Group Faults Calls for Removal of NITDA, NigComSat, Galaxy Backbone

By Dele Ogbodo ‎in Abuja

Technologists and computer professionals in the country has cautioned those calling for the removal of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Galaxy Backbone and the Nigeria Communication Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) from the Ministry of Communications to Science and Technology Ministry.

They called on the Minister of Communications, Mr. Adebayo Shittu, to stop the plan of those calling for the removal of the three agencies, adding that such a move is not only retrogressive but also a backward step taken too far.

The computer professional group gave the warning after the it visited the ministry in Abuja . The professionals called on the minister to prevail on the federal government to jettison the idea of moving some of the agencies out of the Communications ministry.

The delegation of the computer professionals included the President of Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) , Prof. Sola Aderounmu, the Executive Secretary of NCS, and two former presidents of NCS‎. They all expressed their dissatisfaction over the call for the removal of some agencies to the ministry of science technology.
According to Aderounmu, in 2011, the federal government agreed with the entire members of NSC to retain NigComSat, NITDA and Galaxy Backbone under the ministry of communications.

He said the agencies would be more relevant if they are allowed to remain in the Ministry of Communications to accelerate and deepen ICT penetration for sustained development and actualisation of ICT objectives needed for economic diversification

Aderounmu argued that relocating the three agencies to the Federal Ministry of Science and Technology would get the nation about 15 years behind the country’s development plan.

Aderounmu said: “NCS advocated for the retention of the NITDA, NIGCOMSAT, and Galaxy Backbone for better performance, effective coordination and cooperation in other to produce better result.”
The body also called on government to properly fund the Ministry of Communications and amend the laws governing the agencies and the ministry accordingly.

The NCS president said over 20,000 memberships drawn from professionals, stakeholders and interest groups are members of the society.
Shittu, while thanking delegates of the computer professional for their nationalistic contributions, declared that the emphasis should be to consolidate on the gains already made by the ministry and its agencies towards diversifying the Nigerian economy.

He used the occasion to appeal to all stakeholders on the need to show understanding with the government for the overall development of ICT, as any other move will be counter -productive and against the standard practice of the world over.