Legislation

 Policy Statement 

The nation shall promote and guarantee freedom and rights to information and its use, protect individual privacy and secure justice for all by passing relevant Bills and Acts.

Objectives

1. To facilitate electronic communication and electronic governance (e- governance).

2. To facilitate electronic communication and electronic commerce (e-commerce).

3. To promote and secure electronic fund transfer and digital transaction payment system.

4. To protect government data, records and information in digital form.

5. To establish and enforce Cyber laws to combat computer crime.

6. To enthrone public confidence in the use, application and sharing of information.

7. To promote acceptable standard, authenticity and integrity in IT use nationwide. 

8. To enhance freedom and access to digital information at all levels while protecting personal privacy.

9. To promote intellectual property and copy rights.

10. To address critical ethical issues of the digital culture and protect the rights of the child and under-privileged.

Strategies

1. NITDA in collaboration with the Ministry of Justice, with inputs from the private sector advisory committee (where deemed necessary) shall sponsor and promote the establishment of the following IT Bills and Acts to realize objectives such as: freedom of access and rights to information, on-line transaction, service, payment systems, privacy and confidentiality, digital signatories, and intellectual property rights:

2. Ensure the protection of individual and collective privacy, security, and confidentiality of information.

3. Introducing the machinery for verification and admissibility of copies of electronic records and digital evidence in administrative or legal proceedings, and promote the digitalisation of court proceedings.

4. Review of relevant existing laws to take care of any impediments that may hinder the implementation of IT policy. 

5. Training and re-training all judiciary personnel, including Judges, Magistrates, Lawyers, Prosecutors and Court Clerks to apply and use computers and other IT tools to improve the delivery of justice.

6. Computerizing and networking all arms of law enforcement and converting existing relevant records into digital format.

7. Enacting legislation on the following;
   a. Establishing a National IT Policy.
   b. Establishing a National Information Technology Agency.
   c. Government workforce restructuring in the IT era.
   d. Commercial transactions using IT media and digital signature technologies.
   e. Computer crime and Cyber laws (CCCL)

8. Re-structuring Decree 49 of 1995, which established the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria as well the decree establishing Council Of Registered Engineers of Nigeria, and other pertinent decrees to effectively respond to the challenges of the Information Age.

9. Encouraging "Made in Nigeria IT products and services" such as software and professional services through incentives

10. Updating the existing National Copy Rights Act to protect IT related intellectual property rights (IPR).