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Tag: NITDA

  • NITDA boss hosts ICT merit award

    NITDA boss hosts ICT merit award

    Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mr. Peter Olu Jack will be chief host at the 2014 National Information Technology Merit Award (NITMA) organised by the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS).

    A new innovation at this year’s NITMA is also the presentation of the first set of Special Recognition Awards to individuals and organisations advancing Nigeria’s digital agenda. The DG of NITDA’s high level presence is in keeping with the agency’s mandate of fostering the development and growth of IT in Nigeria, and is particularly in line with the upcoming review of Nigeria’s National ICT Strategic Plan being coordinated by NITDA.

    NITDA boss as NITMA Chief Host sends a strong message that the growth of Nigeria’s ITC industry and profession is a top national priority. A functioning, purposeful, growing and sustainable ITC sector is at the heart of all nations that are truly independent. Recognition or its lack will impact on Nigeria’s ability to succeed in the global digital economy. NITMA 2014 is a platform NCS uses to emphasise the importance of excellence in information technology. For NCS and the entire IT community, NITMA is not just an award ceremony; it is about genuine independence, it is about shaping Nigeria’s future.

  • NITDA, Microban partner on e-Solve Software challenge

    NITDA, Microban partner on e-Solve Software challenge

    The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has partnered Microban Standard Communication Ltd, on first National Software Challenge.

    According to NITDA, the partnership was driven by the desire to live up to its mandate and nurture home grown software solutions providers in the country to increase sector contribution to the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP).

    The competition, which is in its maiden edition is tagged NITDA e-Solve Project and is aimed at providing a platform for budding young innovative minds the opportunity to horn their talent in enhancing service delivery with indigenous software solutions.

    The competition is opened to participants from across the nations which will see to the emergence of zonal representatives from the six geo-political zones. Zonal winners will subsequently converge in Abuja from where   wining entries will be reviewed by a team of judges who would review the various submissions and then select the best adjudged entry from within the country.

    Director General, NITDA, Mr Peter Jack, said the competition is opened to participants from across the nations which will see to the emergence of zonal representatives from the six geo-political zones. Zonal winners will subsequently converge on Abuja from where winning entries will be reviewed by a team of judges who would review the various submissions and then select the best adjudged entry from within the country.

    Jack added that interested participants and software developer either in mobile software solutions, web application or a fully fledged enterprise software application in health or education are to visit the completion website www.nitdaesolve.gov.ng for details of the participation modalities for which entries are expected to close on Saturday.

    The top three winning finalist would receive financial rewards that would enable them consolidate on their software development initiative, with support from NITDA and will also have the opportunity to showcase the winning solution at bigger platform such as GITEX and eNigeria.

  • NITDA urges creation of SITDA

    The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has urged the 36 states to establish the equivalent of the agency to fast-track the penetration of information communications technology (ICT) in the country.

    Its Deputy Director, Corporate Strategy and Research, Dr Vincent Olatunji, who spoke on the sideline at an Information Communication Technology (ICT) forum said if the states embraced the initiative and create State Information Technology Development Agency (SITDA), it would speed up the deployment and use of ICT across the country.

    He said after two major global conference on ICT, it was agreed that each country went back home and unveiled a road map on ICT.

    According to him, policies don’t work unless strategies are put in place to ensure seamless implementation, adding that the agency had done a lot in the area of providing infrastructure, manpower development and strategy for ICT growth.

    He said NITDA has done so well in providing the roadmap at the federal level, adding that agency is encouraging the states to set up SITDA to help harmonise the needs of the various government agencies, departments and ministries with a view to streamlining policy implementation for overall national development.

    “We believe that is the way to drive ICT development and deployment across the country. Sixty per cent of our people live in the rural areas. With SITDA or a bureau directly under the office of the state governor, ICT deployment will be all inclusive. It will go down into the rural areas,” he said.

    He lamented that when the agency wrote all governors on the need to position the country as an ICT nation on the global space, only Osun, Enugu and Lagos states responded, adding that the pilot project with the states had been  successful.

    He said the second phase of the project would capture Yobe, Sokoto, Ebonyi and about seven others. According to him, the modus operandi of the scheme is that states would first identify their ICT needs and brought them to the attention of NITDA, which would in turn work with them through its resources persons on how to evolve a workable framework for policy formulation and consequently, implementation.

    Dr Olatunji said the agency was interested in both software and hardware and had created an ICT local content board while guidelines had been launched.

    He added that what was needed was a multi-stakeholders’ approach. He identified cloud computing, e-strategies, big data as new areas of global attention, adding that NITDA had inaugurated report on bid data and digital strategies.

  • NEPC, stakeholders to promote service sector for export

    NEPC, stakeholders to promote service sector for export

    The Nigeria Export Promotion Council (NEPC), in partnership with stakeholders, such as National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is set to promote the services’ sector for export.

    The council said this is in line with the Federal Government’s efforts to boost the non-oil sector base of the national economy.

    Speaking at the stakeholders’ meeting on outsourcing at Lagos Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, its Director-General, Mr Olusegun Awolowo said for the economy to be diversified, create more employment and generate more wealth in line with Vision 20: 20-20, export of services is good for the country.

    He said: “The Federal Government of Nigeria had requested the Commonwealth Secretariat for assistance to develop a strategy to guide professional services from the country.

    “The services’ export though not fully tapped in Nigeria, is considered as a very potent sector which can boost the non-oil sector base of the national economy. In this regard, four sectors have been selected as priority sectors in the strategy for Nigeria under a medium term plan for implementation.“

    He continued: “The sectors are information and communication Technology (BPO and Software), financial services (Banking and Insurance), educational services (Knowledge-based activities) and entertainment (Movies and Music).”

    He said one of the major challenges of firms is access to information about opportunities in and requirements of foreign markets, both regionally and internationally.

    “To overcome this, the Council will collaborate with the ITC under the Trade in Services Programme (TSP) to enable Nigerian companies to take advantage of ITC’s interventions in the BPO/ITO sub-sectors,” he added.

  • NITDA targets 300,000 jobs

    NITDA targets 300,000 jobs

    Acting Director-General of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Ashiru Daura, has said his agency hopes to create about 300,000 jobs in the next three years.

    This, he said, could be achieved through harnessing the information and technology outsourcing.

    Daura, who spoke at the second national outsourcing conference organised by NITDA, in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Communication Technology in Abuja, said IT outsourcing had not been explored for addressing unemployment.

    He said: “The state of unemployment in the country, which is given at 23.9 per cent of the total population by the National Bureau of Statistics as at May 2013 is very disturbing.

    “This level of unemployment is disheartening, especially when we have not explored the opportunities IT outsourcing presents to us.

    “It is our resolve to support Mr President on this agenda by creating an enabling environment for providing job opportunities for our teeming youths through the use of IT enabled services.’’

    He added: “Nigeria, with her enormous human resources and endowed skills, should be seen at the top of the ladder in providing ICT solutions and outsourcing opportunities.

    “Our aim is to be the market hub of outsourcing in Africa and provide over 100,000 jobs annually for our teeming unemployed youths in the next three years.”

  • NITDA board appointment irks computer professionals

    NITDA board appointment irks computer professionals

    The alleged unilateral decision of the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson to drop the list of four nominees to the board of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) sent to her by the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN) and approved by President Goodluck Jonathan has drawn the ire of the professional body and its members.

    According to a source in the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), the action of the minster amounted to usurpation of the function of the CPN.

    “In a letter dated 11th October 2013 signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communication Technology Dr. Henry Akpan, the Honourable Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson conveyed the approval of four names of IT professionals to the NITDA Board by the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “The nominees were sent by the CPN in accordance with the NITDA Act of 2011. Part II Section(C) under the Composition of the Governing Board Powers and Functions says “Four persons to represent affiliate bodies of the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria,” the NCS source said.

    But in a reaction, the minister denied usurping the power of CPN, insisting that the law does not give the body such powers. Special Assistant (Media) to the minister, Efem Nkanga, said the action of the minster was line with the law.

    “The Minister has not usurped the powers of CPN, on the contrary, the NITDA Act 2007 makes provision for four persons to represent affiliateý bodies of CPN.

    “The above does not say that CPN should nominate, and CPN cannot be an affiliate of its own body. Hence the bodies duly recognised in the industry are to be considered bearing in mind that members of these bodies are also CPN members.

    “To this end, the Act did not grant membership to CPN neither does it authorised CPN to be the one to nominate.The bodies recognised in the industry are Internet Service Providers Association of Nigeria (ISPAN), NCS, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) and Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN),” she explained in an email response, adding that the NITDA Act was interpreted by the Legal Adviser of the Ministry of Communication Technology.

    The NCS lamented that in less than three days before the inauguration of the board, the minister issued a counter order dropping the names earlier approved .

    “This in the view of the profession is a misinterpretation of the law to justify her position on affiliate bodies. This interpretation cannot be the intention of the Act and is a clear misunderstanding of her responsibilities as a neutral umpire,” the source said.

  • Fed Govt, ISACA to unveil ICT framework

    Fed Govt, ISACA to unveil ICT framework

    Sanity will soon be restored in the use and management of Information Communication Technology (ICT) in the country, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has assured.

    Its Director-General, Dr Ashiru Daura, said the Federal Government is collaborating with the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) to unveil a new mechanism, which he called the Control Objective for Information Technology (COBIT5).

    According to him, it is a mechanism that guides the deployment of ICT which many countries have already adopted on the continent.

    Daura, who addressed some journalists alongside National President of ISACA, Peter Ene, said the platform, which will soon come on stream will also help address the security challenges facing the country.

    He revealed that arrangements to ensure that COBIT5 take off in the country by 2015 have been put in place.

    Daura and Ene added that Nigeria’s intelligence community could key into COBIT 5, as it is capable of solving the endemic security problem in the country. “If the police have a proper IT infrastructure, we will have a proper mechanism that will checkmate insurgencies in the country. COBIT 5 will also address this,”Ene stated.

    On how far the agency has gone to achieve this, he said NITDA alongside ISACA were “still trying to create awareness. We need to sensitise the stakeholders. IT has come to stay. Once COBIT5 is more effective, IT will be more effective and the economy will grow. Government agencies will begin to realise how they duplicate things and that problem will be resolved”.

    Stressing the role of NITDA in regulating IT management in the country, Daura said: “NITDA is responsible for the regulatory framework of IT-related issues in Nigeria. One of the steps we are taking is the collaboration with ISACA. It is an international organisation focusing on security. Their standard is accepted internationally. We want to have a coordinated and standard IT in the country.”

     

     

    Speaking more on the benefits to derive from COBIT 5, ISACA president said : “it will move Nigeria forward. If we have a single framework, all the distractions generated by the clash of interest of government agencies will be a thing of the past. COBIT 5 can coordinate all these things. COBIT 5 deals with the issue of accountability in both public and private sectors. Right now, there is no regulation or sanity between government agencies. It will save a lot of time and money.

    “We’ve COBIT 5 because of the failures in the past. It separates governance from management. It doesn’t stop at the financial or IT level alone. It covers everything. COBIT 5 has seven components. It is the only business framework of enterprise and business IT.”

  • Group seeks Ministry’s, NITDA’s partnership on cybersecurity, R&D

    Group seeks Ministry’s, NITDA’s partnership on cybersecurity, R&D

    The President of Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Prof David Adewumi, has asked the Ministry of Communications Technology and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to collaborate on research and development (R&D) and cybersecurity.

    During a visit to the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, and the Acting Director-General of NITDA, Dr Ashiru Daura, Prof Adewunmi said it was only when key stakeholders in the information technology (IT) sector collaborate that the dividends of IT could be delivered to the citizens.

    He solicited for strategic partnerships in programmes and projects relating to R&D, cybersecurity, IT-enabled employment generation, promotion of excellence and professionalism in industry. Other areas he called for partnership include IT policy formulation that will benefit the country.

    Mrs Johnson said the place of strategic partnership between NCS and the ministry cannot be over-emphasised, especially with government’s desire develop the IT sector for economic growth and job creation for the youth.

    She commended NCS for its efforts towards developing IT in the country, stressing that the NCS, as the umbrella association of the IT industry and profession, should work towards ensuring that all the registered interest groups such as Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN), Institution of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), Internet Service Providers Association of Nigeria (ISPAN) and others are united with harmonised aims and objectives for the good of the country and meeting the promises of the nation’s Transformational Agenda. According to her, NCS should explore capacity building in the areas of software development, training and skills acquisition especially on newer technologies and local content.

  • Govt’s ignorance about ICT, threat to Vision 20:2020, says NITDA

    Govt’s ignorance about ICT, threat to Vision 20:2020, says NITDA

    The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has warned that if the ignorance about information communication technology (ICT) in and out of governmet is not tackled, attainment of Visions 20:2020 of the Federal Government will remain a wishful thinking.

    NITDA is the clearing house for IT projects in the public sector with the mandate to bring government and its services closer to the people through IT. It was also created to implement of the National IT policy, which seeks to make Nigeria an IT capable country in no distant future.

    NITDA’s Director-General, Dr. Ashiru Sani Daura spoke during a visit by a delegation of the Nigerian Computer Society (NCS) in Abuja led by its new President, Prof David Adewumi.

    He lamented that Nigeria is lagging behind in lobal ranking as shown by the country’s position on the global e-readiness index.

    According to him, though ICT penetration was improving, there is need for the country to do more and be front runners in Africa. He stressed the need for massive enlightenment, adding that there was also need for collaboration.

    “The transformation agenda and achieving Vision 20:2020 also requires IT,” Daura said.

    While noting that NCS had been playing an important role in accelerating IT development in Nigeria, Daura recommended that NCS and NITDA should meet to create an action plan on the issues mentioned, advising that both organisations should strengthen their relationship for better mileage and benefit for the nation.

    The NCS boss solicited for strategic partnerships in programmes and projects relating to research and development (R&D), cybersecurity, IT-enabled employment generation, promotion of excellence and professionalism in the industry and IT policy formulation that are of immense benefit to the country.

    He commended the NITDA chief for not only sponsoring but also taking time out to attend NCS last conference in Osun State.

    He said the goals of NITDA are in line with the core objectives of the NCS. He also praised Daura’s efforts at developing the outsourcing sector of the country, adding that NCS is proud that NITDA, which was borne out of the NCS vision and initiative, has firmly established.

  • NITDA wants HP, others to fund local content, R&D

    The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has called on foreign original equipement manufacturers (OEMs) to invest in information communication technology (ICT) research and development (R&D) initiatives.

    Specifically, NITDA wants Microsoft, Delll HP, Dell, Intel, Samsung and others to assist in developing the local component of indigenous hardwares to make them compete favourably with the foreign ones.

    Acting Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Ashiru Daura, who made the call over the weekend, said a well developed local computer industry will create employment opportunities for both skilled and unskilled manpower in the country and boost gross domestic product (GDP) growth.

    Indigenous OEMs are Zinox, Omatek, Beta and Veda Technologies Limited. Despite Federal Government’s directive to all its ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) and tertiary institutions it owns, to patronise indigenous OEMs, the preferred brands by these institions are foreign brands.

    With statistics indicating that almost 60 per cent of the 743,000 computer units sold in the country last year came from the stables of HP and Dell brands alone, experts are calling for a change of focus.

    Daura said a well-developed ICT industry could provide the springboard for wealth creation and rally the support of government to confer the status of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) on citizens who carry out outsourcing business operations and ICT procurements for state governments.

    He argued that though the number of homes with computers and Internet access has grown dramatically, not much has been achieved in the area of exported software and hardware as the country continues to be a net importer of PCs, switches, network access devices and softwares.