By Prince Osuagwu

Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson last week, promised that government will take into account, the input of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) before a new IT Policy is released.

The minister made the promise while addressing a delegation of the Society led by its President, Sir Demola Aladekomo in her office in Abuja, last week..

The Minister said that already she had constituted a team saddled with the responsibility of working on the document, but promised that she would incorporate the input of the NCS before a final document is released.

She disclosed that when she assumed office, the document was handed over to her. She said she had read the document over which was why she constituted a small team to work on it. “We have a small team working on the IT policy. We will get your input,” she assured.

Aladekomo, who is also the Group CEO of Chams PLC, had during his address told the minister that NCS was ready to partner with the government on four key areas. He listed these areas to include Employment, Combatting Terrorism, IT Legislation and IT Policy Plan.

The NCS President told the Minister, “We look forward to using technology to unravel, and hence stop the spate of bombings that is threatening to make life unsafe for our people. We have among our members professionals whose input into the way and manner intelligence is gathered with the use of IT tools could help isolate potential threats to lives and properties.”

The minister agreed with Aladekomo that the Society and the CT ministry have a lot in common more so as the objectives of the NCS tallied with her four key mandates which she disclosed in Lagos recently.

She said, “Some aspects of my briefing are also what you have said here. That is gratifying.” She said she was glad the NCS and Ministry “are on the same page in most of these issues.”

She also stated that she was going to work towards the improvement of the use of IT noting that IT had not been engaged seriously in the past. She asserted that the role of the CT ministry would be to develop the policy and then work with industry to implement the policy.

Johnson declared that while she was not keen on separating the industry (IT and Telecoms) because of convergence, the Ministry would no longer be all about telecoms.

On the NCS delegation to the Minister were Alhaji Ibrahim Tizhe, the current president of Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), Alhaji Ladi Ogunneye, a former President of the Society, Dr. Gabriel Obi, a former President of CPN; Mr. Jimson Olufuye, President Information Technology (Industry) Association of Nigeria (ITAN); Mrs. Halima Adebayo-Abdullahi and Mr. Walter Harry, an ex-director with the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Aladekomo who stressed that the Society would depend on the Minister’s promise that the Ministry would no longer be all about telecoms also commended the recent e_payment cashless programme of CBN. The project, he stated would generate 50, 000 IT – related jobs in four months and another 250, 000 IT – related jobs by year end 2012.