Policy Implementation
Policy Statement
Recognizing IT as a strategic imperative for national development and taking cognisance of its immense benefits, Government shall provide considerable national resources, both financial and otherwise, for the realization of the National IT Vision Statement.
Objectives
To develop an efficient and cost-effective infrastructure that provides equitable access to national and international networks and markets.
To develop an extensive pool of trained IT manpower at all levels to meet local and export requirements.
To promote the widespread use of IT applications in governance.
To provide business incentives for both local and foreign investors to ensure the development of Nigeria's IT sector, including the software, hardware and service industries, and the use of its products.
To develop an encouraging legislative and regulatory framework for IT related issues.
To give maximum opportunity to the private sector to lead the thrust in the development of IT in Nigeria.
To establish a tradition of electronic commerce for both national and international transactions.
To establish institutional mechanisms for the control, regulation and monitoring of IT activities in Nigeria.
Strategies
Establishing a coordinated program for the development of a National, State and Local Information Infrastructure Backbone by using emerging technologies, such as satellite including VSAT, fibre optic networks, high-speed gateways and broad band/multimedia within the next eighteen months but not later than the fourth quarter of 2002
Providing high-speed connectivity to the global information infrastructure by 2002.
Increasing the telephone line penetration rate by expanding the existing Telecom network and providing new networks by employing modern technologies in order to minimize the cost of expansion.
Removing the barriers to the introduction of new technologies such as Wireless Local Loop (WLL) by the private sector in order to ensure the spread of Telecom services to under-served areas of the country.
Developing an integrated, flexible, robust and reliable transmission network covering the entire country and capable of voice and data by 2003.
Establishing IT Parks as incubating centres for the development of software/hardware applications at national, state and local levels.
Encouraging further deregulating of the Telecom industry with a view to providing affordable, competitively priced Internet connectivity (low and high bandwidth) for a larger community of users by the end of 2002.
Communication with Internet PoPs should be regarded as local calls, to reduce the costs and make such services affordable to the populace.
Reducing the rates and tariff for all Telecom services to a level reasonable and consistent with economic realities of the country and the global trends.
Reducing the bandwidth rates, both domestic and international, dramatically to encourage the rapid launch of new services and distance learning and also provide a competitive edge to local companies trying to break into established international markets.
Restructuring the educational system at all levels with a view to developing relevant IT curricula for the primary, secondary and tertiary institutions in order to respond effectively to the challenges and imagined impact of the information age and in particular the allocation of IT development fund to education.
Encouraging massive local and global IT skills acquisitions through training in the public and private sectors as well through joint venture and alliances with a view to achieving a strategic medium-term milestone of at least 500,000 IT skilled personnel by the year 2003.
Bringing Government to the doorsteps of the people by creating virtual forum and facilities to strengthen accessibility to government information and facilitating interaction between the governed and Government leading of transparency, accountability and strengthening of democracy.
Making IT skill acquisition mandatory for all government employees and achieving computer literacy for all civil servants by the end of 2002.
Networking all government organizations to share data, information and reporting on-line by the end of 2002.
Establishing full Internet connectivity and access for most government employees by the end of 2002.
Establishing Web Sites for improved government image and as information centres for the citizenry.
Establishing an Overseas Strategic Advisory Board of Nigerians in Diaspora in IT and related industries not only for advice but also for investment and participation in IT projects and activities in the country.
Giving ISPs approval to develop high-speed gateways with no licensing fees.
Encouraging the private sector to develop software for government and non/classified defence projects.
Enacting Bills and Acts to stimulate and protect the right of users and developers including intellectual property rights.
Establishing Government IT Procedure Act (GITPA) to enhance equipment standards, performance and security.
Establishing a Data Protection Act (DPA) for safeguarding privacy of National computerized records and electronic documents.
Establishing a National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) to implement, monitor, evaluate, regulate and verify IT activities on an on-going basis under the supervision and coordination of the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology.
Establishing a National Information Technology Development Fund (NITDEF) with a view to achieving the short to medium term objectives of the policy by earmarking, in the first instance, at least 2% of the Federal Capital Budget (with effect from 2002) for the implementation of the policy thrust to be administered by the National Information Technology Development Agency.
Encouraging Internet telephony as well as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), to reduce the cost of telephony and make such services affordable to the populace.
