Nigerian National Policy for Information Technology (IT)

 Execuative Summary 

            Preamble  

Information Technology (IT) is the bedrock for national survival and development in a rapidly changing global environment, and challenges us to devise bold and courageous initiatives to address a host of vital socio-economic issues such as reliable infrastructure, skilled human resources, open government and other essential issues of capacity building.

In addition, an Information Technology policy built on reliable human resources and infrastructure constitutes the fundamental tool and means of assessing, planning, managing development change and for achieving sustainable growth.

It is for this reason that every progressive country has a national IT policy and an implementation strategy to respond to the emerging global reality and thus avert becoming a victim of the digital divide.

A developing nation like Nigeria, that aspires to participate effectively and become a key player in the emerging Information Age needs to have in place, a highly efficient Information Technology system driven by a vibrant national IT policy.

  Vision Statement 

To make Nigeria an IT capable country in Africa and a key player in the information Society by the year 2005, using IT as the engine for sustainable development and global competitiveness

  Mission Statement 

 

  To ‘USE IT’ for: 

1. Education 

2. Creation of Wealth

3. Poverty Eradication

4. Job Creation

5. Global Competitiveness

 

 General Objectives 

 

1. To ensure that Information Technology resources are readily available to promote efficient national development.

2. To guarantee that the country benefits maximally, and contributes meaningfully by providing the global solutions to the challenges of the Information Age.

3. To empower Nigerians to participate in software and IT development.

4. To encourage local production and manufacture of IT components in a competitive manner.

5. To improve accessibility to public administration for all citizens, bringing transparency to government processes.

6. To establish and develop IT infrastructure and maximize its use nationwide.

7. To improve judicial procedures and enhance the dispensation of justice.

8. To improve food production and food security.

9. To promote tourism and Nigerian arts & culture.

10. To improve healthcare delivery systems nationwide.

11. To enhance planning mechanisms and forecasting for the development of local infrastructure.

12. To enhance the effectiveness of environmental monitoring and control systems.

13. To re-engineer and improve urban and rural development schemes.

14. To empower children, women and the disabled by providing special programs for the acquisition of IT skills.

15. To empower the youth with IT skills and prepare them for global competitiveness.

16. To integrate IT into the mainstream of education and training.

17. To create IT awareness and ensure universal access in order to promote IT diffusion in all sectors of our national life.

18. To create an enabling environment and facilitate private sector (national and multinational) investment in the IT sector.

19. To stimulate the private sector to become the driving force for IT creativity and enhanced productivity and competitiveness. 

20. To encourage government and private sector joint venture collaboration.

21. To enhance national security and law enforcement.

22. To endeavour to bring the defence and law enforcement agencies in line with accepted best practices in the national interest.

23. To promote legislation (Bills & Acts) for the protection of on-line, business transactions, privacy and security.

24. To establish new multi-faceted IT institutions as centres of excellence to ensure Nigeria's competitiveness in international markets.

25. To develop human capital with emphasis on creating and supporting a knowledge-based society.

26. To create Special Incentive Programs (SIPs) to induce investment in the IT sector.

27. To generate additional foreign exchange earnings through expanded indigenous IT products and services.

28. To strengthen National identity and unity.

29. To build a mass pool of IT literate manpower using the NYSC, NDE and other platforms as "train the trainer" Scheme (TTT) for capacity building. 

30. To set up Advisory standards for education, working practices and industry.

31. To establish appropriate institutional framework to achieve the goals stated above.

 

Strategies 

1. 
   Establishing a coordinated program for the development of a National Information Infrastructure (NII), State Information Infrastructure (SII) and Local Information Infrastructure (LII) backbone by using emerging technologies such as satellite including VSAT, fibre optic networks, high-speed gateways and broad band/multimedia technologies.

2. Providing adequate connectivity to the Global Information Infrastructure (GII).

3. Addressing open standards for further liberalization and the fiscal measures including incentives to substantially improve telephone tele-density and make IT more affordable to the citizenry.
   iv. Establishing IT Parks as incubating centres for the development of software applications at national, state and local levels. 

4. Restructuring the education system at all levels to respond effectively to the challenges and imagined impact of the information age and in particular, the allocation of a special IT development fund to education at all levels.

5. Restructuring the healthcare system by providing a national databank to provide on-line national healthcare information, administration and management at primary, secondary and tertiary levels. 

6. Encouraging massive local and global IT skills acquisitions through training in the public and private sectors with the view to achieving a strategic medium-term milestone of at least 500,000 IT skilled personnel by the year 2004.

7. Empowering the labour force with IT skills and improving Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) productivity.

8. Establishing adequate institutional framework at the federal, state, and local government levels in order to effectively accomplish the objectives of the IT vision and mission.

9. Establishing national IT awareness machinery at all levels of government and encouraging private sector participation in exposing Nigerians to the features and benefits of IT.

10. Strengthening government and private sector collaboration for the attainment of national self-reliance. 

11. Utilising IT facilities to develop and transform the entertainment industry for wealth and job creation.

12. Establishing appropriate mechanisms to accelerate and enhance trade and commerce transactions in the sector.

13. Creating national database management systems as a tool for effective planning & communication between citizens at home and abroad. 

14. Establishing national databases and other IT infrastructure to enhance defence and law enforcement.

15. Enacting Bills & Acts to stimulate and protect the rights of users and developers including intellectual property rights.

16. Bringing the government to the doorsteps of people by creating virtual forum and facilities to strengthen accessibility to government information and facilitating interaction between the governed and government leading to transparency, accountability and the strengthening of democracy.

17. Utilizing IT opportunities to restructure government, citizens and business interfaces for better governance, improved trade and commerce and administrative effectiveness.

18. In order to achieve the short to medium term objectives of this policy with maximum effectiveness, Government will establish a National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to implement the IT Policy, regulate, monitor, evaluate and verify progress on an on going basis under the supervision and coordination of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology. Its operations will be funded amongst others with a start up grant of at least $10 million.

Establishing a National Information Technology Development Fund (NITDEF) under the aegis of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and funded as follows:
a. Start up grant of at least $150m.
b. Two percent of the national budget will be allocated to the fund until the articulated vision is    attained.
c. 3% tax on all imported finished IT products will be directly paid to the fund.
Government recognizes IT as a strategic imperative for national development and taking cognisance of its immense benefits, government has resolved to provide considerable national resources, both financial and otherwise for the realization of the National IT Vision statement.