The Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), the umbrella organization for all information technology (IT) professionals in Nigeria, has urged for the creation of IT departments in federal, state, and local government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
During a conversation with news journalists in Lagos, Professor Adesina Sodiya, President of NCS, emphasized the importance of the government creating an IT department in all MDAs.
In today’s digital world, where knowledge-based capabilities in IT are driving development, he said the creation of an IT Department will assist government drive IT development much more quickly.
“Towards the close of 2019, the federal government, through the Head of Service, announced a policy requiring all MDAs to begin the process of digitizing their operations and processes,” according to NCS President.
“NCS is interested in seeing that all government operations are automated, with digitalisation being the initial step in that process.” There is no way to automate physical files and operations without first digitizing them. “As an advocacy organization, NCS will continue to seek collaboration with the government on digital skills and the digitalisation of government services and processes,” Sodiya stated.
He did say, however, that in order to accomplish automation in government circles, all MDAs should establish a Department of Information Technology to advance digitisation of government services and processes.
“Today, not all government MDAs have an IT Department. Most federal ministries lack an IT department, which is abnormal because governments cannot talk about automating MDA services to drive digital transformation in government without first establishing IT departments. It will be difficult for the administration to meet its mandate on digital transformation in the civil service if we do not have a distinct Department of IT,” Sodiya remarked.
