The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has hosted 185 female students as part of efforts to support the Federal Government’s Girls in ICT empowerment programme aimed at promoting digital literacy and increasing female participation in technology.
The excursion, organised under the National Girls in ICT Programme, brought together students from across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to expose them to opportunities in the technology sector and encourage them to pursue careers in Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
In a statement issued on Sunday, the NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Nnenna Ukoha, said the initiative was driven by the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy to equip young Nigerians, especially girls, with digital knowledge and relevant technological skills.
According to her, participants were selected through a competition designed to promote digital inclusion and inspire greater interest among girls in ICT-related fields. Some of the students were also drawn from Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines.
Ukoha explained that the visit formed part of activities aimed at closing the gender gap in technology through mentorship, skills development and exposure to innovation.
During the tour, the students were taken through the history and evolution of telecommunications in Nigeria. They learned about the communication facilities established during the colonial era and the development of telegraph services that connected Lagos to other parts of West Africa and Europe through submarine cables.
The participants were also introduced to Nigeria’s telecommunications landscape at independence in 1960, when only 18,724 telephone lines served an estimated population of 40 million people.
The students received briefings on post-independence developments in the sector, including the operations of the former Department of Posts and Telecommunications, Nigerian External Telecommunications Limited (NET), and the establishment of the Nigerian Telecommunications Limited (NITEL) in 1985 to coordinate telecommunications services nationwide.
A major highlight of the visit was a guided tour of the NCC Museum, where students explored historical communication artefacts that documented the growth of telecommunications in Nigeria.
The exhibits included a Post Office Counter and Sorting Racks introduced in Lagos in 1852, the historic Grand “T” Key used in nineteenth-century post offices, leather mail bags dating back to 1863, and various telecommunications devices such as telegram machines, the Teleprinter T100, a 511A Letter Scale, an Improved Dynamometer Scale, a Cordless PBX system and a Digital Card Phone.
Speaking during the event, NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Dr. Aminu Maida, represented by the Director of Research and Development, Babagana Digima, said the programme aligns with the Commission’s commitment to promoting digital literacy and innovation among young Nigerians.
Maida noted that the museum serves as a bridge between the past and present, helping students understand how the communications sector evolved from basic postal services and analogue systems to modern digital technology.
He said exposing young people to the history and advancement of telecommunications would inspire them to become innovators and future leaders in Nigeria’s digital economy.
According to him, understanding the journey of the sector helps young minds appreciate technological progress and motivates them to contribute to shaping the future of communication and digital development in the country.
Throughout the tour, NCC officials guided the students through key milestones in Nigeria’s telecommunications history, providing them with valuable insights into the sector’s role in national growth and development.
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