By 
By MARTIN EKPEKE
Chief Executive Officer of Signal Alliance Mr. Collins Onuegbu has
highlighted information technology as key for the public sector of the
Nigeria economy to fully realize its potential.
IT still plays an insignificant role in one of Africa’s largest
public sectors. Integrating IT into Nigeria’s public sector would mean
turnaround that could impact in the economy than any other critical
factor, said Onuegbu in Lagos.
IT in the public sector is essential to drive efficiency, curb wastage
and bring government closer to the people said the boss of Signal
Alliance which bought over Ghana’s software company TheSoftTribe last
year.
The public sector would not be able to tap into global opportunities
if huge investments were not committed to information technology by
government and other stakeholders in the industry, noting that IT
would effectively thrive on available infrastructure, and that there
was the need for aggressive infrastructural development in the public
sector.
The IT integration company boss lamented the age of people who run the
sector, saying the civil service is a very old organization that has
refused to absorb young blood with talent. “They refuse to retire even
when they are tired, when the public sector begins to take in young
people who are enthusiastic about the use of technology, who will be
doing the job on the go with the use of smart phones and other
technological devices, there will be a natural change in the system”.
On the need for the right institutional framework and legislative
process, Onuegbu emphasized that the industry and the right of the
practitioner need to be protected, though stated that putting these
processes in place could be a difficult work but without them, all the
procurement act will not force some of the things in the civil service
to begin to follow due process.
