We are in a hurry to develop ICT- Minister

In the next few months, Nigeria should have a new information and Communications Technology (ICT) policy. That was the assurance given by the Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson at a public forum on the review of the draft ICT by stakeholders in the industry.

According her: ”We are a nation in a hurry. We are in a hurry to develop the ICT industry and make progress as a nation. We will not waste time developing this policy that will get us on the part of progress”.

She said that the ministry needs to move quickly and closed up everything concerning the draft policy so that it would be forwarded to cabinet for approval and for execution.

Those closing remarks by the minister at the end of the brain storming session with stakeholders over the weekend has put to rest the agitation in the mind of stakeholders over the fears that government bureaucracy would not keep the draft policy in the cooler indefinitely.

The event was organised by the new ministry to address grey areas in the draft policy, which was first made public in January by the ministry.

The policy document was the first major attempt to craft a policy for the industry since the revolution of the sector began 10 years ago, although each other the five agencies that are under the ministry had some policy that guild their operators.

While stating the determination of the ministry to get a response from the stakeholders that would ensure that the ministry produce an inclusive policy for the industry, Johnson said that the new policy would agree with the roadmap that was unveiled in September 2011.

She said that the high point of the forum was to gather additional information beside the one that was received online from stakeholders saying that efforts would be made to make the policy more robust.

According to the stakeholders who represented a cross section of the ICT industry, the decision of the minister to put the draft policy in public domain before taking it to the lawmakers was a laudable one.

The managing director of Omatek Computers, Mrs. Florence Serike, the only computer company managed by a woman in Africa, while making remark on the draft policy said that research and development is very important if the Nigerian must be economically empowered.

In her observation she made reference to how the ICT sector in China is run by the government in partnership with the private sector to empower the people saying that there are markets that focus on specific or specialist on parts of the computer.

According to her that was possible because the educational curriculum has taken care of that adding that funding should be made adequately to drive the ICT sector by the government.

She said that there must be a proactive steps towards directing and encouraging the industry to grow noting that there are no more computer companies in the country that are making hardware.

She also said that the youths are not learning what should make them creative in the ICT sector stressing that local content alone will not drive the industry.

According to her, foreign investment is needed to assist the local company to grow and create impact in the growth of the ICT industry stating that during the time of the President Olusegun Obasanjo administration, there were a lot of policy guidelines that have helped the industry.

The Omatek boss who called for the restoration of such policy said that the policy had helped a lot of the computer companies to survive.

President of the Computer Professionals of Nigeria, (CPN), Mr. Ibrahim Tizhe said that there was the need for proposed draft policy to be streamlined to be in line existing policies in the industry saying that like Kenyan we should make room for a policy review even after it becomes law.

As Niyi Yusuf ICT expert from Accenture, the new policy should make room for the disable saying that NIPOST office across the country do not have consideration for them.

He also requested that the kind of software coming from the country should according to the proposed policy be made to follow international standard.

The President of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, (NATCOMS), Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo said that telecommunications companies have suffered a great deal from the government since exiting policies do not give protect to their infrastructure.

He said that while government policies give priority protection to PHCN infrastructure that of the telecoms operators are at the mercy of vandals and at all levels government as well as their agencies.

For instance he explained that multiply taxation and regulation as shutting down of base station and the lack of consumer protection still bedevilled the industry saying that there should be celebrate effort in the proposed policy that would address such issues.

The stakeholders also urged government to view ICT a human right issue while efforts should be made to create in the policy sections that would cater for the less privilege as well as the physically challenge per sons in the society.