MDAs: Don’t Execute Projects Without Clearance

• MDAs: Don’t Execute Projects Without Clearance

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) yesterday caustioned federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as well as other government establishments against executing Information Technology (IT) projects without getting its clearance.

It said it is in line with Section 6 of the NITDA Act, 2007 as well as service-wide circular from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation which makes the Agency the clearing house for all IT procurement in the public sector.

Its Director General/CEO, Dr Ibrahim Pantami, said: “We are therefore calling on MDAs and other government establishments to ensure that their IT projects in the 2017 Appropriation Act are put forward for clearance before implementation.

“It should be noted that a breach of the provision of NITDA Act and any other directive pursuant to the Act is an offence under Section 17 and punishable under Section 18 of the Act.”

It said the objectives of the clearance exercise are to ensure transparency in IT procurement by MDAs and other government establishments; alignment of IT projects/investments with MDAs and other government establishments’ mandates and functions as well as government IT shared vision and policy; and integration of IT systems and services to save costs, promote shared services, interoperability and improve efficiency.

Another is to ensure that there is indigenous capacity for after-sales-service to sustain the project beyond the initial deployment.