By Emeka Aginam

Ministry of Communication Technology will next week in Lagos hold talk with the stakeholders  in the Nigerian IT industry on the draft ICT policy earlier released last January by the ministry for comments and suggestions from stakeholders and the general public.

Before now, the ministry had received suggestions, comments and inputs from industry groups, companies in the ICT industry and other ICT industry stakeholders both in Nigeria and abroad that have been collated and the Forum will provide a veritable platform for the Ministry to engage stakeholders for robust discussions on the suggestions and comments received by the Ministry on the Policy.

Just few weeks ago, the ministry had met with industry associations including ATCON, ALTON, ISPON, NIG, NCS, ITAN, CPN and NATCOMS who had sent in their inputs on the draft ICT policy to discuss the comments and suggestions on the Policy sent to the Ministry by the Associations.

It wuld be recalled that the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson had at an interactive session recently stressed that ‘’we have had various policies covering the IT and the Communications industry but the convergence of technologies and the industry have dictated the need for an integrated policy document.

“A committee was set up by the Ministry to harmonize all the existing policies, reflect new realities where necessary in order to provide a working document and a take off point that could elicit robust debate and discussion by stakeholders.’’

Johnson who described the unveiled policy document as a statement of intent, stressed that once there was an agreement on the statement of intent, a country ICT masterplan will be developed that will include an implementation plan with detailed implementation activities, timelines, milestones and funding requirements and funding options.

The minister, it would be recalled had, last August, set up a committee to harmonize all the various policies for the different sectors in the ICT industry. The Policy when completed will be the overarching guide and platform for the overall development of the ICT industry and will facilitate the creation of a digital, knowledge based economy.