NITDA streamlines IT project clearance process

The management of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) says its efforts at streamlining as well as fast-tracking the process of the IT Projects Clearing House mandate, has fully automated the process. 
 
Director General, NITDA, Dr Isa Ibrahim Pantami, in a statement said, the IT clearance process will help regulate IT practice in the country.
 
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), is a Federal Government Agency established in April 2001 to implement the Nigerian Information Technology Policy as well as coordinate general IT development and regulation in the country.
 
The Agency had in November 2016 called on Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other establishments of the federal government to submit for clearance IT Projects to be executed before commencement of such projects. 
 
The statement reads in part: “It may be recalled that a federal government circular 59736/S.2C.II/125 of 31st August, 2018 and signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, mandates all MDAs to submit their IT Projects for clearance by NITDA. It went further to state that Government Agencies should ensure “…strict compliance as future non-compliance will be considered a violation, which will be appropriately sanctioned….”   
“Furthermore, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, during the 2018 edition of the e-Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition in November, directed that “…Defaulters of IT Clearance among the public establishments are to be reported to government….” 
 
“MDAs, all Government owned companies and other Federal Public Institutions are therefore advised to comply with these directives as non-compliance constitutes a breach of the Agency’s regulations and is considered a criminal offence, punishable under the NITDA Act 2007,” NITDA said.  
 
The clearance process is designed to, among others:
track Government spending in IT and ensure synergy in National investments; ensure the availability of accurate statistics on Government’s IT assets and Investments to help government make informed IT decisions; prevent mismanagement of public funds and development of projects in silos where significant resources can be integrated to save costs, promote shared services, interoperability and improve efficiency; and ensure that the technology being implemented is up to date and suitable for the country from the point of view of security and the environment.
 
The IT Projects Clearance regulation is designed to ensure that IT projects are properly conceptualized and executed in line with global best practices. Furthermore, it is designed to support Mr President’s fight against corruption by curbing the wastages and mismanagement of public funds on frivolous IT projects. The unanimous verdict of MDAs and other Federal Public Institutions that have gone through the process is that, in addition to compliance with Federal Government directives, it is worthwhile and value adding. Furthermore, the process facilitated a saving of over 13 billion naira to the Federal Government.