Kano State will be holding its workshop and interactive forum on ICT Park on 7th and 8th May, 2008 at Tahir Guest Palace, Kano. According to a news release Kano State made history by being the first state in the Nigerian federation to develop and implement an ICT policy.
 

As a forward looking state, the vision of the policy is to transform Kano State into a leading player in ICT by the year 2010 Kano states aims to deploy, develop and exploit ICT for "the promotion of good governance, advancement of knowledge, creation of wealth, improve health delivery, providing jobs, ensuring security and preservation of the rich cultural heritage of the state".

An integral part of the State's ICT policy is the establishment of ICT Park. In this light Kano State Government in 2007 designated the Gidan Ado Bayero as site of the proposal Kano ICT Park. The Kano State Government is organizing an international workshop on sharing the ICT Park Development Experience. The conference will take place along side the interactive forum with prospective companies intending to locate into the Kano ICT Park.

 

The objectives of the ICT Park:

Provide opportunities for technology transfer
Create employment opportunity thereby reducing unemployment
Promote the use of ICT as an economic development sector in the state
Promote the penetration and use of ICTs in the State
Create the conditions for the adequate supply if IT manpower
Attract foreign investment


The two-day Workshop focusing on the ICT Park will be holding on 7th and 8th May, 2008 at Tahir Guest Palace, Kano.

Objectives of the ICT Park workshop are:

To familiarize stakeholders about the ICT Park project
To learn from the experience of other countries on the setting up, management and operation of ICT park
To explain to prospective tenants the tenancy policy and other regulations of the ICT Park
To provide an opportunity for the exchange of ideas between the promoters of the Park and other stakeholders

Topics to be discussed include:

The Place of ICT Park in the State's Economic Road
ICT Park as Instrument for Implementing the ICT Policy
ICT Park in Reality: the Malaysian Experience, MDec, Malaysia
Developing Capacity for Outsourcing: the Ghanaian Experience
Presentations by Oracle, HP, Omatec and Zinox
The Importance of ICT Manpower to the Success of the Kano State ICT Park Project
ICT Training in the North: Exploring the Untapped Market
The Growing ICT Market in the North: the Centrality of Kano in this Nexus
From Kano to North, West and East Africa: Export Potentials from the ICT Park

Also included in the workshop programme is a visit to the ICT Park and guided tour by the Contractors and officials of Ministry of Works. The Interactive Fourm with Prospective ICT Park Companies will provide information on:

Operational Guidelines for the ICT Park
Outline of Facility Management System for the Park
Outline of the ICT Infrastructure of the Park

Participants include all stakeholders such as relevant government agencies in the State, development partners, ICT park development experts from Malaysia, Ghana and the USA, ICT professionals, ICT business organizations and prospective tenants of the ICT Park.

Interested individuals and organizations such as ICT manufacturers, ICT training companies/institutes, ICT service providers, telecommunication companies, ICT retailers, ICT NGOs, etc are invited to participate at the workshop. Also companies that have not submitted expression of interest to set up businesses/training institutes at the ICT Park could still do so and are welcome to participate at the workshop. Kindly confirm your participation or get further information either by phone (08032032211 or 08056180208) or by sending email to kanoictpark@yahoo.com or bashirgaladanci@yahoo.com.

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