NCC Trains 100 AE-FUNAI Staff on Emerging Technologies, Cybersecurity and Data Analysis

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), through the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), Abuja, has organized a five-day intensive hands-on training for 100 staff members of Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike (AE-FUNAI), Ebonyi State, focusing on emerging technologies, digital skills enhancement, cybersecurity, and data analysis.

The capacity-building programme, held at the university’s Digital Library and Language Laboratory, was sponsored under the NCC’s Advanced Digital Empowerment Programme for Tertiary Institutions (ADEPTI). Participants were exposed to the use of digital tools, including SPSS and Microsoft Power BI, alongside key modules on cybersecurity and emerging technologies.

Declaring the training open, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sunday Elom—represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic), Professor Romanus Ejiaga—said the initiative aligns with the university’s vision to integrate digital technologies into teaching and research. He noted that the university had earlier organized a similar capacity-building exercise on blended learning in February 2024.

Professor Elom expressed gratitude to the Nigerian Communications Commission for selecting AE-FUNAI as one of the beneficiaries of the ADEPTI initiative and commended the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Engr. Dr. Anthony Nebo, for facilitating the programme. He emphasized that the training would further strengthen the university’s digital readiness and enhance staff productivity.

Speaking during the opening ceremony, the team lead of the Digital Bridge Institute, Mr. Jed Ogwumike, underscored the relevance of digital tools in modern education, noting that ADEPTI has significantly boosted digital competence across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions. He explained that the training was designed to be practical and tailored to the specific needs of both teaching and non-teaching staff.

According to him, non-teaching staff were trained on digital literacy, word processing, and cybersecurity, while teaching staff focused on analytical tools such as SPSS and Microsoft Power BI to improve data-driven decision-making and research output.

Earlier, the Director of Academic Planning, Professor Amobi Ekwe, described the programme as strategic, saying it would bridge the digital skills gap in tertiary education and enhance institutional innovation. He encouraged participants to take the sessions seriously, noting that the modules were carefully designed to strengthen their relevance in a rapidly evolving digital world.