Workers in the media and water industries in Nigeria’s Akwa Ibom are attending a ten-day course that aims to enhance their knowledge in information and communications technology.

Local firm, Nats and Harry’s Associates, is hosting the exercise which staff from Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation (AKBC), Akwa Ibom Newspaper Corporation and Akwa Ibom Water Company are attending in Uyo.

Commissioner for education, Professor Atim Antai, has officially opened the event held under the theme, “Using Literacy for Effective Administration.”

“The training is a building program geared towards enhancing knowledge in ICT of the workers,” she said.

“The uses of physical and mental abilities to perform tasks are gradually shifting to the use of electro-mechanical devices which is automation,” she added.

Antai said that for the nation’s economy to catch up with its foreign counterparts, emphasis must be placed on ICT.

Appreciating the management of the three agencies for participating in the programme, she said the present administration in the state was committed to enhancing the development of ICT.

The director general of AKBC, Praise Koon, said the management of the corporation decided to participate in the programme in order to ensure its workforce was ICT-compliant as well as prepare for the switch-over from analogue to digital broadcasting in 2015.

He charged the workers to take the training seriously to enhance their productivity.

The training will focus on IT fundamentals, computer appreciation as well as Microsoft Word, Excel and Powerpoint.

Others programmes include hardware installation, internet browsing and e-mail.