Preamble
Information Technology (IT) is the bedrock for national survival and development in a rapidly changing global environment and challenges us to devise bold and courageous initiatives to address a host of vital socio-economic issues such as reliable infrastructure, skilled human resources, open government and other essential issues of capacity building.
In addition, an Information Technology policy built on reliable human resources and infrastructure constitutes the fundamental tool and means of assessing, planning, managing development change and for achieving sustainable growth.
It is for this reason that every progressive country has a national IT policy and an implementation strategy to respond to the emerging global reality and thus avert becoming a victim of the digital divide. A State like Kogi that aspires to participate effectively and become a key player in the emerging Information Age needs to have in place, a highly efficient Information Technology system driven by a vibrant IT policy.
2. Vision Statement
To make Kogi State an IT capable State in Nigeria and a key player in the Information Society by the year 2025, using IT as the engine for sustainable development and global competitiveness.
3. Mission Statement
To DEPLORE IT for:
(i) Education
(ii) Creation of Wealth
(iii) Poverty Eradication
(iv) Job Creation.
(v) Global Competitiveness
4. General Duties
- To ensure that Information Technology resources are readily available to promote efficient State development.
- To guarantee that the State benefits maximally and contributes meaningfully by providing the global solutions to the challenges of the Information Age.
- To empower Kogi State indigenes to participate in software and IT development.
- To encourage local production and manufacture of IT components in a competitive manner.
- To improve accessibility to public administration for all citizens, bringing transparency to government processes.
- To establish and develop IT infrastructure and maximize its use statewide.
- To improve judicial procedures and enhance the dispensation of justice.
- To improve food production and food security.
- To promote tourism and Nigerian arts & culture.
- To improve healthcare delivery systems.
- To enhance planning mechanisms and forecasting for the development of local infrastructure.
- To enhance the effectiveness of environmental monitoring and control systems.
- To re-engineer and improve urban and rural development schemes.
- To empower children, women and the disabled by providing special programs for the acquisition of IT skills.
- To empower the youth with IT skills and prepare them for global competitiveness.
- To integrate IT into the mainstream of education and training.
- To create IT awareness and ensure universal access in order to promote IT diffusion in all sectors.
- To create an enabling environment and facilitate private sector (national and multinational) investment in the IT sector.
- To stimulate the private sector to become the driving force for IT creativity and enhanced productivity and competitiveness.
- To encourage government and private sector joint venture collaboration.
- To create Special Incentive Programs (SIPs) to induce investment in the IT sector.
5. GENERAL STRATEGIES
- Establishing a coordinated program for the development of a State Information Infrastructure (SII) and Local Information Infrastructure (LII) backbone by using emerging Technologies such as satellite including VSAT, fibre optic networks, high-speed gateways, and broad band/multimedia technologies.
- Establishing IT Parks as incubating centres for the development of software applications at state and local levels.
- Restructuring the education system at all levels to respond effectively to the challenges and imagined impact of the information age and in particular, the allocation of a special IT development fund to education at all levels.
- Restructuring the healthcare system by providing a state databank to provide on-line national healthcare information, administration and management at primary, secondary and tertiary levels.
- Encouraging massive local and global IT skills acquisitions through training in the public and private sectors with the view to achieving a strategic medium-term milestone of at least 100,000 IT skilled personnel by the year 2025.
- Empowering the labour force with IT skills and improving Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) productivity.
- Establishing adequate institutional framework at the state, and local government levels to effectively accomplish the objectives of the IT vision and mission.
- Establishing IT awareness machinery at all levels of government and encouraging private sector participation in exposing Kogians to the features and benefits of IT.
- Strengthening government and private sector collaboration for the attainment of the State self-reliance.
- Utilising IT facilities to develop and transform the entertainment industry for wealth and job creation.
- Establishing appropriate mechanisms to accelerate and enhance trade and commerce transactions in the sector.
- Creating State database management systems as a tool for effective planning & communication between citizens at home and abroad.
- Bringing the government to the doorsteps of people by creating virtual forum and facilities to strengthen accessibility to government information and facilitating interaction between the governed and government leading to transparency, accountability, and the strengthening of democracy.
- Utilizing IT opportunities to restructure government, citizens and business interfaces for better governance, improved trade and commerce and administrative effectiveness.
SPECIFIC MANDATE
- Training of Information Managers at the State and Local Government levels on effective deployment of ICT tools in information management.
- Training of Political Office Holders at the State and Local Government levels on effective deployment of ICT tools in information management.
- Massive ultilisation of Social Media handles such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and blogs
- Creation of virtual forum and facilities
- Creating State database management systems.
- Establishing IT Parks as incubating centres for the development of software applications in each of the Three Senatorial District of the State.
- Utilising IT facilities to develop and transform the entertainment industry for wealth and job creation
- Establishing of a media hub at the Bureau to effectively accomplish the objectives of the IT vision and mission.
- Daily update of Government’s activities on the State Website.
PRINTING SERVICES
The department is responsible for the supervision of the Government Printing Press.
