The Director-General of
Nigeria’s National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has said that the active internet users in Nigeria now stands at over 48 million.
The agency’s Director-General, Dr Peter Jack,in was quoted in a statement by NITDA’s Head of Public Affairs, Mrs Hadiza Umar, in Abuja on Tuesday, as giving the numbers at the global media meeting in Dubai in the UAE.
The meeting was preparatory to the Global Information Technology Exhibition (GITEX) Week 2014.
He said, “In Nigeria, with over 48 million regular internet users, various activities are being carried out online.
“We are currently measuring the impact of the plan and implementation level in preparation for review next year.
“ICT contributes over 8 percent to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and is now growing at 7 percent annually.
“Our target is to grow the ICT industry to a point where it contributes up to 15 percent to the GDP within the next three to five years.”
The director-general explained that NITDA had developed a national Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Strategic Plan with a timeline of 2010-2015.
According to him, the implementation of the plan is ongoing in sectors such as education, agriculture, health, governance and the judiciary.
Other areas are human capital development and national security, among others, which have propelled the level of development in the ICT sector.
He said, “Specifically, we have embarked on some smart initiatives which include national e-government master plan and strategy.He explained that the NITDA had developed a national Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Strategic Plan with a timeline of 2010-2015.”
Signature : APA
