NICE International, a Netherlands-based social venture, has constructed a full-fledged ICT centre in Tabokoto, Gambia, to offer basic training in computer skills.
The centre is equipped with computers and has Internet access.
While speaking at the commissioning ceremony, the country director of NICE Omar Njie said that NICE Gambia is piloting several innovative projects across Gambia with partial support given by the European Union (EU).
According to Njie, such projects would help fulfill the mission of NICE, which is “to unleash the potential of people in developing countries through powering ICT with renewable energy.”
Njie noted that the projects are now springing up across the country.
“Opening with two centres in 2007, now we are operating with seven centres from Banjul to Brikima. We will add up 15 more centres by 2015 covering key strategic locations from Banjul to Basse,” he said.
On a similar note, Ties Korezen, NICE International’s managing director and chairman of NICE Gambia Limited, said the organisation’s original concept in 2004 was to provide Internet centres that are powered by solar energy.
“After developing our NICE concept, we had selected a country for a first pilot. We selected Gambia as a stable and secure country to launch our business,” Korezen said.
Speaking on behalf of the government, Ebrima Jobe, the director of information technology at the nation’s ministry of information communication and infrastructure, praised NICE Gambia Ltd’s giant strides in the provision of available and accessible communication services to Gambians.
He said this is facilitating socioeconomic development that benefits the Gambians.
He also hailed NICE’s complementary roles to the government’s ICT efforts, especially towards the implementation of the national information communication policy.
