NITDA rejigs, ready to fulfil mandate- New DG

National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has hinted that the Agency will now focus on its core Mandates, in a renewed move to serve the ICT industry and the economy better.

NITDA established in May 2001 has been a waltzing story of failures and inadequacies, unable to meet its clear mandate of fostering the development and growth of IT in Nigeria.

But Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, director general of the agency said all that is about to change because NITDA was not established as a mere ‘contract’ awarding agency. ‎

He stated this at a meeting ‎with heads of parastatsls under NITDA, CEOs, presidents of Associations and other stakeholders in the ICT industry, ‎ ‎at eNigeria conference and exhibitions 2016

“We need collaborations to reform NITDA and make it more productive. First, I am reiterating that I am not in NITDA to award contracts. If we must, such contract must take us closet to implementing our core mandates; it has to lift the nation from economic quagmire. I have spent few months into my appointment brainstorming with the staff on how best to serve the industry and nation at last. I am not against awarding contract, but NITDA can’t be reduced to mere administrative agency. We have to play better in our regulatory role,” he said.

‎Dr. Pantami said that the Agency’s remains committed to implementing the National Information Technology Policy, especially to articulating frameworks for the planning, research, development, standardisation, application, coordination, monitoring, evaluation and regulation of Information Technology practices in the country.‎
‎He, however, craved for improved collaboration with the players, who he described as partners in lifting the fortunes of IT sector in the country.

According to him, the present administration accords local content the deserved attention, while working cordially with its foreign partners. ‎

The DG said that the scope of the Agency’s mandate is wide enough to positively impact every Nigerian, regretting that NITDA’s regulatory role has been relegated over the years.

“NITDA’s regulatory role has been relegated for a long time, but we will address that without delays. Our mandate covers capacity building too. However, we will widen the scope to cover more students especially for those in the rural areas benefit. ‎

‎He said that Nigeria loses approximately $2.8 billion annually from the importation of ICT goods and services, including a whopping $1 billion spent annually on software imports.

The DG described as unacceptable a situation locally manufactured or assembled computers represent less than 8% of all the computers used in the country.