ICT

Nigerian agency clears N1.16trn IT-related projects

Published

6 years ago

June 19, 2020

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NITDA

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), through its IT project clearance mandate, had assessed and cleared 62 IT related projects worth N1,168,145,213,150 from January to May.

The Director-General of NITDA, Mr Kashifu Inuwa, disclosed this in a virtual meeting monitored in Abuja, organised by the agency’s subsidiary, Office for Nigerian Content (ONC) development.

Inuwa, represented by Dr Usman Gambo, Director, IT Infrastructure Solutions, said clearing of the projects was a prove that President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration was committed to digitalise government services, as most of the projects were service based.

The meeting which focused on “Harnessing Indigenous Solutions for Public Sector Innovation and Digital Development”, was targeted at assessing the nation’s digital experience.

“The assessment shows that about N64,878,725,488 was generated from software products and software enabled projects.

“This has shown that more can be achieved with a deeper collaboration between the public and private sector going forward using technology as a driver for public services.

“For successful development and delivery of government digital services, it is significantly important that innovative Nigerian companies are engaged very early in the project from the conceptualisation and design stages”, he said.

He added that the effect of the pandemic on the economy, governance and public service delivery has spurred a greater urgency for the development of government digital services and digital economy for the country.

Inuwa further said that NITDA would soon issue frameworks for the development of government digital services, public-private sector partnership in its products.

According to him, there is an urgent need for government to accelerate the delivery of government digital services for the benefit of Nigerians.

The director-general said that collaborations would deepen the opportunity for learning and create domesticated solutions for societal problems.

The National Coordinator of ONC, Mr Kassim Sodangi, in his remarks said the key objective for clearing IT projects was to ensure consolidation of Federal Government’s adopted solutions.

“We want to encourage solutions beyond issuing procurement notices, adverts, while Ministries, Departments and Agencies will be able to sit down with indigenous content providers to discuss and come up with a plan or strategy to drive the development of the solution,” he said.

Sodangi added that indigenous content development and adaptation was the pillar of ONC which focused on building local capacity, adopted and deployed as central plan for the development of digital economy.

The coordinator also said that they would assess the Public Procurement Act, explore and examine the Presidential Executive Order 003 and 005 as it affects planning, execution of projects and promotion of Nigerian content in contracts, science, engineering and technology.

“These documents will form the fulcrum for discussing on what can happen and what are the opportunities in the bylaw and policy that will drive the development of co-creation and co-planning of projects.”

He urged MDAs to synergise and explore the frameworks, policy and laws available which could be incorporated in designing programmes and solutions addressing our local problems.

ICT

Osinbajo To Flag-off Ogun Digital Economic Empowerment Project On Thursday

Published

5 years ago

April 13, 2021

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Barring any last minute change in plans, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo will on Thursday join Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, to flag off a digital empowerment programme in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Tagged ‘Ogun State Digital Economic Empowerment Project’, it is a plan of the State Government, being organised by the Bureau of Information Technology in conjunction with 21st Century Technologies.

In a press release signed by the Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to the Governor, Mr. Kunle Somorin, he quoted the Director, Information Technology in the Bureau, Mrs. Olatundun Adekunte as saying that the event will hold at Ogun Tech-Hub Kobape Road, Abeokuta at 11am on Thursday.

According to the release, the project is aimed at providing internet accessibility to indigenes and residents of the state and its environs in order to enhance lives and businesses of the people.

The release further stated that other special guests such as the Governor, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele; Ministers, Stakeholders, Royal Fathers will grace the occasion.

It added that the project would enable the people to meet up with the best global practices in the present digital era.

ICT

Nigeria’s Broadband penetration hits 45.43% – Minister

Published

5 years ago

November 11, 2020

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The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami says Nigeria’s broadband penetration has increased to 45.43% by the end of October 2020.

He said that this was a result of an increase of four million sixty one tousand seven hundred and thirty-one, 4,061,731)broadband subscriptions between September and October 2020 which will, in turn, facilitate economic growth in the country.

This was contained in statement signed by the Minister’s Technical Assistant on Information Technology, Dr. Femi Adeluyi.

Dr. Pantami stated that “This notable increase in broadband penetration has been as a result of conscientious implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy for the overall benefit of the economy to achieve a Digital Nigeria”

“In particular, the Nigerian National Broadband Plan (2020-2025), along with the harmonization of Right of Way charges across the States and protection of Critical National Infrastructure across the country, amongst others, have had a significant impact on the broadband penetration.
Broadband is critical to sustainable economic growth and according to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Broadband Series, broadband contributes to economic growth through more efficiency in business processes, acceleration of innovation and more efficient functional deployment of enterprises”

“A Report titled “How Important Are Mobile Broadband Networks for Global Economic Development” shows that 10% increase in mobile broadband penetration results in approximately 0.6% to 2.8% rise in Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In some countries, it increases the GDP by over 6%”.

Dr Pantami noted that “the increase in broadband penetration is leading to the growth of Nigeria’s economy in a way that transcends the ICT sector. Broadband has supported growth and enabled financial institutions in the delivery of services to their customers. It has also enabled the provision of digital services across the different sectors of the economy.

“It is noteworthy that all these are part of the digital economy, which has been defined as “that part of economic output derived solely or primarily from digital technologies with a business model based on digital goods or services” – consisting of the digital sector plus emerging digital and platform services”.

According to the statement “The Minister has directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), as the regulators of Internet services, to ensure that quality of service improves”.

Dr Pantami also urged all stakeholders to keep supporting the Ministry in the implementation of the Broadband Plan for the overall benefit of the economy.

Communication

Responsible journalism is key to success of democracy- Pantami

Published

6 years ago

July 14, 2020

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Dr Isa Pantami, Minister for Communications and Digital Economy at the Digital Skills training for ICT Reporters in Abuja.

Dr Isa Pantami, Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, on Monday said that responsible journalism was key to the success of democracy.

Pantami said this at the opening ceremony of the training of National Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abuja.

The theme of the five-day training programme focused on “Digital Skills in News Reportage for ICT Journalists.”

Pantami said that the training was in line with one of the pillars of the National Digital Economy for Digital Nigeria which focused on building digital skills, signed by President Muhammadu Buhari in Nov. 2019.

“Digital Nigeria cannot be achieved without training people that will play key role in ensuring the digital economy.

“Reponsible journalism is key to the success of democracy in Nigeria and the world and that has to do with journalism based on fairness, and all the components of journalism.

“If journalists understand their work and do it professionally, they will be in the forefront of catapulting democracy and good governance, if not they pull down democracy,” Pantami said.

The minister added that current journalism was beyond being in print form but had migrated to multimedia which was all encompassing, consisting of pictures, video, audio, among others.

He further said that ICT reporters needed to acquire the expertise required for conveying real time information, adding that they should engage internet search engines for enhanced work.

He also said that the Federal Government (FG) would build digital skills among rural dwellers who could read and write, farmers, disabled people, public servants and many more to ensure the digital economy.

Pantami added that the FG also launched the National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 to ensure cheaper data plans and accessibility to citizens.

According to him, if the government is serious about its digital economy strategy, it must put policies in place, cheaper data and security of internet infrastructure for the masses.

Mr Kashifu Inuwa, Director General of NITDA said that ICT was a sure way of escaping the COVID-19 pandemic and the training was important towards achieving digital economy.

“Digital skills can open new opportunities for you because there are challenges everywhere but less opportunity, so when the skill you have created the opportunity, you grab it,” he said.

Dr Abimbola Alale, Managing Director, Nigeria Communications Satellite Limited, said digital skill was required of every professional journalist, adding that journalists should not allow the social media override the responsibility of the mainstream media.

Mr Blessing Olaifa, President, NITRA commended the Minister for championing the training and urged journalists to appreciate it, adding that some journalists had lost their jobs during the period of COVID-19.

Olaifa said that the training would open new opportunities for participants and pledged that the trained journalists would ensure the efforts of the Federal Government through the ministry, were projected.

Mr Peter Oyeneye, Chief Executive Officer, Advanced Management Academy, while facilitating the training, said reporting in the COVID-19 pandemic era was the new normal and journalists should acquaint themselves with the changes.

According to Oyeneye, journalists as change agents, should use their mediums to educate their audience using ICT facilities.

He added that there were more than 100 human activities going on online and they engender digital economy.

“Despite the benefits of digitalisation, the challenge of change remains potent and people prefer to stick to the known than the unknown.”

He said that media organisations should embrace change in the stlye of communication, sponsor roadmap, train journalists on the new normal, and be ready to build resistance management.

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Oyeneye advised that journalists should lead the change, sell benefits of digital economy, research into challenges of digitalisation, base their stories on their research and do comparative analysis of Nigeria’s digital economy to others.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 47 journalists from different media organisations participated in the training and were supported with computers to aid their job.