The Head of Service of the Federation, Prof Oladapo Afolabi has challenged Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs)  to pay more attention to effective Information and   Communication Technology (lCT), capacity building for their workforce.  Prof Afolabi, gave the charge in Abuja, at the first Annual National Conference on Outsourcing”.

Afolabi who was represented by Dr Dere Awosika, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Science and Technology said that permanent secretaries, directors and other management staff of all MDAs, should step up efforts at building the ICT capacity of their workforce.

He said such capacity would enable staff to appreciate the efforts of applying ICT tools to improve their services.  “Officers should be encouraged to communicate their non-confidential documents, letters, minutes of meetings, request for proposals, between and among themselves through their official website and   then with the public,” Afolabi said.

Afolabi added that this must be encouraged until sufficient skills were acquired to position them to depend solely on ICT in transacting government businesses.

He said government must take full advantage of technologies to enhance its efficiency in the public service.

The Head of Service stressed that the civil service must join the transformation train first by digitalising the economy through its various activities, adding that lCT infrastructure deployment and its effective utilisation was the way forward.

Afolabi said that the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan was committed to providing an enabling environment to drive effective and efficient services and encourage citizen’s participation in governance.  One major area of focus in the government transformation agenda therefore, is a massive investment in the ICT infrastructure, promotion of paperless environment and improvement in the capacity of the drivers and the users of these capacities, “ he said ..  Earlier, Prof. Cleopas Angaye, the Director General of NITDA, disclosed that a distinct outsourcing and IT Services Industry would soon evolve  in the country.

Angaye noted that the Information Technology Enable Services (ITES) would be undertaken by Nigerian outsourcing companies.  He, therefore, urged the Head of Service to be the principal champion for the development of an Information Technology Outsourcing Industry.  Angaye said outsourcing industry enabled by the will and partnership of the public sector, would create over 500,000 jobs in the next few years,” he added.

meanwhile, Prof. Ita Ewa, the Minister of Science and Technology represented by Angaye, urged NITDA to take a lead in initiating programmes that would develop new market for Nigerian Outsourcing Industry.

He advised NITDA to collaborate with relevant agencies such as SMEDAN and the nation’s mission abroad to jointly host trade missions and exhibition to facilitate the participation of Nigerian companies in the global out sourcing.