IT Policy for Nigeria

8/8/2019 IT Policy for Nigeria

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National Information Technology Policy

NIGERIAN NATIONAL

POLICY FOR INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY (IT)

‘USE IT ’



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NATIONAL POLICY FOR INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY (IT)

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1 Preamble

Informat ion Technology (IT) is the bedrock for nat ional surv ival anddevelopment in a rapidly changing global environment, and challengesus to devise bold and courageous init iatives to address a host of vital soc io-economic issues such as reliable infrastructure, skil led human

resources, open government and other essent ial issues of capacitybuilding.

In addition, an Information Technology policy built on reliable humanresources and infrastructure constitutes the fundamental tool andmeans of assessing, planning, managing development change and forachiev ing sustainable grow th.

It is for this reason that every progress ive country has a nat ional IT

policy and an implementat ion strategy to respond to the emerg ingglobal re ali ty and thus avert becom ing a v ict im of the d igital div ide.

A developing nation like Nigeria, that aspires to part icipate effectivelyand become a key p layer in the emerging Information Age needs tohave in place, a highly efficient Information Technology system drivenby a v ibrant nat ional IT policy.



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2 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.

3 Miss

ion Statemen

t

To ‘USE IT ’ for: (i) Educat ion

(ii) Creation of W ealth

(iii) Poverty Eradicat ion

(iv) Job Crea tion.

(v) G lobal Compet it iveness

4 General Ob jectives

i . To ensure that Informat ion Technology resources are readily availableto promote eff icient nat ional development.

i i . To guarantee that the country benef its max imally, and contributes

meaningfully by prov iding the global so lut ions to the cha llenges of theInformat ion Age.

ii i. To empow er Niger ians to part icipate in softw are and IT deve lopment.

iv . To encourage local production and manufacture of IT components in acompet it ive manner.

v. To improve accessibil ity to public administrat ion for a ll citizens,

br inging transparency to government processes.

v i . To estab lish and develop IT infrastructure and maximize its usenat ionw ide.

v ii . To improve judicial procedures and enhance the d ispensation ofjust ice.



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v iii. To improve food product ion and food security .

ix . To promote tourism and N iger ian arts & culture.

x. To improve he althcare delivery systems nat ionw ide.

x i . To enhance planning mechanisms and forecast ing for the developmentof local infrastructure.

x ii . To enhance the effect iveness of env ironmental monitoring and control systems.

x iii. To re-engineer and improve urban and rural development schemes.

x iv. To empow er children, women and the d isabled by prov iding special programs for the acquisit ion of IT skil ls.

x v. To empow er the youth w ith IT skil ls and prepare them for g lobal compet itiveness.

xv i. To integrate IT into the mainstream of educat ion and training.

xv ii. To create IT aw areness and ensure universal access in order topromote IT diffusion in all sectors of our nat ional li fe.

xv ii i. To create an enabling environment and facili tate private sector

(national and mult inational) investment in the IT sector.

x ix. To stimulate the private sector to become the driving force for ITcreativ ity and enhanced product iv ity and compet itiveness.

xx. To encourage government and private sector joint venturecollaborat ion.

xx i. To enhance nat ional security and law enforcement.

xx ii. To endea vour to bring the defence and law enforcement agenc ies inline w ith accepted best pract ices in the nat iona l interest.

xx ii i. To promote legislation (Bills & Acts) for the protect ion of on-line,bus iness transact ions, privacy and security .



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xx iv. To establish new mult i-faceted IT inst itut ions as centres of exce llenceto ensure N iger ia’s compet it iveness in international markets.

xx v. To develop human capital w ith emphasis on creat ing and supporting aknow ledge-based society.

xxv i. To create Spec ial Incent ive Programs (SIPs) to induce investment inthe IT se ctor.

xxv ii . To generate addit ional foreign exchange earnings through expandedindigenous IT products and serv ices.

xxv ii i. To strengthen Nat ional identity and unity.

xx ix. To build a mass poo l of IT li terate manpower using the NYSC, NDEand other platforms as “train the trainer” Scheme (TTT) for capacity

building.

xx x. To set up Adv isory standards for educat ion, working practices andindustry.

xxx i. To establish appropriate ins titutional framework to achieve the goalsstated above.

5 STRATEGIES

i Establish ing a coordinated program for the deve lopment of a Nat ional Informat ion Infrastructure (NII), S tat e Informat ion Infrastructure (SII) andLocal Informat ion Infrastructure (LII) backbone by using emergingtechnologies such as satell ite including VS AT, f ibre optic net works, high-speed gateways and broad band/mult imedia technologies.

i i . Prov iding adequate connect ivity to the G lobal Informat ion Infrastructure(GII).

ii i. Addressing open standards for further liberalization and the f iscal measures including incentives to substantially improve telephone tele-density and make IT more affordable to the c it izenry.

iv. Establishing IT Parks as incubat ing centres for the deve lopment ofsoftw are applicat ions at nat ional, state and local levels.



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v. Restructuring the educat ion system at all levels to respond effect ivelyto the cha llenges and imagined impact of the information age and inparticular, the allocation of a spec ial IT development fund to educat ionat a ll levels.

v i . Restructuring the healthcare system by prov iding a nat ional databank

to prov ide on-line national healthcare information, administrat ion andmanagement at primary, secondary and tert iary levels.

v ii. Encouraging massive local and global IT skil ls acquisitions throughtraining in the public and private sectors w ith the v iew to achiev ing astrategic medium-term milestone of at least 500,000 IT sk il ledpersonnel by the year 200 4.

v iii. Empowering the labour force w ith IT skil ls and improving Small toMedium En terprises (SMEs) product iv ity.

ix. Establish ing adequate institutional framework at the federa l, state, andlocal government levels in order to effectively accomplish theobject ives of the IT v ision and m iss ion.

x. Establishing nat ional IT awareness machinery at a ll levels ofgovernment and encouraging private sector part icipation in exposingNiger ians to the features and benef its of IT.

x i . Strengthening government and private sector collaboration for theattainment of nat ional self-reliance.

x ii. Ut il ising IT fac il it ies to deve lop and transform the enterta inmentindustry for wea lth and job creat ion.

x iii. Establishing appropriate mechanisms to accelerate and enhance tradeand commerce transact ions in the sect or.

xiv. Creat

ing nat

iona

ldatabase management systems as a too

lforeffect iv e planning & communicat ion between citizens at home and

abroad.

xv. Establishing national databases and other IT infrastructure to enhancedefence and law enforcement.



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xv i. Enacting Bills & Acts to stimulate and protect the rights of users anddevelopers including intellectua l property rights.

xv ii. Bringing the government to the doorsteps of peop le by creat ing virtual forum and facil ities to strengthen accessibil ity to governmentinformation and fac il itat ing interact ion between the governed and

government leading to transparency, accountability and thestrengthening of democracy.

xv ii i. Util izing IT opportunities to restructure government, c itizens andbusiness interfaces for better governance, improved trade andcommerce and administrat ive effectiveness.

x ix. In order to ach ieve the short to med ium term objectives of this policyw ith maximum effectiveness, Government w ill establish a Nat ional Informat ion Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to implementthe IT Policy, regulate, monitor, evaluate and verify progress on an ongoing basis under the superv ision and coordination of the Federal M inistry of Science and Technology. Its operations w ill be fundedamongst others w ith a start up grant of at least $10 m illion.

xx. Establishing a Nat ional Informat ion Technology Development Fund(NITDEF) under the aegis of the Nat ional Information TechnologyDevelopment Agency (NITDA) and funded as fo llows:

a. Start up grant of at least $15 0m.

b. Two percent of the nat ional budget w il l be allocated to the fundunt il the art iculated v ision is attained.

c. 3% tax on a ll imported finished IT products w ill be directly paid tothe fund.

Government recognizes IT as a strategic imperative for national

development

andtaking cogni

sance of i

ts immen

se benefi

ts,government has resolved to provide considerable national resources,

both financial and otherwise for the realization of the National ITVision statement.



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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The necessity for a nat ional Information Technology (IT) policy becamemore obvious after the participation of the N iger ian delegation in the firstA fr ican Development Forum on the Cha llenge to Africa of G lobalisat ion inthe Information Age he ld in Addis Abba in October 19 99 . As a result, anational workshop on the Nat ional Informat ion and CommunicationInfrastructure w as held in Abuja in March 200 0.

In parallel, professional bodies including Computer Association of Niger ia(COAN), Information Technology Association of N igeria (ITAN) and the

Inst itute of Soft w are Practitioners of Niger ia (ISPN) submitted draft IT policyproposals. More efforts fo llowed and culminated in the product ion of amaster plan for the development of a nat ional ICT program “ICT 2000”during the term of Ch ief Ebitimi Banigo as Honourable M inister of Scienceand Technology.

President O lusegun Obasanjo has ident ified Informat ion Technology as anat ional priority and his enthusiast ic commitment has he lped tremendouslyin the timely product ion of this policy document. Like w ise, the present

Honourable M inister of Sc ience and Technology, Professor Turner T. Isounprovided the mot ivation, support and mobil isation to complete this cr itical task in such a short t ime.

Special thanks to the chairman of the po licy drafting committee, ProfessorG.O. A jay i who prov ided able guidance and the members, Professor S.A.Sanni, Mr. Chris Uwaje, Mr. Abdul-Hakeem A ji jola and Mr. A lexej vonRadloff who together worked very hard to produce th is valuable documentfor our nat ional development. Additionally thanks are extended to the

var ious support staf f involved in the process.

In case some names have been inadvertent ly missed out we wou ld like toapologise in advance.



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DEFINITIONS AND ACRONYMS

I. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY – DEFINITION

a. The term 'information technology' means computers, ancil laryequipment, software and f irmware (Hardware) and similarprocedures, services (including support services) and relatedresources.

b. The term information technology includes any equipment orinterconnected system or subsystem of equipment, that is used in

the automatic acquisition, storage, manipulation, management,movement, control, display, sw itching, interchange, transmiss ionor reception of data or informat ion.

II. ACRONYMS

S/n Ac r onym F u ll D e s c r i p t i on

1 Backbone - A bulk data communicat ion network

2 BIS - Broadband Internet Serv ices

3 CM D - Centre for Management Deve lopment

4 CITO - Ch ief Information Technology Off icer

5 DPA - Data Protect ion Act

6 GIS - Geographical Informat ion System

7 GII - G lobal Informat ion Infrastructure

8 HIS - Hea lth Information System

9 ITF - Industrial Tra ining Fund

1 0 IT - Informat ion Technology as well as Information



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Communicat ion Technology

1 1 IAP - Internet Access Prov ider

1 2 ISP - Internet Service Prov ider

1 3 LII - Loca l Informat ion Infrastructure

14 NDE - National D irectorate of Employment

15 NECC - National Electron ic C ommerce C ouncil

1 6 NII - Nat ional Informat ion Infrastructure

1 7 NIIB - Nat ional Informat ion Infrastructure Bac kbone

18 NITD A - Nationa l Information Technology DevelopmentAgency

19 NITDEF - National Informat ion Technology Development Funds

20 NITM A - National IT Merit Awards

21 NYSC - National Youth Serv ice C orps

22 NITC - Niger ia IT C orps

23 NCC - Nigerian Communicat ions Commiss ion

24 SMART - Simple Moral Accountable Responsive Transparent

25 SME - Small to Medium Enterprises

26 SDT - Softw are Deve lopment Tools

2 7 SII - Stat e Informat ion Infrastructure

28 TO KTEN - Transfer of Know ledge T hrough Expatriate Nationals

2 9

30.

UBE

POP

-

-

Universa l Basic Educat ion

Po int of Presence





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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Executive Summary i

Acknow ledgements vii Definit ions and Acronyms v iii

Sectoral Applications x

Table of Contents x i

Chapter 1: Human Resource Development 1

Chapter 2: Infrastructure 3

Chapter 3: Gov ernance 6

Chapter 4: Research and Dev elopment 9

Chapter 5: Health 11

Chapter 6: Agriculture 13

Chapter 7: Urban and Rural Deve lopment 14

Chapter 8: Trade and Commerce 1 6

Chapter 9: F iscal Measures 18

Chapter 10: Government and Private Sector Partnerships 22

Chapter 11: Arts, Culture & Tourism 24

Chapter 12: Nat ional Security and Law Enforcement 2 6

Chapter 13: Legislat ion 30

Chapter 14: G lobal Considerat ion 32

Chapter 15: IT Popular isat ion and A w areness 3 3

Chapter 16: Policy Implementat ion 35



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CHAPTER 1: HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT

1.1 Policy Statement

The nation w ill endeavour to develop globally compet itive quali tymanpower in IT and related disciplines.

1.2 Ob jectives

(i) To develop a pool of IT engineers, scientists, technicians andsoftware developers.

(ii) To increase the av ailabil ity of trained personnel.

(iii) To prov ide attractive career opportunit ies.

(iv) To dev elop requisite skil ls in various aspects of IT.

(v) To deve lop made in N iger ia software to earn fore ign exchange.

(v i) To dev elop domestic computer components.

1.3 Strategies

(i) Making the use of IT mandatory at a ll levels of educat ional

institutions through adequate financial provision for tools andresources.

(ii) Deve loping relevant IT curricula for the primary, secondary andtertiary inst itut ions. Such curricula w il l be based on theappropriate national sy llabus at the se lected level and otherglobal certification sy llabi, to t ie into key e lements ofgovernment’s Universal Basic Education (UBE), the proposeddigital v irtual library scheme, and related educat ional init iat ives.

A v irtual university system shall be established.

(iii) Establishing facil ities for electronic distance learning networksand ensure effective Internet connect ivity, which w ill provideopportunit ies for educat ionally disadvantaged areas toeducationally leapfrog into the modern era.



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(iv) Encouraging IT companies w ith appropriate incentives to compe l them to invest in education and training through cert ification fortax rebates through ex isting government bodies experienced insuch matters such as the Industrial Tra ining Fund (ITF) andCentre for Management De ve lopment (CM D).

(v) Establishing study grants and scholarships to deserv ingNigerians.

(v i) Promoting “Training the Trainers” scheme using ex istingestablishments such as the Nat ional Youth Service Corps(NYSC), the Nat ional Directorate of Employment (NDE) to boostcapac ity building in IT.

(v ii) Empowering IT inst itutions and development centres to developIT capacit ies i nit ially at zonal, state and local levels.

(v ii i) Facil itat ing the growth of private and public sector dedicatedprimary secondary and tert iary IT educat ional inst itutions.

(ix) Working in partnership w ith related domestic and internat ional initiatives such as “N iger ian Human Professionals in theDiaspora”, and the United Nat ions “Transfer of Know ledgeThrough Expatriate Nationals” (TO KTEN) program.



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CHAPTER 2: INFRASTRUCTURE


The government, through N at i on al I nfo r m at i on T ec hno l ogy D e v e l opm e n t Ag e n c y ( N I TDA) shall establish and develop a Nat ional

Information Infrastructure (NII) ‘backbone’ as the gateway to theG lobal Informat ion Infrastructure (GII) interconnect ing it w ith StateInformation Infrastructure (SII) and the Local InformationInfrastruc ture (LII).

2.2 Ob jectives

(i) To prov ide leadership direct ion and v ision to guide ITinfrastructure dev elopment.

(ii) To prov ide equitable access to a ll users and stakeholders.

(iii) To guarantee the privacy, integrity, accuracy, confident iali ty,security , availabil ity and quali ty o f persona l information.

(iv) To create an ubiquitous and affordable technology w ith an "openstandard" approach, scalable and capable of adapt ing tochanges.

(v) To provide a reliable and secured gateway to the G lobal Informat ion Infrastructure.

(v i) To st imulate the creation and sharing of nat ional andinternat ional know ledge.

(v ii) To encourage private sector investment in IT part icular ly inInformat ion Infrastructure.

(v ii i) To ensure that interoperability and openness are promotedthrough the ut il izat ion of efficient, high-capac ity and multi-mediatechno logies.

(ix) To promote electronic trade, business and commerce.



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(x) To fac il itate the opening of overseas markets for N iger ianbusinesses and enterprises.

(x i) To encourage the private sector to invest, design, deploy andoperate independent information infrastructure

(x ii) To close the cont inuous w idening gap, w ith its attendant graveconsequences between the rich and poor nat ions; otherw iseknow n as the digital div ide

(x ii i) To pursue and at ta in cultural diversity.

(x iv) To empower the c itizenry to better compete in the informationsoc ieties.

2.3 Strategies

(i) Government w il l establish a N at i on al I nfo r m at i on T ec hno l ogy D e v e l opm e n t Ag e n c y ( N I TDA) that w ill foster the developmentand growth of IT in Niger ia. NITD A w ill in part be funded fromthe taxes lev ied on imported IT equipment.

2.3.1 National IT Backbone

(i) Declar ing the establishment of NII as a fundamental national

miss ion.

(ii) Planning, designing and configuring a scalable Nat ional Informat ion Infrastructure Backbone (NIIB) to ach ieve a minimumcapacity of 2 .5 Gbps, using combination of optical fibres, satellitecommun ications and w ire less technology.

(iii) Adopt ing the open system approach in selecting an appropriate,easy-to-use and scalable Information Infrastructure Technologyover a long period.

(iv) Involving through consultations, the IT Professionals, Experts,Universities and Research Centres, industries and businessenterprises in the establishment processes.



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(v) Promoting high bandw idth physical connect ivity using broadbandtechnologies as effective pipelines for large and mult i-mediaapplications.

(v i) Using existing facilities such as power grids and Rail waysinfrastructure to enhance the creat ion of NII Backbone.

(v ii) Encouraging the private sector, through re levant incentives tobuild interfacing NII of f ibre transmiss ion systems designedstr ictly to prov ide transmiss ion capacit ies on lease basis toserv ice prov iders essentially for data transm iss ion and notpr imaril y for te lephony.

(v ii i) Ensuring that the ent ire country is linked by Information networksystems by the year 2005.

(ix) Ut il izing private sector investment.

(x) Establish ing a “Backbone By Anyone” Pro ject for a period of 5-8years through tax-free incentives to acce lerate and encourageinvestment in the development of NIIB.



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CHAPTER 3: GOVERNANCE


The nation shall use IT as the major driv ing force to re-engineer andrapidly transform governance to interface w ith the needs of its

citizenry by establishing transparent "Government W ide InformationSystem (G WIS)" at national, state and local government l evels.

3.2 Ob jective

(i) To replace tradit ional governance w ith electronic governance.

(ii) To create kno w ledge-based and S i mp l e Mo r al Acc oun tab l e R e s pon s i v e and T r an s p ar e n t (SMART) governance.

(iii) To reduce bureaucracy.

(iv) To max imize productiv ity and quali ty.

(v) To eliminate waste.

(v i) To increase ef ficiency.

(v ii) To create an easy and free access to government information.

(v ii i) To reduce the cost of serv ice delivery.

3.3 Strategies

(i) Ratifying a Data Protect ion Act (DPA) for safeguarding privacy ofNational computerised records and electronic documents.

(ii) Ensuring through NITDA, the implementation of compatiblestandards for network ing of all government organisations to

share data, informat ion and reporting on-line; establish inter-agency support structures that build on ex isting successful inter-agency efforts and prov ide expertise and advice to other federal agencies;

(iii) Expanding the skill and career development opportunities ofinformation technology professionals in government; and improve



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the management and use of information technology w i thin andamong agencies by developing information technologyprocedures and standards and by identify ing and sharingexperiences, ideas, and promising pract ices; and prov ideinnovative, multi-disciplinary, project-specific support to agenciesto enhance interoperability, minimize unnecessary duplication of

effort, and capitalize on agency successes; supported by aGovernment IT Procedure A ct (GITPA).

(iv) Making IT sk il l acquisition mandatory for all governmentemployees, by:

a. Requiring all c iv il servants to become funct ionallycomputer literate w ithin 24 months of th is policy cominginto force.

b. A ll new entrants into the civ il service from grade level 6and above must be funct ionally computer li terate prior tocommencing their appointment; and

c. T ie eligibi lity requirements for a ll employees, of federallyow ned, funded and controlled organisations, nominated toattend overseas, advanced management or technical programs, or those be ing considered for promot ion orspec ial posting w il l henceforth include their beingfunctionally computer li terate.

(v) Establish ing clear accountabil ity for information resourcesmanagement activ ities by direct ing all federally owned, fundedand controlled bodies to appoint Ch i e f I nfo r m at i on T ec hno l ogy

Off i ce r s (CITOs) w ith the v isibil ity and managementresponsibil ities necessary to d irect ly advise the Federa l agencyhead on the design, development, and implementat ion of the irinformation systems. These responsibil ities include:

a. Part icipat ing in the investment rev iew process forinformation systems;

b. Monitoring and evaluating the performance of thoseinformation systems on the basis of applicableperformance measures; and,



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c. As necessary, adv ising the agency head to modify orterminate those systems.

(v i) Promoting through the Nat ional Informat ion TechnologyDevelopment Agency the se lf-sustained development of N iger ianIT solution providers in areas such as tra ining, software

development and “service” houses by ensuring that not less than30% of the va lues of a ll ICT contract awards are undertakenusing local value added products, serv ices or personne l.

(v ii) Establishing Internet connect iv ity and access for governmentemployees at a ll levels.

(v ii i) Establishing Web Sites for improved government image and asinformation centres for the cit izenry.

(ix) Safeguarding the effective use of the "dot NG (.ng)" Doma inname for N iger ia, w ith NITDA as the operating agency.

(x) Developing on-line forms for information collation.

(x i) Simpli fy ing citizens' access to the process of governance andgovernment information by prov iding choices and options forinteraction w ith government, and advance the use of e lectronicmedia for government contract tendering and procurement

processes.

(x ii) A ll Federally owned, funded or controlled organisations w il l immediately embark on the fo llow ing measures, name ly:

a. Improv ing significantly the management of governmentstatutory bodies information systems, including theacquisition of information technology, and fac il itating theadoption of Informat ion Technology (IT) solutions in all

aspects of their operations w here pract icable;

b. Focussing information technology management to supportdirectly statutory bodies strategic miss ions, implement aninvestment review process that drives budget formulationand execution for information systems, and reth ink and



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restructure the way they perform the ir functions beforeinvesting in information technology to support that work;

c. Using of informat ion technology to improve theproductiv ity of federal programs and promote acoordinated, interoperab le, secure and shared government

w ide infrastructure that is prov ided and supported by adiversity of private sector suppliers and a we ll -trainedcorps of information technology professionals.



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CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT


IT Research and Deve lopment w il l be used for sustainabil ity , leap-froging and competit iveness.

4.2 Ob jectives

(i) To ensure N iger ia’s contribution to IT deve lopment and hercompetitiveness in the international market.

(ii) To guarantee susta inabil ity of IT in Niger ia and use it to stimulateindustrial growth.

(iii) To promote se lf-reliance and export of IT products and services.

(iv) To encourage joint R & D efforts between the private sector andthe universities such as softw are deve lopment.

(v) To ident ify key technological areas as we ll as others and prov idefiscal support and incentives to encourage local technologydeve lopment.

(v i) To encourage transfer of techno logy through exchange of v isits

between expatriate IT experts and N iger ian IT experts in Diasporaon one hand and IT institutions and experts in Nigeria. Funding tobe coordinated v ia NITDEF.

4.3 Strategies

(i) Developing local expertise and resources through adaptat ion.

(ii) Developing market-oriented softw are for local market and export.

(iii) Cultivating/upgrading the maintenance culture.

(iv) Developing low cost PCs, so lut ions, serv ices and accessories inorder to increase PC accessibil ity to at least 30% of the populaceby year 2003.



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(v) Encouraging and funding R & D in ident ified universit ies. Industries(including those in the oil sector) are to be encouraged to set up R& D centres at un iversity level, through faculty chairs, matchinggrants and focused joint projects.

(v i) Request ing for research projects that w il l be made open to both

research ins titutes and universities in order to se lect good andinnovat ive projects for nat ional development.

(v ii) Funding vacat ion or sabbatical; v isits of expatriate IT experts andeducat ionists in order to transfer know ledge and share the irexperiences.

(v iii) Introducing “Innovat ive ideas” compet itions, on countryw ide basiscovering all levels (from primary schools to tert iary ins titutions) andR & D centres to instil the spirit of innovation and exce llence in ouryoung professionals.

(ix) St imulating growth of local IT industries through governmentpatronage of loca l IT industries, products and services.

(x) Establishing R & D institut ions in IT in Abuja and in each of the sixgeo-political zones of Nigeria w ith clear mandate. Stat es shall beencouraged to establish similar inst itut ions, which are to be properlyfunded.



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CHAPTER 5: HEALTH


The government sha ll invest in IT based healthcare systems to ensurethat N iger ians have access to good hea lthcare delivery.

5.2 Ob jectives

(i) To use IT for the estab lishment of Hea lth-care Information Systems(HIS) cutt ing across primary, secondary and tert iary healthcaresystems.

(ii) To improve the eff iciency of pat ient care and reduce cost ofhealthcare delivery.

(iii) To dep loy IT for the development of drug information, records andbibliographic records.

(iv) To dep loy IT for the study and control of epidemics.

(v) To dep loy IT as a research too l and means of disseminatinginformation.

(v i) To reduce costs and improve product iv ity of healthcare

administration and de livery.

(v ii) To dep loy IT for use in distance learning for medical professionals.

(v iii) To use IT-based hea lthcare information system to educate onpreventab le diseases.

5.3 Strategies

(i) Capitalise on ex isting global IT infrastructure such as the freeHealthnet Sateli fe “nearly real-t ime” email facilities that connect,v ia e-mail , medical personne l at a ll levels in the deve loping world toeach other, and to se lect health experts in developed countries.

(ii) Networking all healthcare inst itutions to collate information, sharedata and communicate on-line.



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(iii) Establish ing full Internet connectiv ity and access for hea lthcareprofessionals at a ll levels (primary, secondary and t ertiary).

(iv) Making IT sk il ls acquisition mandatory for a ll healthcareprofessionals thus achiev ing computer li teracy w ithin 2 4 months.

a. Inc luding IT courses in the curricula of a ll medical andpara-medical education ins titut ions.

b. Establishing a network of co-operat ing centres/ ins titutionsfor training education, software development and researchto produce the software and necessary human resourcesneeded.

(iv) Developing Soft w are packages for;

a. The three levels of healthcare delivery, primarily to supportclinical work and hospital management w ithin the hea lthfacil it ies, so that the state/federal information stat istics isproduced as a natura l by-product of t he da ily operations.

b. Mandating local /state/federa l government authorit ies toaccumulate the informat ion coming from a ll levels ofhealthcare delivery and a lso to produce the comb inedstatistics primar ily to support the decision making by the

authorit ies.

(v) Establishing in all hospi tals, healthcare, epidemiological, andadministrative records.

(v i) Use IT to combat serious national health threats such as HIV/ AIDS, leprosy, physical disabil ities among many others, by usingIT:

i. To teach the youth on w ays to prevent the transm

iss

ion ofHIV.

i i . To educate the v ictims of HIV and the ir famil ies onpalliative measures and prov ide them w ith informationthrough on-line conferences so that they can share theirfears and experiences.



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CHAPTER 6: AGRICULTURE


The nation shall use IT to re-engineer agriculture for the purposes ofmax imizing food product ion, improving food self-suff iciency and

security, increasing output for industrial raw material ut il ization,providing employment, economic growth and minimisingenvironmental abuse and degradation.

6.2 Ob jectives

(I) To op timise land use f or food product ion.

(II)To prov ide employment for the c it izenry.

(III) To m inimize urban migration.

(iv) Develop and protec t a susta inable agricultura l environment.

6.3 Strategies

(i) Developing Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to monitor theenv ironment and plan sustainable environmenta l usage: IT is usedin land and water management, offshore resource exp loitation,

y ield assessment and livestock management. Government w il l re vitalise agricu ltural extension services by empowering andequipp ing farm extension workers w ith IT skills to support farmersthrough the use of IT in areas such as:

a. Digital Mapping

b. Land Use

c. Soil types

d. Meteorologye. Ecology

f. Oceanography particular ly of f-shore fisheries exploitation

g. Hydrology

h. Agricultural records



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(ii) Establish ing an agricultura l information system to prov ide supportfor planning, product ion, storage and distr ibution of hort icultura l crops, livestock, and fisheries products.

(iii) Creat ing IT awareness for all types of farmers at a ll levelsnat ion w ide.



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CHAPTER 7: URBAN AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT


The government shall facil itate the deve lopment of the Geographical Informat ion S ystems (GIS) and its ut il izat ion w ith other IT fac il it ies for

urban and rural area development.

7.2 Ob jectives

(i) To deve lop digital master plans for our cit ies.

(ii) To improve rural area dev elopment and management.

(iii) To reduce the trend of rural to urban m igration.

(iv) To ach ieve env ironmenta lly clean cities and rural areas.

(v) To generate IT related jobs for urban and rural youths.

(v i) To introduce the benefits of e-governance to urban and rura l communities.

(v ii) To make tools available to predict environmental problems inadvance for necessary act ion.

(v ii i) To promote the deve lopment of rural IT facil it ies.

(ix) To promote the proper documentat ion of ownership of land andproperty in urban and rura l areas and the transformat ion of deadproperty assets to capita l.

7.3 Strategies

(i) Creating env ironmental networks.

(ii) Organising enlightenment campaigns about IT amongst c ity andrura l area planners.

(iii) Developing the GIS technologies for use in urban and rural areas forplanning and design.



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(iv) Re-training the present core designers and planners for relevance inthe informat ion era.

(v) Establish rural internet resource centres w ith VSAT capabilitywhere such communities can have access to IT and the Internetand information on the follow ing;

a. government programs,

b. local new s and w eather details,

c. land and re lated administrative records,

d. government license and related documentation applicationon-line,

e. local commodity prices and on-line transactions.

(iii) Developing community tele-centres for boosting the soc io-econom ic activ it ies in the rural areas.

(iv) Establish ing IT facil ities in rural areas through the use of Mob ileInternet Unit, Community Tele-Centres, etc using satellite,w ire less, HF-radio and ce llular technologies.



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CHAPTER 8: TRADE AND COMMERCE


Create an enabling env ironment that empowers stakeholders in tradeand commerce w ith the underly ing infrastructure to improve

product iv ity and positively position the nation for global competition.

8.2 Ob jectives

(i) To deve lop a transparent, stable and effective legal operat ingenv ironment that promotes private sector business andinvestment in IT.

(ii) To cu lt ivate a culture of electronic commerce, which makes

bus iness transactions easy, quick and cost effect ive, for bothnational and international transactions.

(iii) To positively ra ise the local and international v isibil ity of N iger ianbus inesses.

(iv) To encourage foreign and domestic private sectors investment tobuild information infrastructure and related assets and developsubsequent dow nmarket act ivities.

(v) To st imulate the proliferation of private sector-led informationtechnology serv ices and consequent ly generates meaningful employmen t opportunities for N iger ians.

8.3 Strategies

(i) F irm ly address the protect ion of intellectua l rights by bringingthe copyright la ws in line w ith the needs of a g loballycompetit ive economy.

(ii) Government, through NITD A , w il l collaborate w ith the privatesector in the deve lopment of information infrastructure.

(iii) Permitting the private sector to establish Internetcommunication “backbone” facil ities stimulated on marketdemand w ith minimal governmenta l encumbrance.



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(iv) Encouraging the development of alliances of communities andnon-governmenta l organisations to enhance efficient andappropriate grass-roots development ef forts.

(v) Raising the prof ile of Sma ll and Medium-Scale Enterprises(SMEs) in exports through e-commerce by prov iding low cost

accessibil ity to markets and serv ices.

(v i) Encouraging manufacturers and suppliers to ut il ise bar codeson items sold in the country.

(v ii) Establish a high profile National Electron ic Commerce Council (NECC), to govern all the electronic commerce (e-commerce)affa irs in Nigeria, and facilitate internat ional trade through ane-commerce infrastructure. The NEC C w il l be operated andsuperv ised by NITDA w ith the cooperat ion of re levantM inistries and organisations.



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CHAPTER 9: FISCAL MEASURES


The government shall introduce a series of fiscal measures, in order tost imulate further investment and growth in the IT sector w ith the

creation of a favourable investment climate for the deve lopment of aglobally competitive IT enabled economy.

9.2 Ob jectives

(i) To deve lop fiscal mechanisms that quickly respond to the fastchanging needs of an IT based economy.

(ii) To posit ion the economy to secure cap ital inflow, retain

capital and encourage local and foreign direct investment.

(iii) To use favourab le fiscal policies to ensure that N iger ian ITproducts and serv ices are globally compet itive.

(iv) To estab lish and operate duty free IT zones to attractinvestment.

(v) Fuel the development of economic sub-sectors, assetaccumulat ion, and fiscal activities that arise from IT use.

(v i) Endow the nat ion and its citizens w ith high marginemployment opportunit ies.

9.3 Strategies:

(i) Provide a sound, responsive and efficient regulatoryenv ironment.

(ii) Encourage the development of the professional serv ices sub-sector, where manpower is provided to work on customer’ssites on a t ime-charge basis.

(iii) Promote the grow th of all iances and partnerships among local f irms and w ith foreign f irms through the est ablishment of joint



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ventures and strategic alliances based in tax-free technologyparks.

(iv) Imported IT components and soft w are tools, for industries setup for the sole purpose of export ing finished IT products andserv ices, w il l be duty free.

(v) The import duty on IT “knocked down” components for thedomest ic market w il l be 1.5% whereas import duty onimported finished IT goods for the domest ic market w il l be7.5%. Three percent of the accrued duty w ill be paid directlyto the Nat ional Informat ion Technology Development Fund.

(v i) Ta x holidays w il l be accorded to all enterprises thatdemonstrate substantial f inancial commitment to theadvancement of IT capac ity and training for its staff as anextension of the Industrial Tra ining Fund (ITF) and Centre forManagement Development (CMD) mandates in collaborat ionw ith the NITDA .

(v ii) Federally owned, funded or controlled organisat ions for aper iod of 3 years from the ef fect ive date of this policy w il l notdeduct the statutory w ith-holding taxes from payments toNiger ian IT solution providers for the follow ing serv ices:

a. One hundred percent locally developed soft w are

b. Locally assembled or manufac tured ICT equ ipment

c. Internet access services, local web hosting, and local web-site design

d. ICT equipment maintenance

(vii i

) Gov ernment throughits statutory bod

ies w

il lpromote theself-sustained development of N igerian IT solution providers in

areas such as training, software development and “serv ice”houses by ensuring that not less than 30% of the va lue of all ICT contract awards are undertaken using local value addedproducts, services or personne l.



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(ix) Stimulate the proliferation of high-speed internet gatewaysthrough a less stringent licensing regimen towards InternetServ ice Prov ider’s (ISP’s) and Internet Access Prov ider’s(IAP’s), and a reduct ion of the licensing processing time toseven working days and reduct ion of licensing fees to onlycover administrat ive costs.

(x) Providing legal safeguards for the privacy of indiv iduals andthe confidentiali ty of transactions against misuse.

(x i) Government through the Centra l Bank of N igeria (CBN) w ill set a deadline for the conversion of transactions such asLetters of Credit (L/C), Form-M, Bil ls of Lading and re latedimport-export documentation to electronic formats byimporters and exporters; and empower banks to engage in,

manage, and f inance e-commerce transactions.

(x ii) Adopt ing a Tax exempt ion on Ex port Prof its for 5 years.

(x ii i) Establish ing various IT parks across the country to bedesignated as duty free IT Zones. A ll companies located inthe IT zone and sc ience parks are to be granted the sameincentives as those in the Export Process ing or Free Zones,such as:

a. Pioneer Status that guarantees firms Tax exemption for aper iod of 5 years.

b. Export Incentives that are similar to the incentives in theExport Processing Zones (Export Processing Decree No. 3 4of 1 99 1) - Zero lev ies; zero-rates for states and LG A ’s.

c. Other Incentives include 50% Tax rebate on interest paidby IT companies on loans to local banks. This w il l reduce

interest rates significant ly and make lending to suchcompan ies more attractive..

(x iv) Accelerated capital allowances over half of the approved li feof the IT equipment, which w ill enable investment in suchequipment.



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(xv) Establishing a Nat ional Informat ion Technology DevelopmentFund (NITDEF) managed by the NITD A.

(xv i) 50 % Tax rebate on div idends accruing from shares in IT andBiotechnology companies.

(xv ii) Access to spec ial development funds such as the NITDEF orother funds to be approved by gov ernment from time to t ime.

(xv ii i) Remitting proceeds (Net of all taxes) and other obligations inthe event of a sa le or liquidat ion of the enterprise or anyinterest attributable to an of fshore investment.

(x ix) Enacting laws for the protect ion of investments and propertyfrom expropriat ion.

(xx) Promoting government procurement policies to favour IT andenterprises located in the Parks.

9.4 Conditionality

In order to take fu ll advantage of the fa vourable incentives offered inthe IT Park free zones, appropriate conditionali ties are to be worked

out by NITD A. The key object ive is to st imulate technological growthand development, IT literacy and R & D efforts. Companies mustemploy at least 75% local staff and invest at least 15% of prof it taxon R & D.



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CHAPTER 10: GOVERNMENT & PRIVATE SECTOR

PARTNERSHIPS


Recognizing that the IT shou ld be private sector driven, governmentshall engage joint venture investment w ith the private sector, inaddition to the provision of an enabling environment for investment.

10.2 Ob jectives

(i) To prov ide an enabling env ironment so that private ventures canf lour ish.

(ii) To use favourab le f iscal policies to make Niger ian IT products and

serv ices globally competitive.

(iii) To ensure that NITD A in collaborat ion w ith the private sectordeve lops a large pool of IT professionals w ith w ide range of stateof-the-art IT sk il ls for internal and internat ional redress of shortages.

(iv) To estab lish joint Government/Private sector ins titutional frameworkfor developing Adv isory S tandards and qua li ty control.

(v) To encourage local capacity building by prov iding guaranteedmarkets in specialized and strategic IT sec tors.

10.3 Strategies

(i) Establishing and operat ion of Information technology free zones alsoknow n as IT Parks to a ttract IT investment. A ll companies locatedw ithin t he IT free zones or Export Processing zones (EPZ) are to begranted the same incentives.

(ii) The IT parks may be set-up by Federal or State Governments,public or private sector undertak ings or any combinat ion thereof.The IT parks w il l greatly enhance the ease of do ing business byprov iding favourable access to the N iger ian domestic markets andproviding incent ive for export product ion. A ll IT Parks w ill besubject to cert if ication as designated Free Zones by the Nat ional Informat ion Technology Development A gency (NITD A).



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(iii) Developing government/private sector R & D partnersh ips throughequitable facilities sharing and by estab lishment of Pilot Schemes insoftware and hardware deve lopment w ithin/outside designated ITParks.

(iv) Establishing and support ing the Nat ional IT Development Trust Fund

(NITDEF), which amongst its other activities, w ill prov ide venturecapita l finance to the start up of SMEs in the IT sector. TheNational Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) w ill manage this fund.

(v) Promot ing equity part icipat ion w ith IT investors both locally andinternat ionall y.

(v i) Establishing an export promot ion drive to sponsor part icipation ofNiger ian IT solutions and serv ice prov iders in national andinternational IT exhibitions.

(v ii) Setting up "power corridors" to the IT parks to ensure consistentand reliable pow er supply.

(v iii) Remov ing all bureaucrat ic bottlenecks to the deve lopment of local capacity building.



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CHAPTER 11: ARTS, CULTURE & TOURISM


IT shall be used to project a positive image of Niger ia’s arts andculture and create wea lth.

11.2 Ob jectives

(i) To safeguard manuscript and preserve cu ltura l artefacts.

(ii) To promote N iger ian cultural her itage on the digital superhighway.

(ii i) To promote business and tourist activities and generate revenue.

(iv) To enable Nigerian to become a net prov ider of Internet content onthe World W ide Web, as opposed to its status of be ing a netrecipient of Internet content.

11.3 Strategies

(i) Creating websites to project Niger ian culture.

a. Use w eb technology to attract tour ist to N iger ia,

b. Prov iding facil it ies to sell N iger ian arts and cultural goodson the Internet,

c. Encouraging Internet access serv ices, local web hosting,and local web-site design,

d. Developing a multi-media v irtua l gallery, and

e. Developing low cost broadcast, v ideo and f ilm industry.

(ii) Introducing stat e-of-the-art gadge ts in the product ion process.

(ii i) Capitalise on ex isting infrastructure such as the Worldspacedigital FM broadcasting satell ite w ith its footprint over Africa todeve lop low cost home off ice West Africa w ide broadcast ingstat ions.





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CHAPTER 12: NATIONAL SECURITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT


Protect and promote the interest, assets and safety of N igeria,Niger ians and those we work w ith in the global env ironment, by

deve loping know ledgeable manpower w ith commensurate disciplineand IT sk il ls-set capable of efficient ly generating and effectivelyut il iz ing informat ion in a timely manner, for nat ional decision making.

12.2 Ob jectives

(i) To safeguard li fe and property of a ll N iger ian both at home andabroad.

(ii) To preserve the territorial integrity of our borders and assets.

(ii i) To prov ide attractive career opportunities for our c itizens.

12.3 Strategies

(i) Using IT to combat contemporary and emerg ing security threatsand challenges that are be ing re-defined by Informat ionTechno logy.

(ii) Ra ising awareness and educat ing National Security and LawEnforcement personnel at all levels on the use, benefit and risksof new IT env ironment.

(iii) Appropriately informing and protecting our citizens, government,infrastructure and assets from il legal and destructive activitiesfound in the global electronic env ironment thus enhanc ing theconfidence of our nat ion and its partners in our citizens,government and infrastructure.

(iv) Government through the Federal M inistry of Justice, incollaborat ion w ith the NITDA, and after due de liberation w ith ITand sectoral experts, w il l frame appropriate legislation in thefollow ing areas, name ly;

a. Compu te r C r i m e s ,



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b. D i g i tal S i gn at u r e

c. T e l e -M e d i c i n e

d. T e l e - E du cat i on

e. I n te ll ect u al P r op e r t y/ Copy r i gh t

f . Con s um e r P r o tect i on

g. M e d i a Conv e r g e n ce

h. E l ect r on i c Gov e r nm e n t

i . E l ect r on i c Comm e r ce

12.4R

egulation

s

(i) A regu latory framework is essent ial to avoid v iolating policygoals and direct ion, while incorporating social and consumerconcerns in the deployment of new products and serv ices, andto safeguard national resources. A cont inuous balance must beachieved between under-regulation that breeds sharp pract icesand excessive regulations that stif le industry investment andgrowth.

(ii) In dev ising a useful regulatory framework, the follow ing stepsshall be taken:

a. Focus on creating an equitable, fair, just and competit iveenvironment, based on the principles of the free marketand open unfe ttered acc ess to products and services.

b. Make optimum use of existing Information CommunicationTechnology investments, and removal of restrict ions on

voice and v ideo transmiss ion v ia the Internet, Intranet, orother data communication media.

c. A llow network operators the freedom to bu ild their ownbackbone and local access, and encourage collaborativeprivate sector efforts in this regard.



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d. Facilitate deployment of infrastructure for advancement ofIT and related serv ices.

e. Review government management and procurement policiesto ensure that they encourage compet it ion among ITserv ice prov iders.

f. Promote the self-susta ined development of N iger ian ITso lution providers in areas such as training, softwaredeve lopment and “service” houses by ensuring that notless than 30% of the va lue of all IT contract awards bygovernment are undertaken using local value addedproducts, serv ices or personnel.

12.5 Standards

(i) The government through NITDA sha ll adopt standards on anongoing basis as part of a cont inuing IT planning process byinit ially det ermining w hat and w here to standardize and the costsversus benefits of standardization. Issues to be consideredinclude:

a. Compat ibil ity in sharing of data and information.

b. Effective and eff icient sharing of skil ls and know ledge.

c. Efficient usage of resources.

d. Improved product qua li ty.

e . Avoiding the st if ling of creat iv ity and deve lopment of newproducts and ideas.

(ii) The relevant Policy and Technical committee shall study, rev iewand produce adv isory standards to be adopted in the use of IT

by the government and the private sector.

(iii) For th e public sector the government w il l ensure that federallyowned, funded or controlled organisations (federal agencies);cooperate in the use of informat ion technology to improve theproduct iv ity of Federal programs and to promote a coord inated,





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CHAPTER 13: LEGISLATION


The nation shall promote and guarantee freedom and rights toinformation and its use, protect individual privacy and secure

justice for a ll by passing relevant Bil ls and Acts.

13.2 Ob jectives

(i) To facilitate electronic communication and electronicgovernance (e- governance).

(ii) To fac il itate electronic communication and electronic commerce(e-commerce).

(iii) To promote and secure electronic fund transfer and d igital transaction payment system.

(iv) To protect government data, records and information in digital form.

(v) To estab lish and enforce Cyber la ws to combat computer crime.

(v i) To enthrone public conf idence in the use, application and

sharing of information.

(v ii) To promot e acceptable standard, authenticity and integrity in ITuse nation w ide.

(v iii) To enhance freedom and access to digital information at all levels w hile protec t ing personal privacy.

(ix) To promote intellectua l property and copy rights.

(x) To address crit ical ethical issues of the digital culture andprotect the rights of the child and under-privileged.

13.3 Strategies

(i) NITDA in collaborat ion w ith the M inistry of Just ice, w ith inputsfrom the private sector adv isory committee (where deemed



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necessary) shall sponsor and promote the establishment of thefollow ing IT Bills and Acts to realize objectives such as:freedom of access and rights to informat ion, on-line transaction,service, payment systems, privacy and conf ident iality, digital signatories, and intellectual property rights:

(ii) Ensure the protect ion of indiv idual and collective privacy,security, and confidentiali ty of information.

(iii) Introducing the machinery for verification and admiss ibil ity ofcopies of electronic records and digital evidence inadministrative or legal proceedings, and promote thedigitalisat ion of court proceedings.

(iv) Rev iew of relevant ex ist ing la ws to take care of anyimpediments that may hinder the implementat ion of IT policy.

(v) Training and re-training all judiciary personnel, including Judges,Magistrates, Lawyers, Prosecutors and Court C lerks to applyand use computers and other IT too ls to improve the delivery ofjust ice.

(v i) Computerizing and networking all arms of law enforcement andconverting ex isting relevan t records into digital format.

(v ii) Enact ing legislation on the follow ing;

a. Establishing a Nat ional IT Policy.

b. Establish ing a National Informat ion Technology Agency.

c. Government workforce restructuring in the IT era.

d. Commercial transactions using IT media and digital signaturetechnologies.

e. Comput er crime and Cyber law s (CC CL)

(v iii) Re-structuring Decree 49 of 1995, which established theComputer Professionals Registrat ion Council of Nigeria as well the decree establish ing Council Of Registered Engineers of



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N iger ia, and other pert inent decrees to effectively respond tothe challenges of the Informat ion Age.

(ix) Encouraging "Made in Nigeria IT products and serv ices" such assoftware and professional services through incentives

(x) Updat ing the ex isting National Copy Rights Act to protect ITre lated intellectual property rights (IPR).





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CHAPTER 15: IT POPULARIZATION AND AWARENESS


A comprehensive promotion and awareness campa ign shall beundertaken in order to create an information society w ith cutting edge

technologies in which every citizen is empowered to contributepositively to nat ional development and wealth creat ion.

15.2 Ob jectives

(i) To promote IT diffusion, ut il izat ion and applicat ions w ithin andacross sectors.

(ii) To promote the use of IT by the heads of the three tiers of

government; M inisters and a ll other key off icers who caninfluence public opinion.

(iii) To encourage the perform ing arts (home video, artists,musicians etc) and other similar media sources to integrate ITpopular isation into their programmes.

(iv) To use the electron ic and print media extensively for thepopular isat ion of IT.

(v) To encourage the deve lopment of simple IT tools designed forlocal language interact ions.

(v i) To draw on the intr insic abil ity of women to propagate positivevalues w ithin the soc iety at large as an instrument for ITdiffusion and promot ion.

15.3 Strategies

(i) Deploying Mobile Internet Units (MIU) w ith vary ing multimediaaids to tour rura l areas in order to educate the populace on ITfeatures and benef its in addition to the community telecentres.

(ii) Encourage IT skil ls acquisition for all officers at all tiers ofgovernment w ithin 24 months of this policy going in to effect.



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(iii) Establishing interactive websites for all key government off icesw ithin 1 2 months as information centres for the popu lace.

(iv) Organizing workshops to demonstrate the features and benef itsof IT for performing artists through the M inistry of Youth,Sports and Culture.

(v) Collaborating w ith the M inistry of Women Affairs to organizeworkshops and training in IT sk il ls for women and other spec ial groups.

(v i) Collaborat ing w ith the M inistry of Informat ion as we ll as it ’sagenc ies such Nat ional Broadcast ing Commiss ion, NTA, theFederal Radio Corporation of Niger ia and others at the statelevel to popularise IT through the slogan ‘U s e I nfo r m at i on

T ec hno l ogy’ ( US E I T ) v ia telev ision and radio.



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CHAPTER 16: POLICY IMPLEMENTATION


Recognizing IT as a strateg ic imperative for national development andtaking cognisance of its immense benefits, Government sha ll provide

considerable national resources, both financial and otherw ise, for there alizat ion of the Nat ional IT V ision Statement.

16.2 Ob jectives

(i) To deve lop an eff icient and cost-effect ive infrastructure that prov idesequitable access to nat ional and international networks and markets.

(ii) To develop an extensive pool of trained IT manpower at a ll levels to

meet local and export requirements.

(ii i) To promote the w idespread use of IT applications in governance.

(iv) To prov ide business incentives for both local and foreign investors toensure the dev elopment of Niger ia's IT sec tor, including the soft ware,hardw are and service industries, and the use of its products.

(v) To deve lop an encouraging legislative and regulatory frame w ork for ITre lated issues.

(v i) To give maximum opportuni ty to the private sector to lead the thrustin the deve lopment of IT in N iger ia.

(v ii) To estab lish a tradition of e lectronic commerce for both nat ional andinternational transactions.

(v ii i) To establish institutional mechanisms for the control, regulation andmonitor ing of IT act iv it ies in N iger ia.

16.3 Strategies

(i) Establish ing a coordinated program for the development of a Nat ional,State and Loca l Informat ion Infrastructure Backbone by usingemerging technologies, such as sate ll ite including VSAT, fibre opticnetworks, high-speed gateways and broad band/multimedia w ithin



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the next eighteen months but not later than the fourth quarter of2002

(ii) Prov iding high–speed connectivity to the global informat ioninfrastructure by 20 02 .

(ii i) Increasing the telephone line penetration rate by expanding theex isting Telecom network and prov iding new networks by employ ingmodern technologies in order to m inimize the cost of expansion.

(iv) Removing the barriers to the introduct ion of new technologies suchas W ireless Local Loop (WLL) by the private sector in order to ensurethe spread of Telecom serv ices to under-served areas of t he country.

(v) Developing an integrated, flexible, robust and re liable transmiss ionnetw ork covering the ent ire country and capable of voice and data by2003 .

(v i) Estab lish ing IT Parks as incubat ing centres for the development ofsoftw are/hardw are applications at nat ional, state and local levels.

(v ii) Encouraging further deregulating of the Telecom industry w ith a v ie wto prov iding affordable, competitively priced Internet connect iv ity(low and high bandw idth) for a larger community of users by the endof 200 2.

(v ii i) Communication w ith Internet PoPs should be regarded as local calls,to reduce the costs and make such serv ices affordable to thepopulace.

(ix) Reducing the rates and tariff for a ll Telecom services to a level reasonable and consistent w ith economic reali t ies of the country andthe global trends.

(x) Reducing the bandw

idth rates, both domest

ic and

internat

iona

l,dramatically to encourage the rapid launch of new serv ices and

distance learning and also provide a competitive edge to local companies try ing to break into established international markets.

(x i) Restructuring the educat ional system at a ll levels w ith a v iew todeveloping relevant IT curricula for the primary, secondary and



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tertiary institutions in order to respond effect ively to the cha llengesand imagined impact of the information age and in part icular theallocat ion of IT deve lopment fund to education.

(x ii) Encouraging massive local and global IT skil ls acquisitions throughtra ining in the public and private sectors as we ll through joint venture

and all iances w ith a view to achiev ing a strategic medium-termmilestone of at least 5 00,0 00 IT skil led personnel by the year 200 3.

(x ii i) Bringing Government to the doorsteps of the people by creat ingv irtual forum and fac il ities to strengthen accessibil ity to governmentinformation and facil itating interact ion between the governed andGovernment leading of transparency, accountabil ity andstrengthening of democracy.

(xiv) Mak

ing IT sk

il lacqu

is

ition mandatory for a

llgovernment emp

loyeesand achiev ing computer li teracy for all civ il servants by the end of

2002 .

(xv) Networking all government organizations to share data, informationand reporting on-line by the end of 2 00 2.

(xv i) Establishing full Internet connectiv ity and access for mostgovernment employees by the end of 20 02.

(xv ii) Establishing Web Sites for improved government image and asinformat ion centres for the cit izenry.

(xv ii i) Establishing an Overseas Strateg ic Adv isory Board of Nigerians inD iaspora in IT and re lated industries not only for adv ice but also forinvestment and part icipation in IT projects and activ ities in thecountry.

(x ix) G iv ing ISPs approval to develop high-speed gateways w ith no

licensing fees.

(xx) Encouraging the private sector to deve lop software for governmentand non/class ified defenc e projects.

(xx i) Enact ing Bil ls and A cts to stimulate and protect the right of users anddevelopers including intellectua l property rights.



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(xx ii) Establish ing Government IT Procedure Act (GITPA) to enhanceequipment standards, performance and security.

(xx ii i) Establishing a Data Protect ion Act (DPA) for safeguarding privacy ofNational computerized records and e lectronic documents.

(xx iv) Establish ing a National Informat ion Technology Development Agency(NITDA) to implement, monitor, evaluate, regulate and verify ITactiv it ies on an on-going basis under the superv ision and coordinationof the F ederal M inistry of Sc ience and Technology.

(xxv) Establish ing a Nat ional Informat ion Technology Development Fund(NITDEF) w ith a v iew to achieving the short to medium termobjectives of the policy by earmarking, in the f irst instance, at least2% of the Federal Capital Budget (w ith effect from 2002) for theimplementat ion of the po licy thrust to be adm inistered by the N at ional Informat ion Technology Development Agency.

(xxv i) Encouraging Internet telephony as well as Voice over InternetProtocol (VoIP), to reduce the cost of te lephony and make suchserv ices affordable to the populace.



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LIST OF PAPERS CONSULTED

Proceed ings of the Workshop on Nat iona l Information Communication Infrastructures,

Po licy, Plans and Strateg ies, Organized by Cooperative Informat ion Network, underthe Federa l M in istry of Sc ience and Techno logy, March 28-30, 2001

The Nationa l Information Technology (IT) Po licy Document, subm itted by the ComputerAssociation Of N igeria (COAN)

Proposa l for the Adoption and Imp lementation of Nat iona l Information TechnologyDeve lopment Policy for N iger ia, submitted by the Computer Vendors Assoc iation ofN iger ia (CO V AN).

Report of The Nat iona l Commit tee on the Acqu isit ion of Computer and E lectron icsTechnology (NAC A CET).

Nat iona l Po licy on Sc ience and Techno logy (Second Edition in Draft).

Master Plan for the Deve lopment of a Nationa l ICT Programme “ICT G loba l 2 0 0 0 ”

Br idging the “D igita l D iv ide” Achiev ing G loba l Connect iv ity by the Federa l M inistryof Sc ience and Techno logy, Abuja.

Report of the Sub-Committee on Information Technology Research and Deve lopment,FMST.

Nationa l Informat ion Technology Po licy: Report of the IT Awareness Sub-Comm it tee tothe Nationa l IT Policy Commit tee , December 2000 , FMST.

Investment Opportunit ies in Electronics and Informat ion Technology.

Info-Commun icat ions Deve lopment A uthority of S ingapore A CT. 199 9 (No. 41 of 19 99).

Ideas on Nationa l Information Technology (IT) Policy Thrust – Mod ified Monday

27/12/99.

E-Information Techno logy Management Reform Act (or The C linger/Cohen Act) tagged“The Nat iona l Defence Authorizat ion A ct for F isca l Year 1996”.

E-ma il message from Mr. Yahaya Yusuf to Prof. G. O. A jay i: “U.K. “Government Policy

for the Information Age”.

E-ma il message from Mr. Yahaya Yusuf to Prof. G.O. A jay i: S ingapore: “Mu ltimedia: The

Next Front ier in Convergence.

INFLANET: Strategic Util izat ion of Internet: S ingapore’s IT 2000 and Library 2000

Plans”.

Risk E-Business: Se iz ing the Opportun ity of G loba l E-Readiness- (A ugust 2 00).

The Po w er of the Internet for Learning: Mov ing from Prom ise to Practice. “Report of the

Web-based Education Comm iss ion to the President and Congress of the Un itedStates”.

Ru les for Informat ion Act 2000 by Government of Ind ia, M inistry of Informat ionTechnology.

INDIA: M inistry of Informat ion Techno logy: Policy Organogram



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INDIA: M in istry of Informat ion Techno logy: Organizationa l Structure

AISI – Connect Nat iona l ICT Prof ile NIGERIA

O AK Correspondence on Nationa l Informat ion Techno logy Policy.

Part of Report of Sub-Comm it tee on ICT Po licy.

NICI applications to sectora l M inistr ies.

Framew ork and Strategy for the Establishment of h igh-performance Info-CommunicationsInfrastructure a nd solutions.

Framework for IT Revo lution Report of Study Group on the Ne xt G enerat ion InternetPo licy.

Frame work for IT Research, Design & Deve lopment (IT RD & D)

Softw are Sub-Comm it tee – Report Out line, (FMS T).

Elements of a Nat iona l Informat ion Techno logy –IT Polic ies and Inst itutions.

Nat iona l Te lecommunicat ions Po licy.

E-Japan Initiative for the IT Revo lution Report of Study Group on the Next Generat ionInternet Policy.

Po licy Paradigm, Deve lopment, Manufacture and Export of Informat ion TechnologyHardw are: Indian Experience.

U.S.A.: IT LEGISLATIONS OVERVIEW: Senate Bil ls and Acts on E lectron ic Commerce,Internet on-line Laws, Consumer Protect ion Government Paperwork, CongressHearing.

Deve loping a Nat iona l IT Poli cy & Strategy B lueprint for N igeria- Implications for PolicyMakers” Posit ion Paper on the Ro le of Software By Inst itute of Software

Pract it ioners of N iger ia (ISPON) November, 20 00 ”.

Proceed ings of ITAN Nat ional Conference/Exh ibition on IT Deve lopment in the 21 st

century-Imperat ive for a Nat iona l I . T. Policy.

AD F The me Papers:

1. Informat ion and Commun icat ion Technolog ies for Improved Gov ernance in Africa;

2. Po li c ies and Strateg ies for Acce lerating Africa’s Informat ion Infrastructure

Deve lopment.

3. The Process of Deve loping Nationa l Informat ion and Communications Infrastructure

(NICI) in Af rica.

4. Country Prof iles.

5. G loba lisation and the Informat ion Economy: C ha ll enges and Opportun it ies for Africa.

6. Introduct ion to G loba lisat ion and th e Informat ion Age.

7. A fr ica on the Internet ; An annotated guide to Africa w eb sites.



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Appendix A: National Information Technology

Development Agency (NITDA)

Pur

pose:

This Body is to be set up to:

i . ensure the ach ievement of t he articulated Nat ional IT v ision;

i i . fost er and co-ordinate the accelerated dev elopment of IT in Niger ia;

ii i. promote the eff iciency and internat ional competit iveness of the ITindustry in N iger ia;

iv. facil itate universal access to IT at affordable prices;

v . promote and ma intain fair and eff icient IT business practices;

v i . adv ise government on nat ional IT needs and policies;

v ii. act internat ionall y as the nat ional body of Niger ia w ith respect to ITmatters;

v iii. further the advancement of IT through R&D;

ix. exercise licensing and regulatory functions in respect of IT systemsand services;

x. encourage, fac il itate and promote the greatest pract icable use of ITindustry self-regulat ion;

x i . encourage investment, development and expansion of the IT industryin Niger ia;

x ii. promote broad based IT human resource development;





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7. Representative of the Presidency - Member

8. Representative of Informat ion Technology (industries) Associationof Niger ia (IT A N) - Mem ber.

9. Representat ive of Computer Assoc iat ion of N iger ia

(CO A N) - Member

10. Chairman of N iger ian Internet Group (NIG) - Member

11 . Representative, Institute of Software Pract itioners ofN iger ia – M ember

12. Computer Professionals Registration Council of N iger ia (CPN)

13 . T wo representatives from the tert iary educational

system - Members

14 . Three distinguished persons to be nom inated bythe President - Members

15. A Managing D irector to be appointed by the President on therecommendation of the Honourable Minister of Science andTechnology

i i . In the interim period, the Inter-M inisterial Comm ittee on IT w il l midw ife

the NITD A unt il such a t ime as the law establishing the Agency isenacted, for the follow ing reasons;

a. to give the ma jor stakeholders a role in the deve lopment of theAgency;

b. to max imize the commitment of the major stakeholders to thedeve lopment of the A gency;

c. to facil i

tate access to wider consu

ltat

ion and estab

lish

inter-agency interfaces for the coordinated development of the

Agency;

d. to ensure the adherence to the v ision of the IT Policy.



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ICT Technical Assistance Group

There is a need to have an ICT Technical Assistance Group to give technicalsupport to NITDA. This Group will be supervised by NITDA Details of composition can be spelt out at the level of implementation.

Computer-Ready Smart Buildings

There is need to ensure that Government and other public buildings includingfacilities at the IT Parts are computer-ready smart buildings. This issue of ensuring smart buildings to meet this requirement. Details of this shouldbe worked out at the level of implementation.

Documents

IT Policy for Nigeria