NITDA partners UNILAG to boost ICT lawyers

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Lagos (UNILAG) to increase the number of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) lawyers in the country.

Speaking during the signing on Thursday in Lagos, the Director-General of NITDA, Dr Ali Pantami said that the partnership was to ensure the implementation and enforcement of ICT policies and laws in Nigeria.

Pantami said that with the policies on ICT on ground since 2006, there were no enforcement, due to insufficiency of ICT lawyers.

He said that if the country focused on producing ICT lawyers, policies will be implemented easier.

“What we are targeting is to get substantial number of ICT lawyers that can understand and regulate the ICT sector.

“We are looking for people who will enforce our policies and laws.

“We are agitating for local content, and the patronage of local content cannot be enforced without ICT laws and ICT lawyers.

“NITDA has the mandate to regulate IT and develop IT; and one of the ways to implement this is by sponsoring students in the area of IT,’’ the director-general said.

The Vice Chancellor of UNILAG, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, said that the partnership was a landmark step for the country.

Ogundipe called on other agencies to partner with the institution to ensure the development of the economy.

He said that the university would do everything possible to ensure that the ICT Law programme was known, not only locally but internationally.