As the saga concerning if ICT agencies should be transferred to the Ministry of Science continues to linger, the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) advised the Federal Government to amend the laws governing the ICT agencies and the Ministry of Science and Technology accordingly.
The NCS said the Ministry seemed to have focused on Communication with little emphasis on technology; emphasizing that the Federal Ministry of Communications which houses three key agencies should be renamed Federal Ministry of Communication Technology to capture the entire ICT sector.
Although, the NCS is currently advocating against the proposed relocation of National Information and Development Agency (NITDA); Galaxy Backbone; and Nigeria Communication Satellite (NIGCOMSAT) from the Federal Ministry of Communications to the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology.
“Given the importance of Information and Communication Technology to the Nation’s Economic Revival and Diversification, Nigeria Computer Society strongly recommends that the NCS boss, Professor Sola Aderounmu, said,
According to him, NITDA, NigcomSat and Galaxy Backbone should remain under the auspices of the Federal Ministry of Communications for better performance, networking, coordination, cooperation and collaboration in other to produce better output;
“In a statement that reads:The Federal Government should empower the Federal Ministry of Communications financially to improve on strategies to achieve gross earnings from the ICT sector, generate employment and wealth creation.
“The Federal Government should streamline/merge some agencies under the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology…” The NCS boss said the concept of relocating the three bodies, will set the nation more than 15 years behind its development plans.
“President Muhammadu Buhari appointed Barrister Adebayo Shittu as the Minister of Communications and not Minister of Communications Technology”, he added
