NITDA engages consumers, stakeholders on guidelines of service level agreement
In order to boost the gains of Nigeria’s digital economy, National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA has engaged consumers on the guidelines of service level agreement.
In his remarks at a two-day Consumer Protection Forum in Abuja on Tuesday, the Director General of NITDA, Kashifu Abdullahi disclosed that the forum is important to address barriers hindering service delivery.
Kashifu noted that the agency is keen to familiarizing stakeholders to the Guideline for the Introduction of Service Level Agreements (SLA) in Government Information Technology Contracts.
“It is also an avenue to create awareness of Consumer rights on IT products and services to ensure efficient and effective service delivery.
“NITDA, under its mandate of regulation of the IT sector in Nigeria and in furtherance of its Developmental Regulation pillar, which is one of its seven strategic pillars is always seeking to ensure the efficient and effective delivery of IT products and services. This is more so because of the significant role IT has played in this economy in recent years and the more critical need for the Digital Economy to provide the much needed succor from the prevailing global economic downturn. These times are therefore when we need to ensure that there is a viable enabling environment for the Digital Economy to thrive, not just by having innovations in emerging technologies, but ensuring players in the industry thrive under a mutually cohesive environment. Hence, the need for Service Level Agreements.
“Two months ago, NITDA had a very successful international conference, the Digital Nigeria International Conference where the need to pull down barriers which stifle innovation in the Digital Economy was highly recommended. The Consumer Protection Forum is a platform to identify such barriers.
“At previous forums we have been addressing general IT related issues between consumers and service providers. We are now adopting a new approach of resolving specific issues that affect the sector.
“Today, we are addressing a critical issue which emanated from our past consumer protection forum and subsequent complaints within the industry as a result of which NITDA has developed a Guideline for the Introduction of Service Level Agreements (SLA) in Government Information Technology Contracts. We intend to familiarize you with the Guidelines today through our experienced resource persons and we believe this will mark the beginning of compliance to better service delivery in the sector.
“We previously identified that the lack of warranty and after sales service agreements on our IT products and service purchases have cost us so much, and agreed that IT contracts in MDAs should henceforth have an SLA to make provisions for downtime, warranty and after sales support.
“We have here today officers in charge of procurement and finance from various MDAs and also companies registered as IT companies by NITDA and together, we intend to commence to develop the culture of the use and compliance to SLAs when implementing government IT contracts. The NITDA IT Clearance has proven to be a great cost cutter for the Federal Government and I wish to use this occasion to encourage MDAs to continue to embrace it in conjunction with the use of SLA’s,” he stated.
