Analysts in Nigeria are excited about the forthcoming Nigerian IT meeting to take place in Benin as part of the National Information Technology Public-Private Forum (NITPPF). Organized by the Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN), the theme of the meeting is to look at effective e-strategies in the country. “It is a step in the right direction for Nigerian IT,” began South African analyst Thomas Hart, who has followed the ongoing IT developments in Nigeria from Abuja. He added that “e-strategies are extremely vital and are much needed in Nigeria if the sector is to move forward on plans of development and infrastructure.” Also signing on as sponsors of the conference are the World Information Technology and Services Alliance (WISTA), the government of Edo – where the conference takes place, National Office for Technology Assessment (NOTAP), the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and a number of other leading organizations and companies. NITPPF Chairman Jimson Olufuye told reporters at a briefing that “more than 70 percent of the 36 states in Nigeria are grappling with decreasing revenue from Federal allocation and at the same time increasing cost of overheads, wages and emoluments with little or no funding for capital projects that could benefit the people.” He added that local governments are “losing important revenue due to loopholes and inefficient collection of internal revenue.” Hart says it is an important step toward revamping the Nigerian IT sector for the modern age. “We have long heard talk of e-strategies, so it will be interesting to see how it plays out with so many names being present,” he added. BM
