NITDA to prioritise stakeholders' needs in programmes, project implementation

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) have resolved to consistently focus on prioritizing the needs of its stakeholders in formulating policies, programmes and regulatory instruments that will further boast developmental regulation roles for a sustainable digital economy.

This was disclosed at the two-day management retreat with the theme “Connecting the dots for an accelerated digital future” and had resource personnel that addressed the management staff on “re-imagining NITDA’s role in Achieving a Sustainable Digital Economy in Nigeria”.

Speaking at the event, the head of the management team and Director-General and CEO of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, stated the need to reshape the agency’s future with collective leadership and individual accountability.

Inuwa emphasized a bottom-up approach as a modified method for its stakeholders’ engagement going forward, and to increase private sector contribution in the formulation of standards, guidelines and frameworks.

He implored heads of departments and units to always work with their team rather than in silos for the best idea to emerge.

He mentioned that he has done a lot in democratizing leadership by giving free hands to individuals to perform their tasks using their ideas and innovations.

“This is the only way to train and duplicate leadership such that everyone takes responsibility for their actions and decisions, adding that part of their role as management staff of the agency is to enable subordinates to gain perspective and content as well as to think and behave rightly.

“NITDA is winning today no doubt, as we are among the top agencies in the country but that is not enough, we need to shape our tomorrow. If we think we are winning today and we are comfortable, tomorrow we would be forgotten because what helped us to win today will not help us win tomorrow,” he asserted.

The need to develop collective leadership skills and strategically position the agency to consolidate on the present wins for a better tomorrow, and continuous dedication to the implementation of the Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP 2021-2024), developed two years ago, was extensively discussed at the retreat.

A stimulating presentation by the president of Institute of Safety Professionals of Nigeria (ISPON), Chineneye Mba-Uzokwu, he applauded NITDA’s giant strides in so many respects while admitting that the interactions he had with the management have further earned the agency his loyalty and respect being the first time he will come in contact with a public institution that operates with a private organization’s mindset.

The second presentation titled: “An Understanding of the Regulatory Function of NITDA as a Developmental Agency in a Digital Economy” by Kolawole Osinowo, tasked the management with creative thinking exercise where groups were given tools to build and create their perception of NITDA as a development organization. It was a thrilling exercise.

The annual retreat has become a tradition in NITDA, stemming from the management’s decision to upscale the performance of the agency through a review of the past activities, and evaluation of current programmes and initiatives while strategizing for future implementation.

Another presenter, Dr Nwachuckwu of Unilag and one of the resource persons took the health talk where he mentioned the importance of balancing the work-life approach for a healthy lifestyle, stating the need for regular checkups.

He also disclosed the need for exercise because a healthy lifestyle consists of exercise, eating healthy meals and resting well.

In the end, the management resolved to continue to build trust with existing stakeholders while expanding the frontiers of stakeholder engagement within the eco-system.

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