The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has commenced the process of repealing and re-enacting the NITDA Act (2007). The bill, which will be presented to the National Assembly as an Executive Bill, will engage IT stakeholders in line with the rulemaking process of NITDA.
According to the agency, with the launch of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS), it has become necessary to repeal the existing Act which replaced the Nigerian National IT Policy (2000). NITDA believes Nigeria has gone beyond the vision of the National IT Policy to make Nigeria an IT-capable country by 2005 and should look to becoming the digital economy capital of Africa.
In a statement, Hadiza Umar, NITDA’s Head, Corporate Affairs and External Relations, said since the enactment of the NITDA Act 2007, the agency has operated as the catalytic government agency for developing and regulating the information technology sector.
However, she said the NDEPS was envisioned to “transform Nigeria into a leading digital economy, providing quality life and digital economies for all.” Umar added that the current reality had necessitated the re-imagination for the establishment of NITDA, especially as digital technologies have created new forms of economic activities that have been beneficial to the global economy.
These digital technologies come with advantages and disadvantages including cybercrimes, data privacy issues, and other social problems. However, according to her, these issues have exposed the need to proactively manage their adoption through the development of a stakeholder-led robust regulatory architecture to enable Nigeria to enjoy the benefits of digital technologies and mitigate the negative consequences.
“Based on the foregoing, we identified the need to update NITDA’s legal framework for regulating and developing a digital economy for Nigeria. The agency’s current establishment law is outdated. It cannot meet the needs and requirements for supporting a digital economy as well as effectively protect the rights and interests of stakeholders in the digital world,” Umar stated.
In her opinion, the review of the NITDA Act 2007 aimed to address contemporary digital issues, will revamp Nigeria’s economy, build trust and protect the rights and interests of players in the ecosystem. She added that the review would serve as an enabler for the growth and development of Nigeria’s digital economy.
In her statement, some of the highlights of the repeal include creating a framework for promoting the startup ecosystem; promoting indigenous products and services through standardization; collaborating with the requisite public and private sector partners to carry out activities that will assist in electronic waste disposal; and fostering collaboration to facilitate the implementation of robust cybersecurity measures aimed at building trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.
Others are facilitating capacity building through the digital literacy and skills initiative; entrenching stakeholder participation in developing regulations through the rule-making process; and promoting the safe use of digital technologies, including social media, for the attainment of national objectives.
