Nigeria spends $2 billion on IT projects yearly, says Pantami

Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, has said that about $2 billion was being expended on information technology; IT projects on annual basis in Nigeria.

Dr Pantami also disclosed that the immediate plan of the agency was to automate the IT clearance process to make IT more robust and efficient across all public and private establishments in the country.
He explained this, at the stakeholders’ engagement and portal sensitization workshop for information technology (IT) projects clearance Portal and draft guidelines organised by NITDA in Abuja.

In his words, “About $2billion is being expended on IT projects on annual basis in Nigeria.“The apparent disparity between increasing budgetary allocation and expenditures on IT projects and services and the insignificant increase in automation of public services call for concern.“The need for proper co-ordination therefore, cannot be over-emphasized.

Hence, the major steps taken by NITDA to properly address this IT projects clearance initiative in MDAs.“Our initial findings showed that many IT projects were riddled with poor conceptualization without clear sustainability plans“Many IT projects were being done in silos, thereby leading to duplication, waste and redundancies.

MDAs were embarking on projects that ‘sounded good’ based on contractor’s pitch rather than expressed need and priorities of the MDAs and IT was increasingly becoming a conduit pipe to siphon huge public resources.” he stated