The Digital Bridge Institute (DBI) was launched in the wake of the phenomenal world-wide growth of the Telecommunications (telecoms) and Information Communications Technology (ICT) sectors, which has been especially well noted in Nigeria. The country has witnessed more than tenfold the growth in teledensity, significant drops in costs, and increased access to data and other IT enabled services. Led by the successful auction of Digital Mobile Licensing by Nigerian Communications Commisssion (NCC) - the government regulator, and the subsequesnt roll out of mobile services, increased number of operators, and significant increased private capital investment, the sector as a whole has been challenged by a dearth of trained and suitably qualified human resources.Digital BridgeInstitute... has trained over 5,000 people in Professional Programs and enrolled more than 300 Postgraduate Students in the Academic Courses.
Acknowledging the need to continue to foster the rapid development and growth of the Nigerian Telecommunication marketplace, as well as the potentially significant vulnerability as lack of human resources could pose, the NCC established DBI - in May 2004, with the following mandate:
1The Institute shall serve as a focal point for human resource development and workforce capacity building, as well as, research drive on matters relating to telecommunications in Nigeria, and Africa in general.
2The Institute shall offer a comprehensive portfolio of hands-on engineering and technical training programmes for professionals and practitioners in the telecommunications and IT industry. The program shall encompass every subject matter that affects proper implementation and management of telecom, datacom, and internet infrastructures.
3The Institute shall focus on educating and training manpower in all spheres of telecommunications and information technology at post graduate and diploma levels.
4The Institute shall educate and train policy makers, regulators, legislators, economists, accountants, judges, lawyers, bankers and other high-profile professionals in the development of national policies regarding telecommunication regulation, legislation, interconnectivity, billing, costing, tariffs, charges, license management, spectrum management, business opportunities, venture financing, multilateral trade agreements, global information society initiatives, future trends and analysis.
5The Institure shall provide capability to formulate and implement pilot projects demonstrating the application of ICT in the relevant fields of importance in Nigeria and Africa.
6The Institute shall have state-of-the-art multimedia training facility that can support video-conferencing, E-learning and in-class training options.
Since then the DBI has trained more than 5,000 persons in their professional training program and enrolled more than 300 postgraduate students in the academic programs.
With the recent establsihment of the Kano and Lagos campuses and the mandate to
expand the range and scope of activities, the DBI is poised to become a leading
national, regional and international institution.