Johnstone Kpilaakaa Plateau’s tech skills program, Code Plateau, is back in the spotlight after three months of silence following the departure of its management partner, Prince Ponfa Miri Foundation (PPMF).
Launched in 2019 by the previous administration, the program trained over 3,000 youths. However, it faced an abrupt end last year when PPMF exited the programme citing a “lack of enthusiasm” from the current government.
This week, Dominic Datong, the current Director General of Plateau State Information and Communication Technology Development Agency (PICTDA), finally addressed the program’s hurdles, raising concerns about its long-term viability. While acknowledging its potential and impact, Datong said during a media appearance: “Code Plateau was a wonderful project, but it had a lot of issues, and I wouldn’t want to run a program that is not sustainable.”
His concerns stemmed from several identified issues:
- Poor documentation: Datong found the program’s implementation poorly documented, raising questions about transparency and accountability.
- Inadequate trainer preparedness: He expressed concern that most trainers lacked proper equipment and resources, potentially impacting the quality of instruction.
- Missing certifications: The absence of certifications for program graduates left Datong worried about the program’s value and recognition for participants.
- Unsustainable model: The lack of monetisation, according to Datong, made it difficult to compensate trainers adequately, raising questions about the program’s long-term financial viability.
Last year, Ponfa Miri, the president of PPMF while terminating the contract raised concerns about the DG’s intentions to modify the operations of the programme. “We fail to see why the current government is inclined to commercialise the program and modify its operational methods,” he told JoeyOffAir in October 2023.
These concerns resonate with David Daser, the former DG of PICTDA who initiated Code Plateau. “The objective behind starting Code Plateau was not to generate government revenue but to spark curiosity, foster innovation, and cultivate a strong tech culture among our citizens,” he emphasized during a keynote address at LinkedIn Local Jos last year. Daser advocated for exploring alternative funding options to maintain the program’s original mission.
However, the current DG, Datong, remains steadfast in his push for monetisation. “There is nothing that is absolutely free,” he said. The DG further disclosed the governor’s allocation of a physical structure at Murtala House for PICTDA activities, hinting at its future use for similar knowledge-transfer initiatives.
The two-floor facility which is currently under renovation will be commissioned in April. Datong said the facility will be a co-creation hub that will provide collaboration instead of competition between the government and the private sector.
Conflicted Perspectives on Prince Ponfa Miri Foundation and Code Plateau’s MoU
A few weeks before the conclusion of the partnership between the Plateau State Government and the Prince Ponfa Miri Foundation, Datong paid an official visit to the Code Plateau Campus in Rayfield, where he engaged with Ponfa Miri, as per sources on the scene.
An official document dated June 22, 2022, and endorsed by the former PICTDA DG, David Daser, acting on behalf of the then-governor Simon Lalong, was seen by JoeyOffAir. This document appointed PPMF as the management implementation partner for the training of 20,000 fellows under the Code Plateau Initiative. Furthermore, it also granted PPMF full managerial authority over the Code Plateau Campus.
Nevertheless, the current DG of PICTDA claims no knowledge of any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the agency and the foundation. Datong also indicated that his office received no notification regarding the termination of the partnership, even though PPMF confirmed to JoeyOffAir that the Director of Learning at PICTDA, who oversaw the project, had been informed.
