Members of the OIC and member states of COMSATS endorsed to employ information and communication technologies (ICTs) for the achievement of sustainable progress as a tool for strengthening education, healthcare, and agriculture sectors in 3 days COMSATS international workshop.
Dr. OgbonnayaOnu Federal Minister of Science and Technology Nigeria has inaugurated the event.He highlighted the government’s initiative for the encouragement of science, technology, and innovation for progressing economy of the country. He also spoke about the Nigerian Economic Recovery Roadmap (2017-2030).He expressed his gratitude to COMSATS, ISESCO, and INIT for choosing Nigeria to host such events and vowed to stay in collaboration with these organizations in the future.
The title of the workshop was ‘Applications of ICTs in Education, Healthcare, and Agriculture’. A communiqué issued from COMSATS Secretariat the works were the collaborative work of Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO) and the Inter Islamic Network on Information Technology (INIT) in Abuja.
The event was attended by 250 participants from Egypt, Jordan, Nigeria, Pakistan, Palestine, Sudan, and Sri Lanka.The themes of the workshop were linked to forefront innovative ICT-based technologies along with techniques for education, healthcare, and agriculture sectors.
National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Federal Ministry of Science and Technology (FMST), Nigeria hosted the 3 days event which included 3 technical sessions featured with 16 technical presentations and lectures about ICTs applications for ICTs in education, agriculture, and healthcare.
The themes of the workshop included optimization of computer use in education, precision in agriculture, enhanced GPS, GIS utilization, incorporation of recent technologies in production of livestock and management, wireless monitors and sensor in agriculture, information of environment and management system, ICTs for malaria eradication, and the telemedicine and healthcare delivery in the South.
Three technical sessions of the workshop also have a discussion session on an assessment of the present status for use of ICTs in addition to frame detailed recommendations for the member states of COMSATS and OIC for using ICTs tool to strengthen the different sectors. During the event, the recommendations of the meeting have motivated various aspects that were discussed.
Nigeria’s FMST Permanent Secretary Belema Wakama also spoke on the occasion along with COMSATS Programmes Senior Assistant Director Farhan Ansari and Dr. Khalid Latif. The COMSATS was represented by Ansari and Dr. Latif executive director and CIIT rector, respectively.
Ansari and Dr. Latif were representing the COMSATS executive director and CIIT rector, respectively. The representatives of Nigerian Federal Ministry of Education, Federal Ministry of Health, and Federal Ministry of Agriculture included goodwill messages to the ceremony, and thanks by Pharma Oguntunde, FMST (COMSATS-Nigeria Liaison Officer). Guests belonging to universities, R&D organizations and government departments of Nigeria attended the ceremony