Success Damian
The buzz in IT circles
was who is this young man to fit into the massive shoes of Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim
Pantami, his predecessor who was also announced as Minister of Communications
on the same day?
365 days after, the facts
are now speaking for themselves. Nigerian and International onlookers have
moved from the state of shock, doubt, skepticism to measured happiness and now ecstasy.
The MIT Sloan, Cambridge, Oxford, IMD Business School trained strategist has
proven that President Muhammadu Buhari’s signature of the Not-Too-Young to run
bill was not a photo-op.
The task of managing the
Nigeria’s apex IT Agency is arguably more than just computer, data control and
management. It involves civil service bureaucracy, local and international
Information Technology (IT) policies and regulations, cyber security, data
protection and privacy issues, local content development and promotion on ICT,
etc. And for a country at the cradle of digitizing her economy, the challenge
of weaning her off the age-long inhibitives to innovation is daunting indeed.
None of these, however, seems unnerving to Kashifu because of his background and
rich mix of both the public and private sector experiences. If Kashifu should
have sleepless nights, it is not for want of ideas but for his burning desire
to reform and grow the ICT sector in line with the National Digital Economy Policy
and Strategy of President Muhammadu Buhari, ably being championed by the
Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim
Pantami. Hence, from his first day in office, he knew his goals and how best to
achieve them. Indeed the country is now firmly set on a path to irreversible
digital economy maturity.
So, how has NITDA fared
in a year of Kashifu’s leadership?
One of the major
components of the fourth industrial revolution is big data. Consequently, data
has become a treasured asset, which needs to be protected. The Nigeria Data Protection
sector is estimated to be over Two Billion Naira. Therefore, the protection of
data asset is at no other time better than now. In line with global practice of
data protection, NITDA, in January 2019, issued and published the Nigeria
government’s comprehensive guidelines on data protection, otherwise known as
the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR). The NDPR is a definitive
government policy on data management and regulation for entities, which deal in
data. The policy seeks to enhance data security and safety.
The data protection drive
by NITDA did not end at just ensuring compliance. Besides issuing a total of
two hundred and thirty-five (235) compliance and enforcement notices in the
last one year, it has inaugurated Data Breach Investigation Team in
collaboration with the office of the Inspector General of Police (IGP). So far,
eight (8) data infraction cases were initiated and deposited with the Nigerian
Police, aside resolving seven hundred and ninety (790) data-regulation issues.
To cap NITDA’s effort at
enforcing NDPR, the African Union Working Group on Data Protection,
Harmonization and Localization, having recognized the leading role being played
by Nigeria in Data Protection compliance, appointed the country, represented by
NITDA, as its Vice Chair. This regulation has in turn created Two Thousand
Seven Hundred (2700) jobs. This is a big testament to what has been achieved in
just 365 days.
The Nigerian Government Enterprise
Architecture (NGEA) and Nigeria e-Governance Interoperability framework
(Ne-GIF) are the Nigeria government structures to promote government digital
services. NITDA is not resting its oars in the implementation and success of
both frameworks. Under the leadership of Mr Kashifu, NITDA has established
collaboration with Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) to secure
funding in special areas of NGEA/Ne-GIF implementation.
In an effort to assist government’s
Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the digitization of their
processes and functions, as a first step, NITDA inaugurated the National
e-governance steering committee to interface with MDAs on the adoption and
implementation of the government digital identity programme. It has also
mandated all government MDAs to set up IT departments and units. Meanwhile, two
hundred and seventy users accounts have been created to enable MDAs submit their
IT projects without hassle. Mr kashifu through this approach has cleared one
hundred and fifty-four (154) unique projects of seventy-three (73) MDAs
estimated at 1.2 Trillion Naira. This process helped saved the federal
government about five billion Naira.
NITDA has carried out auditing of the IT
systems, processes, digital services and capabilities of one hundred (100) MDAs
and has trained fifty (50) staff of different MDAs on digital identity and
e-governance awareness, regulation and enterprise architecture. Through
periodic stake-holder engagements, the Agency provided guidelines for MDAs in the
drafting of Service Level Agreement (SLA) for engagement with IT service
providers. Accordingly, Mr Kashifu has not failed to wield the big sticks where
MDAs defaulted on government guidelines for indigenous ICT content development.
In this regard, it has sanctioned one hundred and twenty-five (125) MDAs that
failed to comply.
In accordance with the
Nigerian Content Development in ICT, NITDA, under Mr. Kashifu, has partnered
with relevant government agencies for fostering indigenous content development.
Part of its partnership is with the National Office for Technology Acquisition
and Promotion (NOTAP) to implement the Nigerian software strategy and
partnership with indigenous computer manufacturers to enhance indigenous
hardware standard for better patronage. Furthermore, NITDA has certified
several indigenous IT service providers, which include companies, contractors
and OEMs to raise the confidence of Nigerians in the patronage and consumption
of indigenous IT products and services. NITDA has launched the consumer
protection forum in order to safeguard consumer’s right in the patronage of
made in Nigeria IT products and services.
To enhance the solid
infrastructure for a digital economy in a digital world, NITDA has deployed
over eighty (80) digital capacity training centres across all geopolitical
zones within just a year. It has also deployed three (3) IT hubs, four (4)
innovation and incubation parks, six (6) IT community Centers and three (3) IT
capacity Building Centers in higher institutions of learning as well as in
unserved and underserved communities. This is indeed a great leap.
To strengthen software development and IT
entrepreneurship, NITDA, under the leadership of Kashifu, is working with
various technology and innovation ecosystems, while also supporting startups
and IT hub managers. So far, two hundred and forty-six (246) startups and one
hundred and twenty-five (125) IT hubs and ecosystems builders have received the
support of NITDA through its implementation of the Nigeria ICT Innovation and
Entrepreneurship Vision (NIIEV). Through NITDA’s periodic innovation contest
such as Future-Hack, participants receive funding and mentorship to develop
marketable products and services. In the
last one year, prize money of Three Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira
(N3,250,000) has been distributed to winners at different startup technology
and innovation clinics in Abuja and Kebbi state. Furthermore, Entrepreneurship
trainings for the utilization of ICT have also been conducted for two hundred
(200) women where they were provided with laptops pre-installed with the
requisite e-resources as support for their startups. A total of forty six
thousand and fourty-four (46,044) competencies have been developed.
On Emerging Technologies,
NITDA’s boss is exploring different smart initiatives to accelerate the
transition of Nigeria to a digital economy. The Agency is also exploring the
use and adoption of Blockchain Technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and
data exploration framework and strategy for adoption into the digital economy
vision of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR. Already, successes have been
recorded with the National Adopted Village for Smart Agriculture (NAVSA)
initiative, as one hundred and forty-five (145) farmers have been trained and
empowered on how to utilize digital, smart and precision technology to improve
farm yield. In furtherance of this, four hundred (400) additional farmers will
be adopted this year for similar initiative.
Helping to build future
entrepreneurs and innovators, NITDA organizes and provides support for events
such as, HUAWEI and NMC ICT competitions, technovation and summer coding events
where budding talents are revealed and afforded the foundational support for
personal development. In the last one year, nineteen (19) laptops, thirteen
(13) tablets and several other IT tool kits have been given to students of
secondary school across FCT who participated at such events and have
demonstrated innovative skills and talents.
NITDA has also begun
massive online open courses (MOOC) initiative for our tertiary institutions
while also six PhD and thirty-seven MSc scholarships have been awarded by Mr.
kashifu in addition to six recipients of MSc scholarship on IT law.
NITDA is aware that to
adapt to the emerging virtual world and to promote the digital economy concept
of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, a measure of digital literacy
and skills is required. Also, with the coming of the COVID-19 pandemic which
has raised the prospect of major human economic, social and professional
activities to go virtual, and as this is expected to be the new normal, NITDA
has not failed to show capacity and vision for its niche in the emerging
digital world. Therefore, it quickly raised its extant capacity building
programmes on ICT, training Nigerians through different online and physical
platforms on digital skills and literacy in order to prepare the populace for
the digital world ahead.
Kashifu’s achievement on
youth empowerment is thus unprecedented. He has initiated and successfully
carried out capacity building programmes for over four hundred (400) artisans
across four geo-political zones, two hundred (200) IT Centers managers have
been trained in line with the digital economy policy and strategy of the
current administration. Capacity building outreach have also been extended to
other individuals and members of both private public institutions which include
lecturers, librarians, researchers, students of tertiary institutions, officers
of the Nigeria Police Force, journalists, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC)
members and undergraduate on Student’s Industrial Work Experience Scheme
(SIWES). In numbers, NITDA has delivered digital skill and literacy to over
twenty-five thousand Nigerians in the year 2020. A total of over 2000 laptops
have been offered to various government institutions while six thousand three
hundred and eighty six (6386) new jobs and roles were created.
In response to the novel
corona virus that struck hard in early 2020, Kashifu, due to the closure of
schools, established and launched the NITDA Academy for research and training
on 29th April, 2020, to initiate the learning never stops programme for massive
training of the Nigerian citizens who are currently adjusting to the new
normal. NITDA has also instituted the Tech4Covid-19 Committee to proffer
possible solutions on how to cushion the effect of the pandemic.
Conscious of the reality
of increased cybercrime in a world of virtual activities, NITDA has not
faltered in taking proactive measures at securing the Nigerian cyberspace.
These include increased awareness campaign and sensitization workshops on
cybercrimes for members of the public and the deployment of preventive tools
and recovery mechanism to make our cyberspace more secured.
The
list continues and NITDA under Kashifu is not done yet, as he has immensely
contributed to the recent ICT contribution of 14.07% to the nation’s Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) and has targeted five percent quarterly increase on
every achievement in the years ahead. The years ahead look brighter for ICT
development and adoption, for a digital Nigeria.
You will agree with me
that Kashifu did not only achieve quite a lot at NITDA but has also
restructured and extended the infrastructure by building a digital center and
has rebranded the agency towards achieving a digital nation.
In-house, Kashifu is not
found lacking. Cognizant of the fact that human resource is vital to reform and
progress, the staff of the agency are not left behind in skills development
drive of the DG, staff members are periodically sent on skills development
seminars, conferences and training workshops. In the last one year, staff have
been sent on capacity building workshops, training and seminars which are aimed
at up-skilling staff in line with global best practice for ICT deployments.
Similarly, experienced managers and seasoned administrators with international
exposure have been made to take core roles at NITDA to foster efficiency and
competence.
With
what the NITDA’s boss has achieved in just a year, he is a born leader who
turns ideas to reality, liabilities to opportunities, sees posterity and leads
by example. A young man full of youthful exuberance, Kashifu's
reform mindset has earned him the nickname, “the poster boy of Nigerian youths”
from the Thisday newspaper’s
Assistant Editor, Funke Olaode. It is a worthy
label indeed. For NITDA’s boss, it is result or nothing.
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