The Nigerian Senate has given approval to the establishment of the Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Iwo Osun State.

The endorsement came following the presentation and consideration of a report on a bill to establish the Institute by the Committee on ICT and Cyber Security.

The Chairman of the Committee, Senator Oseni Yakubu (Kogi Central) laid the report after presentation.

Senator Yakubu in his presentation, said the bill which consists of 25 Clauses and 1 Schedule, seeks to establish the Institute to provide full-time and part-time courses of instruction and training in Information and Communication Technology and other related fields of study, and to make provisions for the general administration of the Institute.

He disclosed that out of all submissions received from stakeholders on the bill, only two were opposed to it.

According to the lawmaker, “while the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA vehemently opposed the bill, the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy opposed it on one hand, but conceded that should the bill be passed and assented to, the institute should be domiciled under its supervisory authority.”

“However, all other stakeholders supported the bill, opining that the establishment of the Institute would not only be of immense economic advantage to Nigeria, but also alleviate the challenge of inadequate manpower in the ICT sector, and thereby make room for improved job opportunities and employment generation”, he added.

The bill was thereafter passed after consideration by the Committee of the Whole.

The bill for the establishment of the Institute of Information and Communication Technology, Iwo, Osun State by Senator Adelere Oriolowo of Osun-west Senatorial District was passed for first reading on the 22nd of July 2020 as well as the second reading on 7th July 2021 before a PUBLIC HEARING was held on the 16th of December 2021 as mandated by the Nigerian Senate to the Committee on ICT.

Speaking after the approval by the red chamber, Senator Oriolowo noted that this is another feat for his administration after successfully facilitating the citing of Federal College of Education and National Library to Osun West among other major establishment since he took office in 2019.