By 
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is to hold a review workshop on National IT projects clearance guidelines on the 8th of May in Abuja as part of plans to ensure best practices of IT services in the public sector.
In the last two years, NITDA has championed a clean-up of mismanagement of government monies by ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) by insisting on due process in IT procurement. It has also sought to pursue the local content agenda to cut down FOREX on tech import.
The agency claims more than N40 billion has been wasted annually by MDAs on IT procurement and project implementations. Another N720 billion is also estimated to be lost to importation of IT goods and services.
The NITDA’s workshop is designed to highlight these problems and strengthen its capacity to address the challenges. Also, the workshop will resolve to put in place a framework that will ensure transparency, accountability and effectiveness in the process of procuring IT goods and services in the public sector.
The government IT clearinghouse has already formed an alliance with the Economic and Financial Crime Commission, (EFCC) to boost its clean-up crusade. This workshop will ensure the guidelines are enforced in accordance with the law and best practices.
According to the Director General of NITDA, Isa Ali Pantami, the clearance guidelines, when fully operational will help to “curb unnecessary duplication of IT projects in MDAs as well as ensure integration of IT systems and services by MDAs to save costs.
The guidelines will “promote shared services, interoperability, improve efficiency; ensure that executed projects promote indigenous content; ensure that preference is given to indigenous companies where capacity or the product or service exists; ensure that technologies being implemented are up-to-date and fit for purpose,” said an official statement by the agency.
The draft Guideline is available for download on http://nitda.gov.ng/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/IT-Clearance-Guidelines -reviewed.pdf , NITDA’s Twitter handle and Facebook page.
NITDA is an Agency under the Federal Ministry of Communications. The Agency was created in April 2001 to implement the Nigerian Information Technology Policy and coordinate general IT development and regulation in the country.
