastructure Company (BDIC), Mr. Gbande Hembaor.
He is also accompanied on the trip by his Chief of Staff, Rt. Hon. Paul Biam; Special Adviser on International Investment, Hon. Alex Addingi; Managing Director of Benue Investment and Property Company (BIPC), Dr. Raymond Asemakaha, and other key players committed to advancing Benue’s economy through innovation.
On his official Facebook page Governor Alia expressed the readiness of his administration’s commitment towards forging enduring partnerships that will open doors for technological growth, improved infrastructure, and opportunities that will bring direct benefits to the people of Benue State.
According to him, Huawei, which is a global leader in innovation, “is our partner in this endeavor, and our collaboration aims to bring its transformative technologies to Benue, positioning us as a hub for the digital economy”.
Meanwhile, the Governor has taken another giant leap forward by signing a historic partnership with Huawei, at Huawei Technologies Headquarters in Shenzhen, in China, to build a “Smart Benue State”, to transform the State into a modern, digitally connected hub.
He said the partnership will revolutionize the state’s infrastructure, enhance security, improve education, and healthcare, and create countless job opportunities for Benue people, as a deliberate efforts to develop the state for all and sundry, and the generation yet unborn.
Consequently, the presence of the Commissioner for Education and Knowledge Management, and that of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, on the trip with the Governor, is not far from his commitment to quality education and information and communication technology, ICT, as exemplified by his extensive scholarship programs -recognizing that financial constraints often hinder bright students from achieving their full potentials across a wide range of academic pursuits, from secondary to tertiary education of students who wishes to participate in international competitions, are not left behind, owing to financial constraints.
Priority has been extended to the sponsorship of students to participate in international competitions, by the Governor, who understand the value of global exposure and experience, even as he has always ensured that students from Benue State have the opportunity to compete and excel on international platforms.
This to him, should not only enhance the students’ skills and knowledge but also put Benue State on the global map as a hub of academic excellence. He is living up to expectations to mark actions correctly, with his words, when he pronounced that, going forward, students who bring laurels to the state will be given special attention as scholarships will be extended to them up to first degrees, by ensuring that, the performance of the students is hinged on his provision of quality education, and ICT based compliances.
He took a remarkable step to enhance digital infrastructure and technology within the state by approving the recruitment of a technical team for the Benue State Digital Infrastructure Services Management Enforcement Agency (BENDISMEA), which 253 job openings are already available for the youth of Benue, marking a significant step towards digital advancement in Nigeria, even as major benefits of the recruitment exercise are, Job Creation, Boosting Digital Infrastructure,
Skill Development, Economic Growth, and Youth Empowerment.
He, also directed the immediate release of salaries for the new positions, ensuring that the recruitment process is not only swift but also supportive of the new hires from day one. This took place on October 20, 2024.
This swift development followed his Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), recently with EVNT Technologies, a leading Saudi Arabia based Information Technology (IT) and solutions provider, with the aim of expanding digital infrastructure in the state, through the Benue Digital Infrastructure Company PLC (BDIC).
“This partnership with EVNT Technologies is a critical step towards realizing our vision of a truly digital Benue. It is about creating opportunities, empowering our people, and laying the groundwork for sustained economic growth”, he said. It took place during the 2024 GITEX Global Summit, which ended in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Friday, October 18th, 2024.
Four Benue Students, who formed part of the national delegation that represented Nigeria at the bilateral international debate competition held in Jakarta, Indonesia, organised for basic education learners under the auspices of the President, School Debate Nigeria (PSDN). The students were Sonia Aduba, Ogenyi Favour, Samuel Ochara and Ruth Suurshater.
It would be recalled that, another giant stride recorded in the proactive efforts of the Governor to promote global competition amongst the Benue students community, was made possible as five (5) students, drawn from the Federal Government College, Vandeikya, represented Nigeria at the Robotic and Artificial Intelligence Club, known as “The Vande Coders”.
At the close of the event on August 4, 2024, which featured students from over 20 countries in the competition, the Vande Coders won “The Best Core Value Awards” which is One of the four (4) categories of awards won in the competition. This award is significant because, it showcases the team spirit of the team through; Innovation, Discovery, and Impact of Application of Robotic project design.
The Hong Bureau of Education, the host of the International Event, as a result of the excellent performances of the students, awarded a MEDAL to the Governor (Fr. Alia), for his foresight and passion for technological development, especially in the areas of Robotics & Artificial Intelligence. The award to the governor was also in recognition of the fact that, only the students from Benue State made it to the international competition from the whole of African continent.
They were qualified to represent the country, having featured at the regional level (North Central, North East, and North West), For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) Lego League Robotic and Artificial Intelligence Competition, organised by Coderina Educational Technology Foundation of the Federal Ministry of Education in Kaduna State, where they emerged 2nd position to compete at the national level, at the M.K.O Abiola International Stadium, Abuja.
From there, the versatile Benue team came 3rd and won three (3) trophies in different categories, which qualified them to represent Nigeria in “The 2024 Asia Pacific Open Championship”, held at Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, Wan Chai District, Hong Kong, China, organised by FIRST LEGO League Education, United States of America (U.S.A) and hosted by Hong Kong Education Bureau & China FLL partners.
The Vande Coders Team were wholly sponsored by the Benue State Government, among who were; Leva Terkuma Cephas- SS 3B; Gundu Msendoo Faustina- SS 3A; Okom Linus Okom – SS 2A; Alem Solomon Vershima- SS 2A, and Onmeh Sonia Ehi- SS1A, respectively.
This is anchored on the chains of hardwork, dedication, unwavering support of the State government, to promote the standard of Education/ Information and Communication Technology (ICT), in the State.
Kumun is the Principal Special Assistant (PSA) to the Governor on Print Media.
