Appendix A: National Information Technology


Development Agency (NITDA)


Purpose:


This Body is to be set up to:

  1. ensure the achievement of the articulated National IT vision;

  2. foster and co-ordinate the accelerated development of IT in Nigeria;

  3. promote the efficiency and international competitiveness of the IT industry in Nigeria;

  4. facilitate universal access to IT at affordable prices;

  5. promote and maintain fair and efficient IT business practices;

  6. advise government on national IT needs and policies;

  7. act internationally as the national body of Nigeria with respect to IT matters;

  8. further the advancement of IT through R&D;

  9. exercise licensing and regulatory functions in respect of IT systems and services;

  10. encourage, facilitate and promote the greatest practicable use of IT industry self-regulation;

  11. encourage investment, development and expansion of the IT industry in Nigeria;

  12. promote broad based IT human resource development;

  13. support the application of IT in all economic sectors;

  14. provide IT consulting and advisory services;

  15. popularise IT at all levels;

  16. cost-effectively provide pooled IT resources to government;

  17. act as repository of IT standards and register, classify and document all locally developed and imported software for the purpose of testing and benchmarking its claims;

  18. act as a secure government information clearing house, data repository, and central electronic archive facility;

  19. develop and maintain an inventory of government's assets, projects, and resources particularly human and material investment;

  20.   manage the National Information Technology 


Development Fund (NTDF).


Composition of NITDA Board of Directors:
The Board is to provide the policy guidelines for the NITDA, and the Board will meet quarterly. Membership of the Board shall be for a term not exceeding two years. Changes in membership shall be staggered such that at least 35% of the members are retained. Individual membership of the Board can be renewed at the discretion of the President.


The suggested members of NITDA Board of Directors shall include;

  1. The Chairman who will be appointed by the President on the 
    recommendation of the Honourable Minister for Science and 
    Technology.

  2. Representative of the Ministry of Communications - Member

  3. Representative of the Ministry of Information - Member

  4. Representative of the Ministry of Finance - Member

  5. Representative of the Ministry of Education - Member

  6. Representative of the Ministry of Science an technology - Member

  7. Representative of the Presidency - Member

  8. Representative of Information Technology (industries) Association
    of Nigeria (ITAN) - Member.

  9. Representative of Computer Association of Nigeria 
    (COAN) - Member

  10. Chairman of Nigerian Internet Group (NIG) - Member

  11. Representative, Institute of Software Practitioners of 
    Nigeria - Member

  12. Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN)

  13. Two representatives from the tertiary educational 
    system - Members

  14. Three distinguished persons to be nominated by 
    the President - Members

  15. A Managing Director to be appointed by the President on the 
    recommendation of the Honourable Minister of Science and 
    Technology


In the interim period, the Inter-Ministerial Committee on IT will midwife the NITDA until such a time as the law establishing the Agency is enacted, for the following reasons;

  1. to give the major stakeholders a role in the development of the Agency;

  2. to maximize the commitment of the major stakeholders to the development of the Agency;

  3. to facilitate access to wider consultation and establish inter-agency interfaces for the coordinated development of the Agency;

  4. to ensure the adherence to the vision of the IT Policy.


ICT Technical Assistance Group


There is a need to have an ICT Technical Assistance Group to give technical support to NITDA. This Group will be supervised by NITDA Details of composition can be spelt out at the level of implementation.


Computer-Ready Smart Buildings


There is need to ensure that Government and other public buildings including facilities at the IT Parts are computer-ready smart buildings. This issue of ensuring smart buildings to meet this requirement. Details of this should be worked out at the level of implementation.

 List of Papers Consulted 

 

Proceedings of the Workshop on National Information Communication Infrastructures, Policy, Plans and Strategies, Organized by Cooperative Information Network, under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, March 28-30, 2001
The National Information Technology (IT) Policy Document, submitted by the Computer Association Of Nigeria (COAN)
Proposal for the Adoption and Implementation of National Information Technology Development Policy for Nigeria, submitted by the Computer Vendors Association of Nigeria (COVAN).
Report of The National Committee on the Acquisition of Computer and Electronics Technology (NACACET).
National Policy on Science and Technology (Second Edition in Draft).
Master Plan for the Development of a National ICT Programme "ICT Global 2000" Bridging the "Digital Divide" Achieving Global Connectivity by the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Abuja.
Report of the Sub-Committee on Information Technology Research and Development, FMST.
National Information Technology Policy: Report of the IT Awareness Sub-Committee to the National IT Policy Committee, December 2000, FMST.
Investment Opportunities in Electronics and Information Technology.
Info-Communications Development Authority of Singapore ACT. 1999 (No. 41 of 1999).
Ideas on National Information Technology (IT) Policy Thrust - Modified Monday 27/12/99.
E-Information Technology Management Reform Act (or The Clinger/Cohen Act) tagged "The National Defence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1996".
E-mail message from Mr. Yahaya Yusuf to Prof. G. O. Ajayi: "U.K. "Government Policy for the Information Age".
E-mail message from Mr. Yahaya Yusuf to Prof. G.O. Ajayi: Singapore: "Multimedia: The Next Frontier in Convergence.
INFLANET: Strategic Utilization of Internet: Singapore's IT 2000 and Library 2000 Plans".
Risk E-Business: Seizing the Opportunity of Global E-Readiness- (August 200).
The Power of the Internet for Learning: Moving from Promise to Practice. "Report of the Web-based Education Commission to the President and Congress of the United States".
Rules for Information Act 2000 by Government of India, Ministry of Information Technology.
INDIA: Ministry of Information Technology: Policy Organogram
INDIA: Ministry of Information Technology: Organizational Structure
AISI - Connect National ICT Profile NIGERIA 
OAK Correspondence on National Information Technology Policy.
Part of Report of Sub-Committee on ICT Policy.
NICI applications to sectoral Ministries.
Framework and Strategy for the Establishment of high-performance Info-Communications Infrastructure and solutions.
Framework for IT Revolution Report of Study Group on the Next Generation Internet Policy.
Framework for IT Research, Design & Development (IT RD & D)
Software Sub-Committee - Report Outline, (FMST).
Elements of a National Information Technology -IT Policies and Institutions.
National Telecommunications Policy.
E-Japan Initiative for the IT Revolution Report of Study Group on the Next Generation Internet Policy.
Policy Paradigm, Development, Manufacture and Export of Information Technology Hardware: Indian Experience.
U.S.A.: IT LEGISLATIONS OVERVIEW: Senate Bills and Acts on Electronic Commerce, Internet on-line Laws, Consumer Protection Government Paperwork, Congress Hearing.
Developing a National IT Policy & Strategy Blueprint for Nigeria- Implications for Policy Makers" Position Paper on the Role of Software By Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) November, 2000".
Proceedings of ITAN National Conference/Exhibition on IT Development in the 21st century-Imperative for a National I. T. Policy.
ADF Theme Papers:
1. Information and Communication Technologies for Improved Governance in Africa;
2. Policies and Strategies for Accelerating Africa's Information Infrastructure Development.
3. The Process of Developing National Information and Communications Infrastructure (NICI) in Africa.
4. Country Profiles.
5. Globalisation and the Information Economy: Challenges and Opportunities for Africa.
6. Introduction to Globalisation and the Information Age.
7. Africa on the Internet; An annotated guide to Africa web sites.

 

 Consultation with IT Experts 


A large number of Nigerian IT experts in the country made contributions either as individuals or as corporate bodies, such as COAN, CPN, COVAN, etc.
Consultations outside Nigeria
P. J. Daly - "Father of Ireland's Celtic Tiger" High Tech Success.
Kelvin John Smythe - Ireland's IT Policy
Yahaya Yusuf - Nigerian in Diaspora in the UK and expert in IT Policy
John Agbinya - Nigerian in Diaspora in Australia - Co-founder of Braindrain -Braingain Inc.
Wiebe Boer - Yale Doctoral Student (USAID/OTI)
In the USA, young, innovative and selfless Nigerians whose love for their fatherland culminated in the setting up of an IT Brain Trust providing information and submissions for the IT policy.
The contributors from the Trust are as follows:
1. Bambo Bamgbose (Washington DC)
2. Kevin Boer (New York) 
3. Kasia Muoto (Philadelphia)
4. Matthew Muoto (New York)
5. Matthew Udanoh (New York)
6. Onche Ugbabe (Atlanta)
7. Danladi Verheijen (Chicago) 
8. Diseye Isoun (Boston)
9. Tunji Lardner (New York)