NITA Board Inaugurated

Board of Trustees for the National Information Technology Agency (NITA) has been inaugurated by the Minister for Communications and Digitalisation, Mrs Ursula Owusu-Ekuful with a call on agencies that regulate ICT space to do their jobs effectively.

The National Information Technology Agency was established by the NITA Act, Act 771 in 2008 and supported by the Electronic Transactions Act (772) as the ICT policy implementing arm of the Ministry of Communications and Digitalisation.

It  is responsible for implementing Ghana’s IT policies and its mandate includes identifying, promoting, and developing innovative technologies, standards, guidelines and practices among government agencies and local governments and the private sector .

The board is made up of Mr. Kwabena Addo-Atuah as Chairperson with Mr. Richard Edmund Okyere-Fosu, Mr Gerard Nana Kwakwa Osei-Tutu, Mr. Issah Yahaya, Mrs. Matilda A. S. Acheampong Wilson, Dr. Albert Antwi Boasiako , Mad. Shiela Y. N. Minkah-Premo Esq., Hon. Ama Pomaa Boateng and one other (Pending).

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful indicated that it was imperative that NITA performs its regulatory functions as envisaged by ACTS 771 and 772.

“The rapid utilisation of digital technology which has been escalated by the covid pandemic and proliferation of virtual and online applications and services both in the public and private sector, requires effective regulation to ensure rights are protected, secure systems which are fit for purpose are procured, data governance is ensured, and minimum standards of technology and proficiency are adhered to across the country” she noted.

REGULATIONS

Minster revealed that NITA has structured its internal activities to suit the four pillars of regulatory requirements i.e., Standards, Certification, Monitoring and Compliance.

“In January 2022, the Agency will commence the registration of all IT professionals and IT industries in the country. Additionally, seven (7) standards documents have been developed to help improve the operations of IT within the ecosystem through guidelines and procedures. Currently, the Agency has trained IT professionals on the developed standards” she said.

NITA, she noted is ready to be a G5 regulator (Per the generations of ICT regulations by the ITU) by collaborating with key institutions regulating aspects of the ICT industry including the NCA, Cybersecurity Authority, Bank of Ghana among others.

Mrs Owusu-Ekuful urged the Board to focus on the following areas “The finalization of the development and implementation of  LIs for the NITA Act and ETA; this is currently being drafted by a team of consultants engaged for the purpose and I’m sure you’ll take a keen interest in the entire process; Develop minimum standards for public sector IT systems and services; Address issues of funding for the Agency; Complete implementation of the SmartWorkPlace Programme; Upgrade National Data Center with additional storage capacity and Government cloud infrastructure as the primary data storage or DR site for all MMDAs.

The Chief Director of the Ministry, Mrs Magdalene Apenteng who welcomed members also congratulated them on their appointments and thanked them for agreeing to serve in their various capacities.

Speaking on behalf of the members of the Board, Mr Richard Edmund Okyere Fosu, Director General of NITA thanked the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo for the trust reposed in them and assured that the Board will work with the Ministry and the relevant agencies to ensure that they meet their target.