On the Proposed ICT Ministry

The widespread hope in Nigeria that ICTs could be a powerful tool of development and poverty reduction and of achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) led to a proliferation of ICT agencies and ICT-for-development pilot projects in a wide range of several sectors in the country.
Nigeria has also spared no effort including the liberalization and privatization of the industry, issuing unified licenses, and collaborating with foreign governments to overcome obstacles to build a comprehensive ICT infrastructure to fully capitalize on its economic benefits.
Despite the prevalent optimism, there is a growing uneasiness about the lack coordination of the various agencies resulting in duplication of efforts.
Also there is lack of detailed information on the implementation of ICT projects, and rigorous evaluation of their impact because supervisions have been flung and scattered among the various ministries.
That is why the recent move by the presidency to restructure government institutions and organizations by coalescing them into the proposed ministries of Communications and Information Technology (MCIT) and a ministry of Information is a welcome development.
Though the issue has been subject of controversy and intense politicking since it was muted under former president Olusegun Obasanjo’s regime, it is one if well implemented is capable of leap-frogging the country’s development.
In the proposed arrangement, a common regulatory body for ICT in Nigeria would be established while of the Ministry of Information and Communication, Ministry of Science and Technology, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), National Information Technology Development Agency (Nitda), and the National Communications Commission (NCC) and the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN) and so on would be restructured.
Presently, the various ICT parastatals are answerable to various ministries. For example NCC and NBC are under the ministry of information and communications while Nitda is under the supervision of ministry of science and technology. CPN is under the ministry of education.
Government must appoint a proven Nigerian with vast experience to run the new ministry to ensure that the benefits of ICT trickled down to all Nigerians.
It is also important to free the proposed ministry from all forms of government interference and meddlesome to allow it deliver its charge.