The smart states initiative is in line with the implementation of the National Broadband Plan at all tiers of government. Lagos State and Cross River State have already pioneered the initiatives while the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), and being tested in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Anambra, Bayelsa, Ondo and other states.
The idea that all states should key into the smart states initiative, was part of the communiqué issued at the end of the third meeting of the NCCT, held in Yenogoa, Bayelsa State recently, under the chairmanship of the Minister of Communications Technology Dr. Omobola Johnson.
The ministry and the Broadband Council, chaired by Johnson, is promoting smart states initiative geared towards engaging governors and relevant authorities at the state and federal levels to address the issue of multiple taxation impeding the acceleration of the rollout of critical infrastructure across Nigeria.
The main aim of the smart states initiative is to ensure that effective measures are adopted to remove arbitrary charges and eradicate multiple taxes across the nation, which is impeding the rollout of critical information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure across the country.
The communiqué also urged the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) to use its post offices to deploy ICT services across the country and leverage on existing public access venues (PAV) infrastructure around the country to deploy its services.
The communiqué also urged members to sensitise their chief executives and mobilise support for implementation of the National Addressing Policy to be piloted in the six geopolitical zones with Ekiti, Nasarawa, Benue, Bayelsa, Osun, Plateau, Gombe and Anambra states as volunteer states.
All states in the country were also urged to participate actively in the effort to finalise the national e-government framework.
The NCCT meeting which considered 49 substantive memoranda in addition to a number of information memos, also called on all tiers of government to consider the adoption of the open data policy as a means of creating jobs, making data available for policy formulation and decision making as well as reducing the cost of governance and improving public service delivery.
Other recommendations contained in the communiqué include a call for the institutionalisation of equal participation for women and girls in ICT as a matter of priority for national development and the adoption and replication of the ministry’s digital girls curriculum in state secondary schools across the nation.
The council commended Johnson for her commitment and hard work in moving the ICT sector forward in her three years in office as minister, and also appreciated the efforts of many states that made presentations and shared their experiences on how they are using ICT applications for improved service delivery and greater efficiency in their various states. In her keynote address at the meeting, Johnson commended Bayelsa State for signing the smart state MoU. She indicated that the ministry is currently collaborating with the state in a number of areas and congratulated the governor for pursuing a digital transformation agenda in his state.
Johnson highlighted the top priority areas of the ministry to include Connect Nigeria-which focuses on building ICT infrastructure, ICT in government and local content.
She disclosed that the ministry has made progress in its priority areas resulting in improvements in a number of indicators including teledensity, active subscription, number of internet users, and internet penetration. She also noted that steady progress was being made in software industry development and ICT in government.
She assured Nigerians that the ministry would provide the necessary leadership and rallying point in ensuring that the potential of the Nigerian ICT sector is fully harvested for the attainment of inclusive and sustainable development.
The council deliberated on a 73-page report presented by the meeting and other items on the agenda and agreed on major decisions and recommendations that were highlighted in the Communique.
The NCCT urged states and local governments in the country to make policy changes in the areas of investing in infrastructure, security, and development, active collaboration in negotiating with federal, state and local government jurisdiction issues as it affects ICT.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Emma Okonji
Quelle/Source: THISDAY Live, 25.09.2014
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