Babachir Lists Buhari’s Expectations from ICT Professionals

Federal government has disclosed her readiness to partner the ICT sector in building applications to tackle multifaceted challenges facing the economy.

Engineer Babachir Lawal, secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), made the remark during a courtesy call on him in his office, by a delegation of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) led by the President, Professor Adesola Aderounmu.

The SGF’s message was re-echoed by Mrs. Ibukun Odusote, permanent secretary (Political) at the Presidency, during Aderounmu’s investiture as the 13th President of the Society held in Lagos at the weekend.

According to the Permanent Secretary, the SGF, who is also a member of the NCS, had told the delegates that in the era of change, the federal government believes that any economy not IT driven is primitive, hence every aspect of the nation’s economy and endeavour requires IT applications for productivity.

She said, “The President believes as a person, he might not have the capacity, but he has articulate people to rely on in driving the change mantra in four key areas including building an economy all of us will be proud of; fight corruption to a standstill; provide security and create employment opportunities for our teeming youths. The FG is looking at these directions with IT as major solution.

“There are many areas of governance that require IT interventions. Now, the federal government is not looking at individual solutions, rather a collective or industry constituted solutions.

In other words, it is the body like the Nigeria Computer Society (NSC) that the Federal Government hopes to work with due to the integrity it has created for itself over the years”.

On the headship of the Ministry of Communication Technology, Odusote said the SGF unequivocally informed the NCS delegation that, although nomenclature is not the problem, however, there is need for reinventing the Ministry’s set objectives for improved contributions to the economy.

Mrs Ibuku on her part urged the IT professionals to start engaging their brains and ensure youths are given adequate representations in future engagements, conferences and programmes.

“It is important we start engaging our brains and think of how to make best use of the opportunity we have now to engage the government for national development. At the same time, we the youths deserve adequate representation at least 45% representation during conferences and programmes organized by NCS because the future of the industry and the country deepens on them. NCS has golden opportunity,” the Permanent Secretary Said.

During the visit, Professor Adesola Aderounmu, president of NCS reiterated the members’ readiness to partner with the FGN in putting the country more firmly in the global IT map.

“This meeting is therefore an opportunity to immediately lay emphasis on a few critical issues for the benefit of our dear country:

Professionalism In Governance

“SGF Sir, as a professional to the core with immense experience in private and public sectors, we welcome your appointment which is in furtherance of our belief that the much awaited change is here.

“The Communication Technology Ministry, with other IT agencies in Nigeria, if well managed, is able to resolve Nigeria job crises and further create wealth for the nation similar to the IT revolution going on in India.

“Hence there is the urgent need for the Federal Government of Nigeria under the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari to:

*Consider the appointment of seasoned IT professionals (registered members of NCS and CPN) to head the Ministry of Communication Technology and other IT agencies in the country;

*Give priority to the use of registered local IT professionals and registered local IT companies to execute IT jobs;

*Appoint seasoned IT professionals on the boards of MDAs to maximize  and deepen the benefits of electronic governance and digital transformation in Nigeria;

*Direct BPP to amend the pre-qualification requirements for IT projects to include Evidence of registration with CPN and NCS in addition to the newly introduced pre-qualification requirements such as evidence of registration with PENCOM, and evidence of remittance of fund to ITF;

*Mandate MDAs to appoint IT professionals as directors of IT, direct all MDAs to establish IT career structure if not yet in place, implement the use of CPN registration as a condition to employ IT professional staff in MDAs to level 10 as approved and gazetted by the Federal Government of Nigeria (the Federal Government already implemented this condition for professionals in Engineering, Health, etc.);

*Mandate NCS in collaboration with NITDA to supervise all IT projects to be implemented in Nigeria.

IT Penetration

Aderounmu said NCS believes there is an urgent push for comprehensive broadband access  all over the country; implementation and monitoring of local content policy to encourage MDAs to patronize indigenous software and hardware; establishment of IT parks using Public-Private-Partnership models and establishment of Digital Centres in all the 774 LGAs in collaboration with the State Governments.

Security

He said that NCS concurs with President Mohammadu Buhari on the harmonization of the national database for Nigeria.

“In addition we call for: Urgent deployment of IT to tackle Boko Haram and terrorism in Nigeria (NCS is ready to provide practical solutions using IT to solve the problem), and collaboration of critical stakeholders with NCS in pushing the details and implications of the cybercrime Act into the public domain, and begin full implementation,” he said.

He said the role of professional bodies in the attainment of economic development in Nigeria cannot be overemphasised.

“National policies, political, economic or financial, can only make the desired impact and make our dear country great, if implemented by qualified persons. We assure you that at Nigeria Computer Society, our doors are perpetually opened towards achieving the above briefly discussed issues of Professionalism in Governance, IT Penetration and Security,” the NCS President said.