Nigeria’s Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu has commended the Benue State government for establishing Benue State E-Learning-Virtual Education Information Communication Technology, ICT Resource Centre, (BESEVIC).
The Chief Press Secretary, to the governor Nathaniel Ikyur in a statement said, the Minister made the commendation Tuesday, through his Technical Adviser on Education, Mr Mahmud Mohammed during a zoom meeting at the commissioning of BESEVIC by Governor Samuel Ortom.
While assuring the Benue State government of collaboration with the Federal Government for enhanced E-learning, the Minister urged Nasarawa and other states to emulate the feat achieved by the state through BESEVIC, stressing that it was a huge breakthrough.
Earlier, Governor Ortom while commissioning the BESEVIC said the state ICT Policy in education was developed as a response to the Federal Ministry of Education’s National Policy on ICT in Education Document 2019.
The Policy emphasises 50 percent ICT inclusion at Basic Education level, 70 percent inclusion at Secondary and 100 percent at the Tertiary Education levels.
Represented by his Chief of Staff, Dr Tivlumun Nyitse, Governor Ortom said the establishment of BESEVIC is a deliberate response by his administration to the devastating effect of COVID-19 and post COVID-19 pandemic on education in Benue.
He stated that one of the targets of BESEVIC is to foster knowledge economy, human capital development and youth empowerment through ICT revolution.
The Governor explained that already, an Executive Bill for the establishment of “Benue State E-Learning-Virtual Education ICT Policy and other related matters” is before the Benue State House of Assembly for consideration and passage.
Commissioner for Education, Dr Sarwuan Tarnongo said the BESEVIC meets specifications by the United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF and it is recommended that the Federal Ministry of Education should adopt the model for replication in other states.
Team Leader and Managing Partner BESEVIC, Mr Gbande Terwase who is the representative of Gmint Corporate Ltd said aside other interventions, the centre has secured National Broadcasting Commission’s approval for dedicated BESEVICtv.
BESEVICtv according to Mr Gbande is equally on satellite, NIGCOMSAT where users on all platforms can access educational contents without subscribing for data or bandwidth.
He stated that the mandate of BESEVIC through its e-learning-virtual education services and ICT support is to ensure the provision of Software as Service, SAAS, Platform as Service, PAAS and Infrastructure as Service, IAAS for all schools and the education sector in the state.