President Muhammadu Buhari on
Thursday, directed Ministries, Departments, and Agencies, MDAs, to comply with
the ongoing transition of all government operations to digital platforms that
will enhance efficiency and effectiveness in service delivery, and promote more
inter-agency synergy.
Speaking at the opening ceremony
of the e-Nigeria 2019 Conference on the Nigerian Digital Economy held at the
International Conference Centre (ICC), Buhari said the transition to digital
economy was no longer optional for the MDAs, but “an absolute necessity,’’
following the launch of the e-government master plan which will drive and guide
the process.
A statement signed by his spokesperson, Femi Adesina, quoted Buhari as saying that a
directive in 2018 that all government-funded ICT projects must be reviewed and
cleared by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) saved
the country over N16.8 billion.
“Our recent introduction of the
Nigerian E-government Masterplan will further consolidate our successes to date
and increase interoperability among the different Ministries, Departments and
Agencies of government.
“A key requirement of the
e-government Master plan is for all government institutions to create a Digital
Transformation Technical Working Group that will work with the Ministry of
Communications and Digital Economy to ensure seamless and coordinated
implementation of projects, programs and policies.
“Furthermore, the Nigerian
e-Government Interoperability Framework, the Enterprise Architecture and the
Nigeria Data Protection Regulation are in place and all Ministries, Departments
and Agencies are expected to comply with these policies,’’ he said.
The President said that the
digitization of key operations in public service such as the use of the Bank
Verification Number (BVN), Treasury Single Account (TSA) and the Integrated
Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) has enabled the government to
save cost and fight corruption.
Buhari said the Federal Ministry
of Communications and Digital Economy will develop training and sensitization
programs which will be rolled out across all key MDAs with immediate effect to
ensure seamless implementation of the master plan.
He pointed out that the push for
more job creation and diversification of the economy received a boost in the
second quota with the ICT sector contributing 13.85 per cent to the Gross
Domestic Product (GDP), quoting figures from the National Bureau of Statistics
for 2019.
“This clearly shows the
importance and potential of the ICT sector to our job creation and economic
diversification agenda.
“Already, Nigerian ICT startups
are leaving their mark on the global stage. For example, at the Gulf
Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX), a Nigerian Artificial Intelligence
solution provider, Chiniki Guards, took first place, beating 750 contestants
from 73 countries. We shall continue to encourage and support such digital
entrepreneurs to develop innovative solutions for local and global challenges,”
he added.
The President said the Federal
Ministry of Communications was re-designated Federal Ministry of Communications
and Digital Economy to refocus on the emerging value of digitalization all over
the world with a mandate to develop and implement a harmonized and
well-coordinated digital economy policy and strategy for Nigeria.
President Buhari, however,
warned: “Of course, as we celebrate the successes and explore the opportunities
in this sector, we must remain mindful of its threats. We all know how the use
of unregistered and improperly registered SIM cards by terrorists is a key
national security threat.
“Today, I am informed that over
9.2 million SIM cards have been normalized, blocked or deactivated in less than
40 days due to improper registration. We encourage all Nigerians to ensure that
their phones are properly registered. As a Government, our priority is to
protect the lives and properties of all Nigerians.’’
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