Huawei Hosts Teachers Summit, Signs MoU With NBTE, Uniport

Huawei Technologies Company (Nigeria) Limited has hosted an ICT Academy Teachers Summit in Abuja with the goal of strengthening the partnership between the company and higher education institutions in Nigeria.

Speaking at the event held at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Deputy Managing Director of Huawei Technologies, Stephen Zou, emphasized the company’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s talent development ecosystem. He said, “We gather to connect with our valued academic partners, brought together by the Huawei ICT Talent Ecosystem. This collaborative framework aims to foster strong ties in ICT talent cultivation and development, which is crucial for advancing Nigeria’s digital transformation. We commend all those present for the progress achieved so far.

“We recognize the solid foundation laid by esteemed institutions such as Ahmadu Bello University, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, University of Ibadan, University of Port Harcourt, and many more. Your dedicated nurturing of ICT talents underscores your pivotal role in propelling talent development within the nation. Since 1999, Huawei has thrived in the enabling Nigerian environment, emerging as a premier ICT solution provider. Our ICT talent cultivation initiatives exemplify this approach, including the Seeds for the Future programme, Huawei ICT Academy, Huawei ICT Competition, and The Job Fair. We firmly believe that Digital Transformation hinges on talent, not just technology,” he added.

Also, at the event, Huawei solidified its commitment by signing memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) and the University of Port Harcourt.

The Executive Secretary of NBTE, Prof. Idris Bugaje, who spoke at the event, thanked Huawei for the partnership with the body, adding that the MoU has further cemented the relationship. According to him, the MoU will facilitate the training of students in 21 polytechnics across the nation. He also explained that the collaboration would help in the dual certification of students, which is expected to provide them with hands-on certification. He also thanked Huawei for the 70% discount provided for the training.

Also speaking at the event, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT), Professor Owunari Georgewill, described the partnership as fantastic, saying the world is now digitalized. He further said that the University will continue to contribute its quota to the digital era and that with the MoU and support from Huawei, students of the school will also train the trainers.

“You can’t digitalize the world if people are not trained. We are very grateful to Huawei. The impact of this support is that the students will be industry-ready, and when they graduate, they will be easily employable,” he said.

The MoU with the University of Port Harcourt made the school the second Huawei iASC partner in Nigeria. In order to help Nigerian universities cultivate more ICT talents that meet industry standards, Huawei donated ICT Lab equipment to the school, to cover both infrastructure and Cloud computing Training. i.e. Datacom, Security, WLAN, Storage, AI, Cloud Computing courses.

Huawei, a leading global supplier of information and communication technology infrastructure and smart devices in over 170 countries, has been operating in Nigeria for over 24 years. In addition to the Teachers Summit, Huawei conducts a range of ICT training programs in various fields. These include the ICT competition, the Seeds of the Future project, which aims to develop local ICT talent by providing scholarships and hands-on training opportunities to outstanding students. Huawei also offers civil servant training programs to enhance the digital skills of government officials, ICT professionals training to equip individuals with specialized knowledge, and digital energy and cloud ecosystem partners training to foster collaboration and innovation in the industry.

More than 50,000 individuals in Nigeria have benefited from Huawei’s ICT training initiatives. These programs have played a vital role in building the country’s digital capabilities and empowering the workforce with the skills needed for the evolving digital landscape. Huawei’s commitment to talent development aligns with Nigeria’s aspirations to build a robust digital economy and harness the potential of technology for sustainable growth. Through the “Three-Year Plan, Thirty Thousand People” project, Huawei plans to further cultivate more ICT talents to address the local shortage of ICT skills and enrich the talent pool. With Huawei’s continued commitment to nurturing talent and advancing technology in Nigeria, the future looks promising for the country’s digital landscape, and the nation’s teachers and students are poised to make even greater strides in the field of ICT.