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JOE EFFIONG, UYO
Akwa Ibom State Government has commenced the application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and other tools of technology to stimulate entrepreneurial drive in the state.
Governor Udom Emmanuel who disclosed this at the 4th National Treasury workshop, organised by the office of the Accountant-General of the federation, Abuja, at the weekend in Uyo, explained that the action was aimed at making the peophn le, especially the youths, less dependent on government, but to tap into their creative energies in line with the Dakkada Philosophy of his government to create jobs that would add value to their lives.
Represented by the deputy governor, Mr Moses Ekpo, the governor noted that government decision, was part of the outcome of the report of the Post – COVID-19 Economic Advisory Committee chaired by a World Bank consultant and former vice chancellor, University of Uyo, Prof Akpan Ekpo.
He said the committee’s recommendations were in tandem with government’s position of implementing a programme on the application of ICT and other technologies to stimulate the spirit of entreprenuership among youths in the state.
“We have since started implementing some of their recommendations, such as the applications of ICT and other tools of technology to stimulate entrepreneurial drives amongst our people, especially the youthful population, and the need to rely less on what government can do, but to tap into their creative energies”, he stated.
The governor noted that currently , youths in the state have found positive expressions in the use of their hands and creative abilities to create sustainable development using technology as the credible means of engagements.
He stressed that the workshop was reassuring and proactive in context noting that the desire by the office of the accountant-aeneral of the federation to come up with the workshop as part of the global financial architecture in repositioning the nation’s economy in the Post Covid – 19 era, was highly imperative.
The governor however expressed the hope that the workshop would come up with ideas and approaches that would stimulate and grow the nation’s economy in a new world order made possible by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The accountant – general of the federation, Alhaji Ahmed Idris, said that despite the pains inflicted on the treasury by the COVID-19 pandemic, the workshop had finally come with a view to letting government proffer ways of overcoming the challenges and come out strong as a nation.
He noted that the theme of the workshop, ” COVID-19 and the Global Economy: Implications on the Nigerian National Treasury”, came with the objective of brainstorming on how to effectively manage national economies in the face of pandemics and other global disasters.
He stated that the workshop would among other issues help government to provide adequate financial leverage for government to enable it manage any pandemic situation, control aggregate cash flow, establish and sustain the consciousness and responsibility in updating greater accountability for public expenditure as well as support the macro-economic policy of government in order to ensure efficient and cost effective public service delivery.
