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By Adaobi Nwangwu

Determined to reposition Nigeria in the emerging global IT-driven economy, the Minister of Science and Technology, Chief Mrs. Grace Ekpiwhre, recently set up a National IT Review Committee that would review IT policies to help achieve Vision 2020.
This was revealed by the Minister during the inauguration of the National IT Policy Review Committee recently.
Ekpiwhre said she expected that with the expertise of the committee members, a new National IT Policy that would further move Nigeria forward will emerge in the next couple of weeks.
She said the policy for the information technology sub-sector was of utmost importance since it was recognized globally as a major catalyst for sustainable socio-economic development.
While urging the committee to be fully dedicated to the national assignment, Mrs. Ekpiwhre commended the Director-General of National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Professor Cleopas Angaye, for championing a noble course in Nigerian information technology industry.
Ekpiwhre said NITDA, since its establishment, had engineered human capacity building, institutional and infrastructural capacity building adding that through these initiatives, a lot of development has been witnessed in IT.
She added that this has also resulted in various e-government initiatives while also benefiting the private sector through a conducive environment.
According to Ekpiwhre, the review of the IT Policy is long overdue as Nigeria was already a few years behind, adding that the inauguration of the committee was of utmost urgency and importance to Nigeria.
Ekpiwhre said the review should be carried out in accordance with "our national needs and aspirations as well as in accordance with development among key players in the global IT industry."
She noted that the IT development in any country cannot be carried out by Government alone, adding that all relevant stakeholders and interest groups in the Industry are well represented in the committee.
Ekpiwhre also said the Ministry will continue to pay special attention to policy issues and implementation strategies for various sectors of the economy.
In his own remarks, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry and Chairman of the Committee, Engr. Raymond Okenwa, said the committee would strive to produce a manageable and implementable IT policy for Nigeria, adding that the committee's report will meet the expectations of Nigeria.