The ICT4D Committee, chaired by Dr. Armstrong Takang, worked through resource persons engaged by the NITDA to produce the Nigerian ICT4D Plan. The purpose of the plan is to integrate ICT into national development.
The sectors and areas identified as requiring priority attention of ICT deployment in the document include agriculture, education, infrastructure, e-government, national security & law enforcement, health, governance and legislature, IT popularisation and awareness human resource development, research & development, private sector participation in the area of e-commerce, tourism and culture and transportation among others.
The identified sectors are inline with the President Yar Adua's Seven Point Agenda and vision 2020. The ICT4D document will serve as a road map on how the National Information Technology System will be upgraded and used in addressing several developmental issues.
While presenting the document to NITDA, Dr Takang commended NITDA for this laudable innitiative and thanked the resource persons for their sacrifice and commitment towards the production of the document. He implored NITDA to ensure a dedicated implementation of the outlined programmes.
Director-General, NITDA Prof. Cleopas O. Angaye, who was represented by the Director, Finance and Administration of NITDA also thanked the Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) which sponsored the work and commended the resource persons for doing a good job. He noted that the completion of the report was just the beginning as necessary strategies will be put in place to popularise and implement the plan. He stated that immediate action will be taken in presenting the document to the Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, Chief Mrs Grace Ekpiwhre who will inturn present it to the Federal Executive Council for adoption.
Thirteen resource persons recruited for the work included Prof. Charles Uwadia, President of NCS; Prof Charles Akinyokun, Dr John Dada, Mr Bankole Olubamise, Mr Jide Awe, Dr (Mrs) Aisha Mamood, Mr. Hakeem Ajijola and Engr. Adeolu Odusote amongst others. The ECA also recruited Prof. Clement Dzidonu from Ghana to supervise the work.
The project was co-ordinated by Dr. Moses Ubaru, Director, Planning Research and Statistics, NITDA.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Emma Okonji
Quelle/Source: AllAfrica, 15.12.2008
