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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the University of Lagos (UNILAG), have inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) institutionalising the Master of Laws in Information and Communication Technology (LLM in ICT).
Under the deal, NITDA will facilitate technical and financial support for the institution to foster research at master’s degree level in law and produce post-graduates with speciality in ICT laws, an increasing important field as technology becomes more pervasive in national and global economies.
Also in Lagos, same week, the NITDA’s boss was conferred with the Professional Fellowship of Nigeria Computer Society (FNCS) during the National Information Technology Merit Awards 2018. Part of his FNCS’s citation acknowledged his role an as advocate of Local Content Development, promoter of youth entrepreneurship in technology and a charismatic driver of Nigeria’s strategic ICT roadmap to make Nigeria an investment haven. Pantami is Nigeria’s Chief Information Technology Officer.
At UNILAG, Pantami commended the institution for its pacesetting role in education and expressed belief that its new agreement with UNILAG will further advance legal and technology practice in the country.
“It is indeed historic for me to be here in UNILAG. This is the first time for me to be here physically. I have read and heard a lot about the developments in this University which is among the first generation university and has kept with the pace of developments in the educational and ICT space,” said Director-General of NITDA, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami while he reiterated NITDA’s commitment to helping in the production of ICT Lawyers to drive growth in the sector.
“I consider the MOU as something very important as it relates to ICT law. We have serious challenge in the area of cyber law or ICT law because as we all know NITDA was established in 2011 to implement a national policy of year 2000. Six years Later NITDA Act was passed. Therefore, part of our strategy to develop IT is award scholarship to brilliant Nigerians. We have been implementing this policy and where the challenge lies is the Information Technology regulations,
“You can only regulate with ICT lawyers; if not, you will find it difficult to enforce or implement regulatory rights. Through this programme we want to have sufficient number of ICT lawyers to make sure the sector is protected”.
Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos, Professor Oluwatoyin Ogundipe thanked the NITDA for the collaborative efforts with the university even as he solicited for NITDA’s assistance to upgrade the Campus’s Innovation Centre inside UNILAG.
