Spotlight on NITPA Consulting & Management Task Force
By Dr. Vesper Owei, Director
Consulting & Mgmt. Task Force
Vesper@gwu.edu

The Consulting & Management Task Force champions all advisory and mobilization activities of NITPA.

Mission

1. To increase appreciation of Nigeria's policy/decision-makers in the private/public sectors for the need to involve indigenous IT consulting and management companies and Nigerians in IT projects at all levels of government and all sectors of the economy. (The anticipated outcomes are (a) to shift IT policies and practices in directions that are beneficial to the country, and (b) to increase the participation of Nigerians and Nigerian-owned IT companies in projects in Nigeria.)

2. To enhance the competency of Nigerian IT consulting and management entities.

3. To provide advice and consulting services to governments and other interested parties in Nigeria on IT solutions to societal problems that can be addressed with IT. (A good example of a societal problem is the 419 menaces.)

4. To effectively market the capabilities of NITPA members in IT consulting and management to businesses and governments in Nigeria and in the Americas.

5. To coordinate IT Consulting and Management exchange & training programs between Nigeria and the Americas.

6. To liaise among public and private agencies in Nigeria and the Americas.

Goals

Influence policy, increase awareness of policy makers and encourage professional networking.

More specifically, this task force has identified the following activities as paramount to its functioning:

1. Facilitate communications with different agencies in Nigeria and the U.S.

2. Procurement of IT opportunities for NITPA members and U.S.-based Nigerian IT experts.

3. Mobilization of grants/sponsorships.

4. Undertake consultancy services to government agencies and private businesses.

5. Create and publish databases/directories of Nigerian-owned IT businesses and IT professionals in both Nigeria and the Americas.

Accomplishments
The accomplishments of the task force so far include:

1. Recruitment of members for NITPA.
2. Submission of Global University System preliminary proposal to NITDA and NOUN.
3. Identification of task force activities and development of activity plan.
4. Forming linkages to Nigerian government and business and professional communities.

Current Projects

1. Title of Project: Nigerian IT Indigenization Policy.

Aim: To introduce a bill in the Nigerian legislature that will promote the localization/Nigerian-ization of IT project consultancy and implementation within the country. The goal here is to see that Nigerians - who, we argue, know their country and the system best, carry out at least 80% of IT-related projects in the country. Furthermore, to reduce the problem of capital flights by ensuring that profits from these projects are reinvested in the country.
Partners: NITPA, The Nigerian House of Reps and Senate

Status: Work-in-progress

Future Projects in the Pipeline

1. Title of Project: Nigerian Health Workers Training Initiative.

Aim: To promote the use of ICTs in medical education, research and healthcare services with a view to improving quality of life. The initiative aims to educate medical students, physicians and others in technology-based medicine that will enhance the health and well being of patients.

2. Title of Project: IT Summer Exchange and Inter-Programs.

Aim: The aim here is twofold:
a) With the intern program, the aim is the establishment of National IT Corps (NITCorp) to provide summer internships in Nigeria for Nigerian students studying IS and computer science in Nigeria and outside of Nigeria.

b) The summer exchange program aims to establish exchange opportunities (a) in Nigeria for IT faculty and trainers of Nigerian extraction, (b) in the Americas for Nigerian IT faculty and trainers that are resident in Nigeria.

3. Title of Project: Development of GUS (Global University System) funding proposal.

Aim: The GUS project for Nigeria (and Africa in general) aims to:
-Promote the use of information and communication technologies in medical education, medical research and healthcare services in Nigeria, with a view to improving quality of life.
-Educate medical students, physician and others in technology-based medicine.
-Use information technology to improve global learning and wellness in Africa through electronic-learning and telemedicine projects through broadband Internet technology.