NTDA to re-issue new guidelines

National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has revealed plans to issue an amended guideline for Nigerian content development in ICT before the end of third quarter of 2018.
NITDA national coordinator Office for Nigerian Content Development in ICT (ONC), Kasim Sodangi, made this revelation in a statement on Monday.
He said currently, NITDA is in the process of amending the guidelines for Nigerian content development in ICT as various stakeholders have made inputs for the amendment of the guidelines.
NITDA is vigorously implementing and enforcing the Nigerian Content Development Plan in ICT as a sustainable framework for the strategic development of ICT in Nigeria.
According to him, “inputs have been received from the Telecom sector Industry Working Group at a session facilitated in partnership with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) towards the implementation of the Nigerian Content Development Programme in ICT and Criteria for Qualifying for IT Procurements in the Implementation of the 2018 Budget.
He said this is in line with the mandate of NITDA to promote the development of IT in Nigeria and Executive Orders 003 and 005 of the federal government of Nigeria for the promotion of local content.
It may be recalled that in December 2013, NITDA issued the Guidelines for Nigerian Content Development in ICT as a coherent framework for the development of ICT in Nigeria.
He explained that the Strategic Implementation Plan for Nigerian Content Development established the Office for Nigerian Content Development in ICT (ONC) as Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) to coordinate the implementation of the programme and supervise compliance with the Guidelines.
“The ONC has issued hundreds of notices and has intervened numerous times to ensure the guidelines are enforced and that indigenously developed IT content is given priority in the procurements of MDAs.”
According to Sodangi the ONC under the supervision of NITDA had also ensured that data hosted by MDAs outside Nigeria is repatriated to Nigerian Data Centres in line with the provisions of the guidelines.
“NITDA is also utilizing various instruments within its operations to ensure implementation of its guidelines.
“The Agency has forged functional partnerships with National Office for Technology and Promotion (NOTAP), Bureau for Public Procurement (BPP), Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Computer Professional (Registration Council) of Nigeria (CPN) and other regulatory MDAs to ensure implementation of the local content policy of the federal government and its guidelines on Nigerian content.
“The Agency has directed strict compliance with the Guidelines through the IT Project Clearance process. MDAs seeking to implement IT procurement projects are compelled to disclose project alignment with Government’s local content policy and comply with all extant regulations,” he said.