The Nigerian Communications Commission just hit reset on Nigeria’s telecom training school.
NCC has appointed Princess Oforitsenere Emiko as Interim Chairman of the Digital Bridge Institute governing board. She’ll lead the reboot alongside new interim members Abraham Oshadami and Rimini Makama.
The mandate is simple: Transform DBI for 2026 and beyond.
“Communications infrastructure has become increasingly critical to national development,” NCC said in a statement signed by Director of Public Affairs Nnenna Ukoha. Translation: Nigeria can’t build a digital economy with 2004 skills.
–Why the shake-up now–
DBI was created by NCC in May 2004 as a telecom training centre. But telecoms became “digital economy” — AI, 5G, cybersecurity, data centres. The old curriculum won’t cut it.
So the new interim board will work with DBI President/CEO David Daser + remaining valid board members to drive 5 focus areas:
1. Education and training
2. Research and development
3. Innovation
4. Economic impact and growth
5. Emerging policy and regulation
–Youth first–
With 70% of Nigerians under 30, NCC is betting on DBI to bridge the skills gap. The goal: Equip young people with advanced technical training to drive innovation and fill capability gaps in communications and digital economy.
The transformation plan wasn’t drafted in isolation. NCC consulted Federal Ministries of Communications, Education, Science & Tech, TETFund, and NASENI.
NCC says it’s confident the new interim board has the leadership to make DBI a “leading centre for digital capacity development and innovation.”
For Princess Emiko, the job starts now: Turn a 2004 telecom school into a 2026 digital factory.
