The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Universities Commission (NUC) says they will partner to strengthen the Nigerian Research and Education Network (NgREN).
Prof. Garba Umar, NCC’s Executive Vice-Chairman, disclosed this on Friday in Abuja while inspecting facilities at NgREN domiciled at the NUC premises.
According to Umar, the two agencies will set a technical committee to work out areas of cooperation and assistance from NCC.
“Electronic networks like NgREN are basic infrastructure as power, road, transportation and water, among other infrastructure.
“That is why we came here to access what is happening here; appreciate the challenges so that NCC can intervene in order to address the challenges.
“I am impressed with what I saw. I have listened to their challenges and I have given commitment of NCC to intervene in solving these challenges.
“We have agreed to set up a technical team to study the challenges and address them,’’ he said.
He said that NgREN was important for the exchange of ideas in the area of research and other educational pursuits that would lead to socio-economic development.
On his part, NUC’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Julius Okojie, said that facilities at NgREN needed to be upgraded to be suitable for complex research.
He said that assistance was needed in the areas of content development; training of medical doctors; and expansion to institutions that did not have the facility, among others.
“When the platform is improved, our visibility in the internet will improve and our ranking will also improve.
“We can share resources and our ranking will improve. “Most importantly, we are going to meet with NCC’s technical team and work out the scope of its assistance to the NgREN project,’’ said Okojie.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that NgREN was established to provide connectivity infrastructure and service layers for innovation in teaching and research in Nigerian universities. (NAN)
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