THE National Information and Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has unfolded its 'ICT for Development (ICT4D) initiative', to boost the Federal Government's Vision 20: 2020 economic agenda.According to NITDA, achieving the economic goals of Vision 20:2020 is critical to the sustenance and development of an emerging economy, such as Nigeria.NITDA, in a document signed by its Director-General, Prof. Cleopas Angaye at the weekend, noted that the agency has revised some of its strategies, in a bit to contribute more meaningfully to realisation of the economic agenda.Angaye said the agency came out with nine documents that spelt out the work that has been done in a specific sector of the economy, what is being done, what needs to be done and the prerequisites needed for the required achievement.These documents include the Nigerian National e-Infrastructure Strategy, the e-Strategy and Law Enforcement Strategy, the e-Education Strategy, the e-Government Strategy, e-Health, Private Sector Development e-Strategy, Research and Development e-Strategy, and e-Human Capital Development Strategy.All the strategies, according to Angaye, are part of the ICT for Development (ICT4D) strategic action plans that present Nigeria's roadmap for the development of information and knowledge-based society and economy as a means of facilitating the realisation of national socio-economic development.Angaye noted that NITDA is currently pursuing these strategies and implementing several projects in line with the goal of using IT to achieve both the Millennium Development Goals and the Vision 20:2020.The NITDA DG said before the establishment of the commission, there was low level of awareness and development of IT coupled with lack of adequate infrastructures and requisite institutional framework to enhance the development of the sector.According to Angaye, 'NITDA has now adopted a three-pronged approach of human capital development, infrastructural development and institutional capacity building to drive its goals and objectives.'Some of these have culminated into various initiatives which include massive awareness creation, workshops and conferences. Some of the initiatives of the agency include the NEPAD's e-school initiative, mobile Internet unit, Nigerian Cybercrime Working Group, Galaxy Backbone Plc, the CANi project that has driven uptake and spread of computers in Nigeria.Angaye explained that other projects which the NITDA initiatives has given birth to include the Catch Them Young Policy, Nigerian Internet Registration Association (NIRA), the Rural Information Technology Centres (RITC) spread across Nigeria, IT scholarship award, Cisco Regional Networking Academy, e-Government and Governance, IT Parks, Virtual Library and Development of the Nigerian ICT4D plan among others.
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