Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Monday, commissioned the newly-renovated headquarters of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
The new building, located on Gimbiya Street, Garki, Abuja, will house a computer emergency response and readiness centre; a digital studio for virtual learning, a digital conference centre for remote collaboration, amongst many other digital facilities.
The Minister described the facility as the endpoint of collective hard work, adding that as a Director-General, he tried to make sure that the whole agency was transformed.
According to him, under him, NITDA started rebuilding, renovating and awarded the projects but had to leave when the projects started due to his appointment as a Minister.
“Today I am very glad that the DG has completed the projects and I must say that it is highly commendable,” Pantami said.
The Minister further commended Pantami the Director-General of the agency, saying that President Muhammadu Buhari sends his commendations.
Pantami pointed out that the project commissioned will boost Nigeria’s insecurity fight, adding that “If you look at the integrated computer emergency response and readiness centre, you can see that it is in alignment with the priorities of President Muhammadu Buhari, that is to promote security. ”
Also, speaking at the event, the Director-General of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Abdullahi, thanked the Minister and appreciated his leadership quality.
Abdullahi said he will never forget the first time he visited the Minister in this office, in October 2016, the first week after he (Pantami) resumed work as the DG NITDA in 2016, according to him, the Minister told him that the office looked like local government secretariat and vowed to turn it into a conducive working place.
The DG added, “You started the transformation immediately with the remodeling of reception, conference room, and DG’s office. In 2018, you approved the design of this picturesque structure. And in 2019, you awarded the contract for the new block we call block C and the remodeling of the entire building just before your elevation to HM of the federation.
“Luckily for us, you were assigned to supervise our ministry. Your appointment as our supervisory minister gives us courage and energy to accelerate the execution and completion of the project within a year.
“In 2001, NITDA was established to implement the National IT Policy, almost 20 years ago. We all know that IT has been obsolete and evolved into digital. ”
Abdullahi noted that there were several unsuccessful moves to review the IT policy before now “but coming to the office within three months, the HM had come up with a new policy, the National Digital Economy policy for Digital Nigeria.
He noted that the policy expanded the agency’s mandate and made it compulsory to rebrand in line with the new policy.
The DG noted that the new brand is a paradigm shift from IT-centric to digital-centric NITDA and this includes a new logo, new vision, new mission, and new core values.
The brand intent is to be a game-changer in our culture, mindset, and public perception of the agency. For us to implement National Digital Economy Policy, we need to be a digital and smart Agency,” the DG said.
The agency also launched a new logo during the commissioning of the facility.
