Nigeria e-Health strategies

Nigerian National
e-Health Strategy, EEAP C &H PIT RAF O& GY RT EI SSNU
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UNECA
REVISED EDITION
2011

Nigerian
National
December 2010
e-Health
Strategy

Information contained in this report has been obtained by the National Information Technology Development Agency
(NITDA) through a team of Resource Persons with proven integrity in Research and Development in ICT profession and
their domain of expertise. The report is published with the understanding that NITDA is supplying information but not
attempting to render business, scientific, engineering or other professional services. If such services are required,
assistancemaybesought throughappropriateexpert/professionalchannel.
ISBN:978-978-50157-1-3
(c)Copyright 2011, NationalInformationTechnologyDevelopmentAgency-NITDA
NITDAContactAddress: Plot28, Port-HarcourtCrescent,OffGimbiyaStreet,Area11,Garki,Abuja,Nigeria.
No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or copied by any means, electronics, mechanical,
photocopying, scanning, recording, stored in a database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of
NITDA.
DesignandProduction:FirstWhitehorsePublishment+234-802-660-8087
ii NITDA | National e-Strategy

ABBREVIATIONS
ATCON Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria
CPN Computer Professional (Registration Council) of Nigeria
ECOWAS Economic Community of West African States
EU European Union
FGN Federal Government of Nigeria
FIRS Federal Inland Revenue Service
FMST Federal Ministry of Science and Technology
GATS General Agreement on Trade in Services
GATT General Agreement on Trade and Tariffs
GDP Gross Domestic Product
GWP Gross World Product
ICT Information and Communications Technology
ICT4D Information and Communications Technology for Development
IKE Information and Knowledge Economy
ISPON Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria
IT Information Technology
LEEDS Local Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy
MDA Ministry, Department and Agency
MDG Millennium Development Goal
NAPEP National Poverty Eradication Programme
NASSCOM National Association of Software and Service Companies
NCS Nigerian Computer Society
NCC National Communications Commission
NECO National Examination Council
NEEDS National Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy
NEPAD New Partnership for African Development
NITDA National Information Technology Development Agency
NITEL Nigerian Tele-communications Limited
NNPC Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation
NOA National Orientation Agency
NSDI National Software Development Institute
NSDTF National Software Development Task Force
NUC National Universities Commission
NYSC National Youth Services Corp
PC Personal Computer
Per Capita Income Gross Domestic Product divided by the country's population.
PPP Public Private Partnership
R & D Research and Development
RDBMS Relational Database Management System
SEEDS State Economic Empowerment and Development Strategy
SMEDAN Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency
STPI Software Technology Parks of India
TRIPS Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
UNECA United Nations Economic Commission for Africa
USA United States of America
WAEC West African Examination Council
WASC West African School Certificate
WSIS World Summit on Information Society
WTO World Trade Organization
NITDA | National e-Strategy vii

TABLE OF CONTENTS
MODULE ONE: HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ICT4D STRATEGIC PLAN
1.1 Introduction 003
1.2 BackgroundStatement 003
1.3 DevelopmentalChallengesandSocio-EconomicIssues 005
1.4 VisionofNigeria 007
1.5 Missions of Nigeria 008
1.6 BreakdownofICTStrategicActionMissions 008
MODULE TWO: NATIONAL POLICIES AND ICT4D STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN
2.1 Socio-economicDevelopmentPoliciesandStrategiesofNigeria 013
2.1.1 NationalEconomicEmpowermentDevelopmentStrategy(NEEDS) 013
2.1.2 SevenPointAgenda 014
2.2 SectoralGoals 015
DevelopingNigeria'sInformationSocietyandEconomy 017
MODULE THREE: OVERVIEW OF ICT4D STRATEGIC PLAN AND SUCCESS FACTORS
3.1 OverviewofICT4DStrategicPlan 021
3.2 SuccessFactorsofICT4D StrategicPlan 022
MODULE FOUR: ICT4D IN THE HEALTH SECTOR
4.1 BackgroudStatement 029
DeclarationoftheWorldSummitonInformationSociety(WSIS) 029
4.1.2 WorldHealthOrganizatione-HealthInitiatives 030
4.1.3 OverviewoftheStrategicThrusts forDevelopmentinHealthSector 031
4.1.4 Issues ofICT4D intheNigerianHealthSector 031
4.2 StrategicPlanforICT4D inHealthSector 033
viii Table of Content

The National Information Technology (IT) policy was developed in 2000, approved by the FEC in March 2001, and
NITDA was established in April 2001 to implement the ITpolicy. A national committee was inaugurated by the
Honourable Minister of Science and Technology, Professor Touner Isoun, to develop the Nigerian ICT for Development
(ICT4D) Strategic Action Plan under the supervision of NITDA in order to ensure the effective and structured
implementation of the policy.. The members of the committee were drawn from Nigerians with proven integrity and
competence in Research and Development in their various areas of expertise especially in IT profession. There was
financialandtechnicalsupport fromtheUnitedNationsEconomicCommissionforAfrica(UNECA).
TheICT4D documentaddressed theunder listedsectors in theNationaleconomy:
a. Health.
b. Agriculture.
c. Education.
d. ResearchandDevelopment.
e. HumanResourceDevelopment.
f. GovernanceandLegislature.
g. NationalSecurityandLawEnforcement.
h. ElectronicGovernment
i. Infrastructure.
J. PrivateSector.
k. Awareness,PopularizationandDevelopment.
The ICT4D strategic action plan for each sector presents a background statement, which reviews the relevant focus area
of the sector, with references to the challenges, developments on specific local and global issues pertaining to the subject
area of the sector. This document includes a justification for the need for the strategic action plan within the context of the
need to develop Nigeria's information and knowledge economy. The second part of the ICT4D strategic action plan for
each sector presents some programmes for implementation. For each of the sectors, the implementation levels, relevant
national ICT policy objectives, relevant implementation strategies, relevant Information and Knowledge Economy (IKE)
development goals, specific programme implementation goals and targets of each programme are documented followed
by the identification and description of the specific plan actions to be implemented under the programme. Some of the
specific plan actions are associated with prerequisites. The prerequisites define what needs to be done before a specific
planactioncanbeimplemented.
The national ICT4D strategic action plan presents Nigeria's roadmap for the development of information and knowledge
basedsocietyandeconomyasameansoffacilitatingtherealizationofnationalsocio-economicdevelopment.
This edition addresses the health sector, outlining various strategies for implementing ICT for the development of the
sector.
Professor C. O. Angaye
Director General
FOREWORD
THE NATIONAL ICT4D STRATEGIC PLAN
NITDA | National e-Strategy v

1
HISTORICAL
BACKGROUND
OF ICT4D
STRATEGIC PLAN

1.1 Introduction
In 2000, Nigeria developed its
national Information Technology (IT)
policy with the vision of making IT an
engine for enabling and sustainable
development in Nigeria whereby the
country can be a key player in the global
information society. Based on the policy
document, the National Information
Technology Development Agency
(NITDA) was established in 2001 to
serve as a national agency for
coordinating Nigerian Information and
Communications Technology for
Development (ICT4D) initiatives and
efforts. NITDA working with key
stakeholders in all sectors (public,
private and civil society) has been
responsible for implementing the IT
policydocument.
The development of the Nigerian
ICT for Development (ICT4D) Strategic
Action Plan which began in 2003 is being
sponsored and coordinated by the
National Information Technology
Development Agency (NITDA) in
collaboration with the United Nations
Economic Commission for Africa
(UNECA) as part of the African
Information Society Initiative (AISI)
initiated by UNECA. The Nigerian
ICT4D StrategicAction Plan (e-strategy)
from 2010 through 2015 will serve as the
first of the four yearly plans to be aimed
at implementing the provisions of the
Nigerian National Policy for Information
Technology.
The Nigerian ICT4D plan has
been developed within the context of
achieving the Federal Government of
Nigeria's Seven Point Agenda and
various socio-economic development
programmes and initiatives aimed at
positioning Nigeria amongst the 20
leading economies in the world by year
2020. The Plan would serve as a point of
policy-reference and a framework for
complementing and supplementing short
term and medium term socio-economic
development and budgetary plans within
the context of the Government's long-
term goal. ICT is meant to serve as the
Historical Bankground of ICT4D Strategic Plan
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ICT4D STRATEGIC PLAN
platform for the development of an
information and knowledge-based
economyandsociety.
The Revised Edition of the
ICT4D Plan 2010-2015 is presented in
this Document. The National ICT
Strategic Plan of Actions and
programmes are designed to recognize
and contribute to the realization of the
stated socio-economic development
policy priorities and programmes of the
Government. The plan does this by
covering the various sectors and
identifying particular programmes for
short term, medium term and long term
implementation by identified
stakeholders. ICT4D Plan 2010-2015 is a
time-sensitive action plan with realistic
targets and benchmarks for sectoral
applications of ICT for national
development.
1.2 Background Statement
Rapid globalization and
advances in Information and
Communication Technology (ICT) has
b r o u g h t a b o u t p h e n o m e n a l
improvements and great opportunities
for developing countries to participate
meaningfully in the global digital
economy. It is in Nigeria's national
interest to harness potentials that exist in
the information-driven age through the
deployment and exploitation of ICTs to
facilitatesocio-economicdevelopment.
The information age is one in
which information and knowledge are
key factors in enabling social and
economic growth. It is, therefore,
imperative for Nigeria to facilitate the
development of information and
knowledge based economy through the
deployment, development and
exploitation of ICT. The impact of ICT
affects all facets of the society and is used
to meet real development needs such as
wealth creation, job creation, poverty
reduction, economic growth and
education. It provides the unique
opportunity to compete and participate in
the global networked economy. ICT is a
key factor in ensuring sustainable
Historical Ba kground of ICT4D Strategic Planc 3

development in today's information age.
Developing an ICT roadmap will show
clearly how ICT fits into the national
picture. In today's information age no
nation can perform at its best without
concrete, well-thought-out and working
ICT strategies. Countries therefore
develop national ICT policies in
recognition of the enormous potential of
ICT.
Implementing the Federal
Government of Nigeria's socio-economic
development program requires the
development of information and
knowledge based Nigerian economy that
increases the ability of Nigeria and its
people to compete globally and
participate meaningfully in the
information age. The Nigerian ICT4D
Strategic Action Plan (e-Strategy) from
2010 through 2015 has been developed
within the context of realizing the Federal
Government of Nigeria's Seven Point
Agenda for Nigeria to achieve the vision
of making Nigeria one of the top 20
economies in the world, by year 2020
through the development of an
information and knowledge-based
economy and society. It will serve as the
first of the four yearly plans aimed at
implementing the provisions of the
Nigerian National Policy for Information
Technology. It is, in addition, based on the
following Government socio-economic
development programmes and initiatives
amongothers:
a. National Economic Empowerment
DevelopmentStrategy(NEEDS)
b. State Economic Empowerment
DevelopmentStrategies(SEEDS).
c. Millennium, Development Goals
(MDGs).
d. National Poverty Eradication
Programme(NAPEP).
e. Plan of Action of the World Summit
onInformationSociety(WSIS).
The plan will provide concrete
and integrated implementation strategies
for the key sectors as presented in this
document. The ICT4D Plan-2015 will
s e r v e a s a p l a t f o r m f o r t h e
implementation of all Federal and State
ICT programmes and initiatives. It will
provide a framework for the
implementation of all on-going and
future ICT4D initiatives and programmes
of the Development Partners including
the World Bank, UNDP, ECA, USAID,
DFID, EU among others. The goal is to
mainstream into the ICT4D Plan-2015
the implementation of all ICT
programmes and initiatives irrespective
of whether they are federal level or state
level initiatives, or donor funded. The
development of the Nigerian ICT for
Development (ICT4D) Strategic Action
Plan is coordinated by the National
Information Technology Development
Agency (NITDA) in collaboration with
the United Nation's Economic
Commission for Africa (UNECA) as part
of the African Information Society
Initiative(AISI) initiatedby UNECA.
In order to achieve the objectives,
the process for preparing a national ICT
Strategic Plan involved setting up of a
broad-based National ICT4D Strategic
Action Plan Committee with membership
drawn from experienced professionals in
all key sectors of the economy including
government, the private sector and
academia. Various technical Sub-
Committees were established and
Resource Persons identified for each sub-
committee. The Resource Persons were
responsible for developing the related
Sub-Plan for each sub-committee. The
process of developing the national ICT
Strategic Plan involved extensive multi-
stakeholder participation in revising and
validating the draft of the policy
document. Series of national
consultations and stakeholders meetings
involving the public sector, private sector
and civil society as well as ECA
representatives were held to review the
draftdocument.
In the review programme, the
holistic view and synergy of national
development objectives, strategies,
programmes developmental challenges
and opportunities introduced by ICT in
today's world weretaken.
The Policy Document presents
Nigeria's roadmap for the development of
an information and knowledge based
society and economy as a means of
facilitating the realization of national
socio-economic development policy
priorities and programmes in the global
networked economy. Specifically, the
4 NITDA | National e-Strategy

p o l i c y
i s
focusse
don:
a .
Factors
a n d
challen
g e s
involve
d i n
ensurin
g social
a n d
econom
ic growth is rapid, sustainable,
widespread and inclusive for the benefit
ofNigeriaanditspeople.
b. Re-engineering the existing
operations of the sectors of Nigerian
economy using ICT as a tool with a view
to registering the country's full
participationinglobalinformationage.
c. Harnessing the potentials of ICT
with a view to actualizing wealth
creation, poverty reduction, employment
generation, wealth redistribution,
sustainable development and global
competition.
1.3 Developmental Challenges
and Socio-EconomicIssues
ICT policies are only relevant
and meaningful if they are based on the
prevailing socio-economic issues and
developmental challenges. Plans and
strategies must be driven by national
development challenges and socio-
economic developmental priorities. The
pertinent indicators in this regard include
thefollowing:
a. Nigeria has the leading economy
in West Africa, which is second only to
that of South Africa in Africa. Nigeria is
however dependent economically on the
oil and gas sector. The oil sector accounts
for 90% of
e x p o r t
e a r n i n g s
a n d
p r o v i d e s
2 0 % o f
GDP.
b. Nigeria
is one of the
w o r l d ' s
l e a d i n g
producers
a n d
exporter of
petroleum.
However, very few Nigerians benefit
fromtheoilwealth.
C. Revenues from oil have been
squandered by corruption and
mismanagement. Institutional corruption
is a major problem impeding

developmentinNigeria.
d. Niger Delta Region which is the
heart of the oil-producing areas is
characterized by environmental
degradation violence, kidnapping,
poverty and insecurity. Consequently,
there is a gradual and significant drop in
Nigeria'soilexports.
e. Nigeria's economy is characterized by
a dominant public sector which promotes
the culture of overdependence of the
private sector on government patronage
and contracts for the generation of quick,
immense wealth with minimal effort and
productivity. As a result, productivity is
low in the weak and underdeveloped
private sector, while other socio-
economicdistortionsarebeingfostered.
f. Nigeria with a population of about
140 million is rated seventh among
nations in the world population; hence a
nation with impressive large human
resource and capacity building. The
apparent oil boom has caused the
collaPRVe of the middle class citizen of
the nation. The consequence is the large
gap between the high class (rich citizen)
and low class (poor citizen). More that
90% of the population live in abject
poverty.
g. Poor quality and inadequate provision
of basic infrastructure - power, water,
transportation, communications and
utilities are major hindrances to social
andeconomicgrowth.
h. Nigeria's economy is heavily
dependent on imports, industrial capacity
utilization is less than 30% and the
competitive edge of the local industry is
grossly low.
i. 75% of the national economy is in the
informal sector. Small business sector is
largely underdeveloped and majority of
Small and Medium scale Enterprises
(SMEs) are not globally competitive.
Inflation is also a major problem
hinderinggrowth.
j. N i g e r i a n e c o n o m y i s
underperforming with low per capita
GDP, a low growth rate and rising
unemploymentlevels.
k. Unemployment is on the rise resulting
in increasing social problems and related
criminal activities.Youth unemployment,
in particular, is a major impediment in
utilizing the skills and capabilities of
young people to make a difference to their
lives and their communities. Existing
statistics have shown that the youth
contributes 43.5% to Nigerian
population.
l. Corruption and the activities of a
small percentage of Nigerian citizens
perpetrating international scams, affects
Nigeria's global image with regard to
issues oftrustandbusiness confidence.
m. Efforts at attracting foreign
investment and encouraging Nigerians in
Diaspora to invest at home are being
hampered by security concerns as well as
the problematic and inadequate power
supply infrastructure that characterize the
business environment.
n. 70% of the populace are rural dwellers
with no access to information,
c o m m u n i c a t i o n s a n d
telecommunications facilities. The rural
populace in addition has to deal with lack
of infrastructure, poor income and high
illiteracy.
o. Telecom availability has improved in
recent times; however, teledensity is still
only about 25%, broadband penetration is
still abysmally low and poor quality of
s e r v i c e c o n t i n u a l l y p l a g u e s
telecommunication service provided by
theoperators.
p. The agricultural sector accounts for
over 41% of GDP and two-thirds of
employment. However, Nigeria which
was once a large net producer and
exporter of food has become a net
importer of food. The largely subsistence
sector has been unable to keep up with
rapidpopulationgrowth.
q. Social and equity issues exist with
regard to gender, disadvantaged grouPRV
and those in rural and under-served
communities who constitute the majority
in the populace. Women which make up
the majority of the rural population are
grossly disadvantaged in education,
employment and participation in social,
economic and political games which
characterize the growth and development
ofthecountry.
r. The Educational system is not
meeting the human capital needs that
Nigeria requires to exploit the
opportunities and meet the challenges of
the global networked economy. The
curricula in schools (primary, secondary
and tertiary) are not developed to re-
engineer qualitative and functional
operations in both the public and private
sectorsofnationaleconomy.
s. Nigeria has a high level of illiteracy of
41% translating to about 57 million of the

total population. Over 12 million
childrenarenotinschool.
t. Common but preventable infections
account for about 57 per cent of deaths
from all ages in Nigeria. Many in remote
parts of the country still lack adequate
healthfacilities.
u. Nigeria fares poorly in terms of
human development and well being of its
people with low life expectancy as well
ashighinfantmortalityanddeathrates.
Despite the challenges and
problems stated above, Nigeria is one of
the few nations in the world blessed with
abundant mineral wealth, an
entrepreneurial population and a
potentially productive agricultural base.
By virtue of its size, population and
location, it is well positioned to serve as
the hub of economic activities in Africa.
ICT in the information age presents
opportunities and challenges for Nigeria
and its people to bridge the digital divide
and achieve its economic, social,
empowerment and overall prosperity
goals.
1.4 Vision ofNigeria
The vision of Nigeria, currently,
has thefollowingthreecomponents:
a. Global Vision is to improve
the quality of life of the Nigerian people
through the development of information
and knowledge based economy that the
people of Nigeria can use to gain social,
economic and educational benefit and
fulfill their potentials.TheVision is an all
encompassing vision that recognizes the
need to develop not only economically
but for transformation and advancements
in social, economic, political,
educational and cultural ways in order to
promote political stability, good
governance and system of government;
improvement in the quality of life;
national unity and reconciliation; social
inclusiveness, interaction, cohesion and
integration; social justice; environmental
protection and the fostering of the
cultural heritage of Nigeria. It also aims
at enhancing the pride and confidence of
the Nigerian people in their abilities and
capabilities to develop Nigeria into a
prosperous nation that is at peace with
itselfterritoriallyandethnically.
b. Vision 2020 is to make
Nigeria one of the top 20 economies of the
worldbytheYear2020.
c. Federal Government Seven
Point Agenda constitute the most
important framework for policy
implementation in Nigeria. It aims at
accelerating economic growth and
reforms to make a concrete and visible
difference to ordinary people. Currently,
detailed plans are being developed for all
aspects of the Seven Point Agenda. The
keyareasoftheAgendaare:
i. D e v e l o p i n g a n d
improving the nation's critical
infrastructure which includes power,
transportation, national gas distribution
and telecommunications. The
development of these sectors is essential
in ensuring Nigeria's ability to develop as
a modern economy and industrialized
nationby 2020.
ii. The Niger Delta region,
more than any other region, faces a
number of physical and geographical
challenges including environmental
degradation, pollution, oil spills and
human, economic, social and political
problems. The Seven Point Agenda aims
at addressing the existing issues in the
Niger Delta region through the
implementation of the existing Master
Plan and appropriate funding of the Niger
Delta Development Commission
(NDDC). This will result in the
diversification of the region's economy
by engaging and activating key sectors
including agriculture, information and
communications technology, tourism and
industry. The implementation of the plan
will also result in improving the living
standards of the people, as well as
improved governance at the grassroots
level.
iii. One of the major concern
of the Federal Government is the
development of the agricultural sector
with a view to ensuring food security.
Improvements in this sector will include
the use of modern technology in
agricultural development and financial
injection into research which will lead to
an increase in yield and production of
food. The reforms in the agricultural
sector will lead to massive domestic and
commercial outputs and the technological
knowledgetransfertolocalfarmers.

iv. The empowerment of
individuals is an essential aspect of
human capital development and will
continue to play a significant role in
Nigeria as a society. The provision of
health, education and social protection is
core to empowering the population to
a c h i e v e s u s t a i n a b l e n a t i o n a l
development under the Seven Point
Agenda.
v. Nigeria ranks as the most
populous country in Africa, with about
64% residing in the rural areas. The
pressure of rural-urban migration is
currently impacting on the social
amenities and infrastructure in the major
metropolitan areas and as such urgent
action is required to provide sufficient
affordable housing. The Seven Point
Agenda proposes changes in the land
laws which will optimise Nigeria's
growth through the release of land for
housing, commercialized farming and
large scale businesses by the private
sector. Other changes are that the Federal
Government to reorganize the Federal
Housing Authority (FHA) and to provide
mortgage insurance for affordable
housing, and the State Governments to
convert their Housing Corporations into
land companies with the mandate to
developnewtowns intheStates.
Vi. Addressing the National
Security is a high priority of the Federal
Government. In this regard, the
government plans to create a Central
Directorate of Intelligence and also
encourage more neighbourhoods
policing to curb the crime rate. Police
stations are to be equipped with
networked computers and a central
computerised fingerprinting records
system put in place.The general welfare
and conditions of service of the men and
officers of the Police Force will be
improved as a morale boost to discourage
corruption.
Vii. The alleviation of
poverty through wealth creation is one of
the key objectives of the Seven Point
Agenda. To reduce the level of poverty,
the Federal Government is determined to
create more wealth by creating an
enabling environment for economic
growth and increase in the personal
incomes of individual citizens. The
government will concentrate on areas
such as skills development for
productivity and Wealth creation,
facilitating access to credit for small to
medium sized businesses and the self
employed.
1.5 Missions of Nigeria
TheMissions areto:
a. Develop and transform all
key sectors of the economy and society
using ICT.
b. Transform the agricultural
sector for improved production and
distribution of food and agricultural
products and enhance and develop food-
agroexportindustry.
c. Transform the educational
system in Nigeria in such a way that it can
produce quality and functional
knowledgeable human capital in
sufficient numbers to meet the ICT and
non ICT expertise requirements for the
growth and development of a sustainable,
productive and inclusive knowledge
society.
d. Develop a local globally
competitive ICT sector and industry in
Nigeria with the capacity to develop,
produce, manufacture and assemble ICT
products and services to meet the needs of
localandglobalmarkets.
e. Transform the health sector to
significantly improve levels of life
expectancy, infant and maternal mortality
and reduce the spread of infectious
diseases
f. Develop the Research and
Development (R&D) sector through
capacity building initiatives, diffusing
scientific and technical knowledge,
creating and fostering strong links
between technology-based industries,
academic institutions and the government
to promote innovation and develop and
utilize appropriate and innovative
technologiesfornationalneeds. g .
To provide a conducive environment for
private sector (local and foreign)
investment in the ICT industry and
becoming a leading and trusted regional
hub.
h. To develop a viable ICT-
driven Industrial sector capable of
generating economic growth and
employment, and producing goods for the
domesticandexportmarkets.

1.6 Breakdown of ICT Strategic
ActionMissions
The following broad strategies
will be implemented to ensure the
achievement of ICT Strategic Action
Missions:
a. To transform Nigeria into an
information and knowledge based ICT
drivennation.
b. To promote and encourage
the deployment and utilization of ICT
infrastructure.
c. To promote new ways of
organizing work and business with the
aim of raising productivity, growth and
well-being through investment in ICTs
andhumanresources.
d. T o f a c i l i t a t e t h e
improvement, enhanced quality of
service and provision of information and
communications infrastructure for public
and private sectors, education and the
civil society in the urban and rural areas
toengenderthedevelopmentprocess.
e. To e n h a n c e e x i s t i n g
educational facilities and capacity and
create new sustainable, innovative
educational systems to meet the needs of
those traditionally excluded from the
educationalsystemby using ICT.
f. To produce quality and
knowledgeable human capital in
sufficient numbers to meet the ICT and
non ICT expertise requirements for the
growth and development of a sustainable,
productive and inclusive knowledge
society with a view to meeting both local
andglobalcontents.
g. To develop the legal,
institutional, security and regulatory
framework and structures required for
supporting the safe, efficient and
sustainable deployment and utilization of
ICTwithintheeconomyandsociety.
h. To transform the economy
into a private sector-led, robust, stable,
dynamic, globally competitive, and
export-led economy that rewards
productivity, competitiveness and
promotes the role of government as a
facilitator and a catalyst in the economy
with the Private sector as the engine of
growth.
i. To develop and promote
private sector initiatives using ICT for
accelerated and widespread, nationwide
small business growth, employment
generation and diversify the economy
away from its overdependence on the
capital-intensiveoilsector.
j. To promote the use of ICT in
government to improve the efficiency and
effectiveness of government service
delivery and stimulate ICT and related
industries.
k. To eliminate the barriers
stopping women from participating
actively in the information society
through the use of education, equal access
to ICT and using ICTs to enhance
opportunitiesforwomen.
l. To improve the quality and
provision of basic infrastructure - power,
water, transportation, communications
andutilities.
m. To promote the deployment
and development of ICT infrastructure
desirable for social, commercial and
educational needs of the youth, people in
geopolitically disadvantaged areas,
disadvantaged grouPRV and those in
ruralandunder-servedcommunities.
M. To brand Nigeria as an
attractive destination for ICT Foreign
Direct Investment (FDI), improve and
diversify the inflow of FDI into various
areasofICT.

2
NATIONAL POLICIES
AND ICT4D STRATEGIC
ACTION PLAN

2.1 S o c i o - e c o n o m i c
Development Policies and
Strategiesof Nigeria
The Seven Point Agenda and
other socio-economic policies,
designed to develop and transform
Nigeria through accelerated socio-
economic growth is based on the
vision of making Nigeria one of the
Top 20 economies in the world, by
Year 2020. This is to be achieved
through the development of an
Information and Knowledge-Based
Economy and Society that has an
efficient and technology-assisted
agricultural sector, a viable ICT-
driven industrial sector and a globally
competitiveICTsectorandindustry.
2.1.1 N a t i o n a l E c o n o m i c
Empowerment Development
Strategy(NEEDS)
In 2003, the Government of
Nigeria approved a poverty reduction
strategy, the Nigerian Economic
Empowerment and Development
Strategy (NEEDS) based partly on the
Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs).
NEEDS provides a framework
for a nationally coordinated
programme of action by the federal,
state, and local governments. Through
t h e s t a t u t o r y o r g a n s f o r
intergovernmental coordination (the
National Economic Council, the
National Council for Development
Planning, and the Joint Planning
Board), state governments not only
endorsed the thrusts of NEEDS but
also committed to developing State
Economic Empowerment and
Development Strategies (SEEDS).
Wi t h t h e S t a t e E c o n o m i c
Empowerment and Development
Strategy (SEEDS) in all states,
NEEDS integrates economic
National Policies and ICT4D Strategic Action Plan
NATIONAL POLICIES AND ICT4D STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN
development efforts at the federal and
statelevels.
NEEDS vision is also one in
which Nigeria fulfils its potential to
become Africa's largest economy and
a major player in the global economy.
NEEDS focuses on four key
strategies:
a. Reorientingvalues.
b. Reducingpoverty.
c. Creatingwealth.
d. Generatingemployment.
These goals are to be achieved
by creating an environment in which
business can thrive, government is
redirected to providing basic services,
and people are empowered to take
advantage of the new livelihood
opportunitiestheplanwillstimulate.
NEEDS aims at making
poverty a thing of the past in Nigeria.
It aims to create a Nigeria that
Nigerians can be proud to belong to
and grateful to inhabit, a Nigeria that
rewards hard work, protects its people
and their property, and offers its
children better prospects than those
they may be tempted to seek in Europe
or the United States. All citizens,
regardless of gender, race, religion, or
“By 2020 Nigeria will be one of
the 20 largest economies in the
world able to consolidate its
leadership role in Africa and
establish itself as a significant
player in the global economic
and political arena”
VISION 20:2020
National Policies and ICT4D Strategic Action Plan 13

politics, should feel that they have a
stake in Nigeria's future and that their
loyalty and diligence will be
rewarded.
T h e w e l f a re , h e a l t h ,
employment, education, political
power, physical security, and
empowerment of the Nigerian people
are of paramount importance in
realizing this vision of the future. This
wouldbeachievedthrough:
a. Empowering people: By
allowing the private sector to thrive,
NEEDS creates opportunities for
employment and wealth creation. It
empowers people to take advantage of
these opportunities by creating a
system of incentives that reward hard
work and punish corruption, investing
in education, and providing special
programmes for the most vulnerable
membersofthesociety.
b. P r o m o t i n g p r i v a t e
enterprise:The private sector will be
the engine of economic growth under
NEEDS. It will be the executor,
investor, and manager of businesses.
The government will play the role of
enabler, facilitator, and regulator,
helping the private sector grow, create
jobs, and generate wealth.
Deregulation and liberalization will
diminish governmental control and
attractprivatesectorinvestment.
c. Changing the way the
government does its work: NEEDS
aims to restructure the government to
make it smaller, stronger, better
skilled, and more efficient at
delivering essential services. It seeks
to transform the government from a
haven of corruption to an institution
that spurs development and serves the
people.
2.1.2 SevenPointAgenda
TheSevenpointAgendaare:
a. Power and Energy: The
infrastructural reforms in this critical
sector through the development of
sufficient and adequate power supply
will be to ensure Nigeria's ability to
develop as a modern economy and an
industrialnationbytheyear2015.
b. Food Security: This reform is
primarily agrarian based. The
emphasis is on the development of
modern technology, research,
financial injection into research,
production and development of
agricultural inputs which will
revolutionalize the agricultural sector
leading to a 5 10 fold increase in yield
and production. This will result in
massive domestic and commercial
outputs and technological knowledge
transfertofarmers.
c. Wealth Creation: By virtue of
its reliance on revenue from non-
renewal oil, Nigeria has yet to develop
industrially. This reform is focused on
wealth creation through diversified
production especially in the
agricultural, solid mineral and other
non-oilsectors.
d. Transport Sector: The
transportation sector in Nigeria with
its poor roads networks is an
inefficient means of mass transit of
people and goods. With a goal of a
modernized industrialized Nigeria, it
is mandatory that Nigeria develoPRV
itstransportsector.
e. Land Reforms: While
hundreds of billions of dollars have
been lost through unused government-
owned landed asset, changes in the
land laws and the emergence of land
reforms will optimize Nigeria's
growth through the release of lands for
commercialized farming and other
large scale business by the private
sector. The final result will ensure
improvements and boosts to the
production and wealth creation
initiatives.
f. Security: An unfriendly
security climate precludes both
external and internal investment in the

nation. Thus, security will be seen as
not only a constitutional requirement
but also as a necessary infrastructure
for the development of a modern
Nigerian economy. With its particular
needs, the Niger Delta security issue
will be the primary focus, marshalled
not with physical policing or military
security, but through honest and
accurate dialogue between the people
andtheFederalGovernment.
g. Education: The two-fold
reforms in the educational sector will
ensure firstly the minimum acceptable
international standards of education
for all. With that achieved, a strategic
educational development plan will
ensure excellence in both the tutoring
and learning of skills in science and
technology by students who will be
seen as the future innovators and
industrialists of Nigeria. This reform
will be achieved through massive
injectionintotheEducationsector.
The focus and goals of NEEDS
and the Seven-Point Agenda are
poverty reduction, wealth creation and
employment generation through the
development of an enabling
environmentforgrowth.
ICT policies and strategies
must therefore be developed to meet
these goals in recognition of the
enormous potential of ICT. Nigeria's
ICT policies and strategies are
therefore designed within the context
of the overall national development
goals. To transform Nigeria into an
information and knowledge based
economy where knowledge and
technology is exploited to engender
social and economic growth, a
multisectoral ICT-led approach is
adopted for all major sectors that will
lead to the realization of the seven
pointagenda.
The National Strategic Action
Plan (ICT4D) provides concrete
implementation strategies over the
next 4 years for the key sectors,
namely: health, agriculture, education,
infrastructure, human resource
development, Legal/Regulations,
p r i v a t e s e c t o r / i n d u s t r y ,
media/community, amongst others - as
part of an integrated approach to
achieving national development
espoused through NEEDS and the
Seven-PointAgenda.
2.2 SectoralGoals:
The following four sectoral
goals arepresented:
a. A g r i c u l t u r a l s e c t o r
developmentgoalsareto:
i. M o d e r n i z e t h e
agricultural sector, improve its
efficiency and productivity, ensure
food security, generate agricultural
and rural employment, contribute to
economic growth and improve the
foreign exchange generation capacity
of the sector thereby restoring
agriculture to its former status as a
leadingsectorintheeconomy.
ii. Promote private sector
investment in the agricultural sector
and modernize agricultural
production, processing, storage and
distribution to meet the needs of the
industrial and other sectors of the
Nigerian economy while promoting
agro export to improve the sector's
foreign exchange earning capacity and
diversify the country's export base and
sources offoreignexchangeearnings.
iii. Promote protection
and improvement of agricultural land
resources, preservation of the
environment and agriculture related
research and development efforts to
enhance and support sustainable
agriculturalproduction.
b. Service sector development
goalsareto:
i. Develop a globally

competitive high value-added service
sector, to create wealth, improve
business efficiency, generate jobs and
serve as an engine of growth for
accelerated and sustainable socio-
economic development with the
potential to become a leading trusted
hub providing ICT, trade and business
services through the deployment and
exploitation of ICTs for the ECOWAS
sub-regionandbeyond.
ii. Build local capacity to
meet the needs of its huge domestic
market and diversify the productive
structure of the economy away from
oil/natural resources while improving
the country's export base and
enhancing sources of foreign
exchangeearnings.
iii. Promoted some ways of
organizing work and business and the
enabling environment for private
sector led growth with the aim of
raising productivity, growth and well-
being through investment in ICTs and
humanresources.
c. Industrial sector development
goalsareto:
i. Develop a viable ICT
production and development industry,
a thriving cottage industry and mass-
consumer products ICT driven light
industry in the formal and informal
sectors capable of generating
economic growth and employment
and producing goods for the domestic
andexportmarkets.
ii. Put in place measures
that would raise the contribution of the
industrial sector and supporting
industrial development to improve
export earnings and generate
industrialgrowth locally.
iii. I m p r o v e
infrastructure, promote awareness and
create better understanding of the
benefits of deploying ICT in the
industrialsector.
iv. Exploit the use of ICT
to strengthen the manufacturing
industry in the traditional
manufacturing industry and the
cottageindustries.
d. ICT Sector development
and enabled services goal: In view of
the need to accelerate national
development, the Information and
Communications Technology (ICT)
sector plays a critical and enabling
role with regard to de-emphasizing the
role of oil production while
facilitating enhanced productivity and
diversificationof theeconomy.
Although the telecom
revolution made possible by the
government's reform programme has
opened up a new world through
improved telephony and related
services, the ICT sector in Nigeria
certainly needs to be further
developed and strengthened. There is
a need to enhance the productive
capacity of the ICT sector to avoid
Nigeria becoming primarily an ICT
consumer nation.Apriority of the ICT
policy is the development of local
capacity to meet the needs of the ICT
sector in developing information and
knowledge based society. Policies will
encourage research and development
as well as initiatives that facilitate and
enhance local manufacture, capacity
and content development in the key
areas of ICT.Astrong local ICT sector
will not only meet domestic ICTneeds
but will enable Nigeria and its people
to exploit international market
opportunities. It presents Nigeria with
an opportunity to take a significant
position in the global ICT value chain
while providing career and business
opportunities locally and globally, as
well as the generation of foreign
exchange and reducing investment
spent on imported ICT infrastructure
andresources.
In addition to developing
and expanding the ICT sector, ICT

must be developed and exploited to
develop other sectors of the economy
to enable the development of
information and knowledge based
economy that will lead to real socio-
economic development. Developing
and exploiting ICT in all sectors of the
economy enables the widespread
diffusion of the benefits associated
with ICT such as enhanced
productivity, improved performance
and the creation of new ICT driven
services, products and opportunities.
Policies and strategies that will
facilitate and promote the
development, deployment and
exploitation of ICT enabled services
willbepursued.
The GSM revolution and
increased provision of ICT services
have improved access required to
exploit ICT. However, it is recognized
that to have the desired impact on
national growth; ICT policies must
promote the acceleration of
widespread ICT penetration
throughout the country and must
include the disadvantaged and those
traditionally excluded. The emphasis
will be on strategies that emphasize
creative solutions that take advantage
of knowledge economy opportunities
and challenges by exploiting and
producing ICT to solve problems and
provide innovative solutions in the
public and private sectors and in all
sectors of the economy in an inclusive
manner.
The effectiveness of the
promotion of the ICT sector and ICT
enabled services will depend on the
quality and size of human resource.
Human resource must be able to
compete globally in the digital
economy. The absence or low
availability of required ICT skills
erects barriers preventing local and
foreign investors from setting up ICT
and ICT driven enterprises. Initiatives
and strategies will, therefore, be put in
place to promote the development of
human capital that Nigeria needs for
the development and expansion of the
ICT sector, as well as digital inclusion
for the widespread acquisition of
skills and knowledge required for the
exploitation and creation of ICT
enabledservices.
T h e f o c u s o f t h e
Development of Nigeria's ICT sector
Development and ICT enabled
services Goal is the combination of
efforts aimed at developing Nigeria's
ICTsector, promoting the exploitation
of ICT in all sectors and the
development of human capital
required in key skill areas for
developing an information and
knowledgebasedeconomy.
2.3 Developing Nigeria's
Information Societyand Economy
Accelerated and sustainable
socio economic development through
realization of Nigeria's ICT Strategic
Action Vision will come by achieving
the mission of making Nigeria one of
the Top 20 economies in the world, by
Year 2020 through the development of
an Information and Knowledge-Based
EconomyandSociety.
The Nigerian government is
fully committed to the implementation
of the various socio-economic and
ICT policies based on Vision 2020 to
transform Nigeria's oil driven
economyinto:
a. A high income economy
dominated by the trading in ICT
productsandservices.
b. A n e c o n o m y
characterized by a large commercial
service sector with a reasonably large
and vibrant, ICT service sub- sector
andindustry.
c. A n e c o n o m y
characterized by a technology-based

knowledge-drivenindustrialsector.
d. An economy with a
globally competitive industrial and
service sector which are to a large
extent driven by cutting-edge R&D
encompassing basic and applied
industrialandproductsdevelopment.
e. An economy based on a
rich pool of highly skilled human
resources in critical skill areas
relevant for developing and
maintaining a competitive edge on the
globalmarket.
f. An economy with a
modern, efficient and competitive
agriculturalsector.
g. A n e c o n o m y
characterized by a wide-spread
deployment and exploitation of ICT's
within the society to support the
delivery of health, education,
governmentandsocialservices.
h. A n e c o n o m y
characterized by a modern
educational system within which
ICT's are widely deployed to facilitate
the delivery of educational services at
alllevelsoftheeducationalsystem.
i. An economy in which a
reasonable large proportion of the
population have access to ICT
productsandservices.
j. An economy in which the
provision and delivery of
goods and services of the
key sectors of the
economy are to large
extentfacilitatedbyICT.
l. An economy based on an
advanced and reliable
n a t i o n a l I C T
infrastructure.
m. An economy based on a
literate society with a high
proportion of computer
literate.

3
OVERVIEW OF
ICT4D STRATEGIC
PLAN AND SUCCESS
FACTORS

3.1 O v e r v i e w o f I C T 4 D
StrategicPlan
The ICT4D Plan-2011 is
organized in terms of the following
broad policyfocus:
a. Facilitating government
administration and service delivery,
including the promotion of electronic
government and governance
initiatives.
b. P r o m o t i n g h u m a n
resourcedevelopment.
c. P r o mo tin g I C Ts in
education targeting all levels of the
educational system from primary to
universitylevel.
d. S u p p o r t i n g t h e
development of the private sector
includingpromotingtheuse of ICTs to
support sectorial development,
including key economic sectors like:
agriculture, services and the industrial
sectors.
e Promoting infrastructure
development including physical and
the telecommunications and
communicationsinfrastructure.
f Promoting research and
development(R&D).
g Creating the necessary
legal and regulatory environment to
support the development,
deployment and exploitation of ICTs
withintheeconomyandsociety.
h Addressing national
security and law and order issues to
support and promote ICTs
exploitationinthecountry.
The ICT4D strategic plan is a
collection of programmes and specific
plan actions with corresponding
specific time bound measurable
targets and implementation agencies.
A structured approach was therefore
adopted in developing the ICT4D
strategic plan for the following eleven
sectorsof Nigerianeconomy:
a. H u m a n R e s o u r c e
Development.
Overview of ICT4D Strategic Plan and success Factors
OVERVIEW OF ICT4D STRATEGIC PLAN AND SUCCESS FACTORS
b. ElectronicGovernment.
c. I n f r a s t r u c t u r e
Development.
d. Education.
e. Health.
f. A w a r e n e s s ,
PopularizationandDevelopment.
g. Agriculture.
h. P r i v a t e S e c t o r
Development
i. G o v e r n a n c e a n d
LegislationFramework.
j National Security and Law
Enforcement.
k R e s e a r c h a n d
Development.
The ICT4D in each of the
above listed sectors presents a
background statement, which reviews
the relevant focus area of the sector,
making references to the challenges,
developments, and specific local and
global issues pertaining to the subject
area of focus of the sector. This
includes a justification for the need for
the ICT4D within the context of the
need to develop Nigeria's information
and knowledge economy. Relevant
policy provisions for which the
ICT4D is being developed are also
documented and commented on (in
terms of policy statements,
commitments, and measures) and
relating them to the subject area of the
sector.
The second part of the ICT4D
strategic plans for each sector presents
s o m e p r o g r a m m e s f o r
implementation. For each of the
programme, the implementation
levels, relevant national ICT4D
policy objectives, relevant
implementation strategies, relevant
Information and Knowledge
Economy (IKE) development goals,
specific programme implementation
goals and targets of each Programme
are documented followed by the
identification and description of the

specific plan actions to be
implemented under the Programme.
For each of these specific plan action,
there are some time bound measurable
targetsandimplementationagencies.
Some of the plan actions have
associated with them plan action
prerequisites and linkages. The
prerequisites defines what need to be
done before a specific plan action can
be implemented while the linkages
link the plan action with other plan
actions within the ICT4D specific
plan.
The implementation of the
programme will be done by a number
of implementation agencies of the
Federal Government and State level.
Ownership of the implementation of
the plan will be the implementation
agencies while NITDA will play a
P l a n i m p l e m e n t a t i o n a n d
coordination role rather than being the
sole institution for implementing the
Plan.
The various programmes and
initiatives of the ICT4D Plan-2011 are
classified in terms of their Federal and
Statefocus/coverageas follows:
a. Federally Implementable
Programmes and Initiatives [Federal
Level Coverage]: This refers to
programmes whose implementations
are targeted at the federal/national
rather than regional level. They are
designed for implementation by
FederalGovernmentagencies.
b. Nation-wide Programmes
and Initiatives Implementable at the
[State Level Coverage]: This refers to
programmes and initiatives which
have national coverage but are
designed to be implemented by State
Government agencies rather than by
Federal Government agencies. Each
of these programmes are expected to
be implemented in a number or all the
states by their respective State
Governments. Some of these
p r o g r a m m e s a l t h o u g h a r e
implemented at the State level, their
implementation are to be coordinated
attheFederallevel.
c. S t a t e L e v e l
Implementable Programmes and
Initiatives [State Level Coverage]:
This refers to programmes and
i n i t i a t i v e s t a r g e t e d f o r
implementation only at the state
levels. These include state-specific
programmes targeted at some specific
states and as well as programmes
initiated and implemented by the State
Governments. The ownership and the
coordination of the implementation of
these programmes are at the State
levelratherthanattheFederallevel.
3.2 Success Factors of ICT4D
StrategicPlan
The Federal Government of
Nigeria is committed to ensuring that
the success factors and requirements
are met and addressed through policy
measures, strategies and initiatives.
In line with Mr.President's
championing the realization of the
Vision2020,thereisneedfor:
a. V i s i b l e s u p p o r t ,
endorsement and total commitment to
the realization of the ICT Strategic
Action Vision by key top level
stakeholders in the public sector,
privatesectorandcivilsociety.
b. E n d o r s e m e n t a n d
commitment to the Missions and the
corresponding Strategies designed to
contribute to the realization of the ICT
StrategicActionVisionfor Nigeria.
c. The goodwill and the
support of the Nigerian people and
their endorsement of the need for the
ICT Strategic Action Vision, the
missions and the attainment of the
missions.
d. O n b e h a l f o f t h e
Government, a strategic Government
Ministry will provide national
leadership on achieving the ICT
StrategicActionvision.

e. Dedicated policy and
decision makers, professionals,
cutting across the public and private
sector and civil society committed to
the policy and plan development
process.
f The identification and the
setting of realistic objectives and
targets that can be achieved within a
giventimeframe.
g E x t e n s i v e m u l t i -
stakeholder participation in plan and
policy development, revisions and
confirmation through national
consultations and stakeholders
meetings involving key sectors
including the public sector, private
sectorandcivilsociety.
The Federal Government of
Nigeria is further committed to the
followingcriticalsuccess factors:
a. P r o m o t i n g H u m a n
resource development as a key factor
to the development of an information
based and knowledge driven
economy. Sustainable growth in
Nigeria's ICT sector and ICT enabled
services locally and globally depends
on the size and quality of human
capital development. People drive the
knowledge economy. Enhancing the
knowledge, skills and creativity of the
Nigerian people will lead to
innovation, global competitiveness as
well as the ability to participate and
t a k e a d v a n t a g e o f g l o b a l
opportunities. In particular Human
capital that supports and creates a
knowledge society must be developed
in the rural areas and the informal
sector.
b. Transformation of the
education system to be more
innovative and flexible to incorporate
and recognize creative solutions,
informal sector requirements, global
best practices and standards in ICT
and the culture of lifelong learning,
while ensuring a sufficient supply of
highly qualified people with
appropriate skills for the knowledge-
basedeconomy.
c. Promoting the Private
sector as the engine of growth,
promoting entrepreneurship,
innovation, global opportunities, the
support and empowerment of Micro,
Small and Medium Enterprises local
capacitydevelopment.
d. Promoting knowledge
culture and ICT linkage to growth and
creating awareness of linkages
between ICT and productivity, wealth
creation, poverty reduction and
enhancing communication with the
people to ensure greater "buy in". It is
also meant to promote the culture of e-
business, ICT, innovation, creativity
and resource sharing within the
society, lifelong learning and
entrepreneurship.
e. Facilitating and catalyzing
the economy by providing leadership
in promoting and supporting change
associated with ICT, while
stimulating ICT growth and demand
throughpolicyactions.
f. Promoting inclusiveness
through social upliftment and
empowerment by incorporating the
needs of the rural populace, informal
sector, illiterate, poor, youth, women
and the disadvantaged areas providing
the opportunity for all to contribute to
and benefit from the new economy.
Promoting an inclusive knowledge
economy to help all Nigerians realize
their aspirations, develop skills and
fully participate in Nigeria's economy
and society. Sincerity and
commitment to growth and quality of
lifeissues areparamount.
g. Establishing legal and
regulatory frameworks to support e-
business, ICT and ICT enabled
activity. Legal infrastructure should
address law enforcement, electronic
contracts, consumer protection,
Intellectual Property Rights, dispute
resolution and consumer protection,

privacy, Cybercrime and data
protection and other aspects of
informationsecurity.
h. Providing incentives, tax
benefits, improved infrastructure to
support the ICT sector and the
development and exploitation of ICT
enabled services - an enabling
environment that encourages
investment, innovation, ICT
education, newer services, better
access and lower prices. Emphasis
will also be on improving physical
infrastructure such as power supply,
w a t e r, t r a n s p o r t a t i o n a n d
communication.
i. Mainstreaming ICT
policies into the broader development
of knowledge society and ensuring
coordination and consistency
between ICT policy strategies and
national development policies at all
levels.
j. P r o m o t i n g Va l u e
orientation through reward for hard
work, honesty, ethics, creativity, risk
taking and merit, while discouraging
r e n t - s e e k i n g , m e d i o c r i t y,
inefficiency, mismanagement and
corruption.
k. Promoting a healthy and
attractive investment climate and
stable political and socio economic
conditions, ensuring policy
consistencyandstability.
l. E s t a b l i s h i n g l e g a l ,
institutional and regulatory
frameworks to support and facilitate
the policy and plan development
process.

4
National e-Health
Strategy: Deploying
ICT4D in the Health
Sector

National e-Health Strategy: Deploying ICT4D in the Health Sector 27

National e-Health Strategy:
Deploying ICT4D in the Health Sector
A definition of eHealth is using ICT to improve health.
It is an economic tool if deployed within national
policies and frameworks. It also makes medical
expertise more available..
Source: Commonwealth Secretariat West Africa Regional eHealth
Dialogue Report 2009
Taking into consideration the leading ro
stakeholders in implementing the WSIS o
Action) at the national level, we encou
done so to elaborate, as appropriate
sustainable national e-strategies, inclu
as appropriate , as an integral part o
reduction strategies, as soon
Tunis Agenda for the Information Society (para. 85)
National e-Health Strategy: Deploying ICT4D in the Health Sector

4.1 Background Statement
In the domain of medical
practice, health is wealth and wealth is
power. It is believed that the growth
and development of any society
economy is driven by the health
condition of its people. After all, the
people of the society constitute the
driver of all other resources of the
society such as money, material and
time. The ICT4D in Health Sector
presents the background statement on
the existing policies on health sector
with emphasis on its profile,
challenges and success factors, and a
table of strategic plan of ICT4D in
health sector. The background
statement on the health sector of the
economy covers the declaration of the
World Summit on Information
Society (WSIS), World Health
Organization e-Health Initiatives,
strategic plan in Nigerian health
sector and issues of ICT4D in
Nigerianhealthsector.
INTERSECTIONOFHEALTHANDICTS
In developing countries, lack of
access to health care and inefficient
delivery methods are the norm.
This shortage is exacerbated by the
inability of governments to devote
adequate funding to their
respective health care sectors. This
is intensified by the multiple crises
in finance, food and energy.
Unsuccessful reform efforts,
combined with little funding, have
left billions without the ability to
tapintobasichealthcareservices.
Most health ministries in
developing countries are aware of
the inequities between urban and
rural communities; however,
efforts to decrease this divide have
fallen short. Cost effective reform
initiatives are needed to ensure
INTRODUCTION:
greater access and higher quality of
basic health care through the use of
ICTs.
Source: Information &
Communication Technologies for
Development: Health. GAID: New
York, April 2010.
4.1.1 Declaration of the World
Summit on Information Society
(WSIS)
Akey declaration of the World
Summit on Information Society
(WSIS) is the common desire and
commitments to build a people-
centered, inclusive and development-
oriented Information Society, where
everyone can create, access, utilize
and share information and
knowledge, enabling individuals,
communities and peoples to achieve
their full potentials in promoting
sustainable development and
improving their quality of life. The
aim is to use the potentials of
Information and Communication
Technology (ICT) to, among others,
reduce infant mortality, improve
maternal health and combat
HIV/AIDS, malaria and other
diseases. It sought to use available
global partnership to achieve these
aimsandobjectives.
As part of the step that will
help realize these objectives and
taking particular note of those that
directly affect the heath sub-sector,
the WSIS Geneva Plan of Action
prescribestheconnectionof:
a. villages with ICTs and
establishcommunityaccesspoints,
b. Scientific and research
centerswithICTs, and
c. h e a l t h c e n t e r s a n d
hospitalswithICTs

For all these, it is required that the
necessary human capacity will be
built with a provision for the
a c c o m m o d a t i o n o f a l l t h e
stakeholders in the designed
structures that will meet these needs.
Public Private Partnership (PPP) must
be an important part of this structure.
For ICTs to be seen as useful in the
health sector, the WSIS Geneva Plan
of Action noted that the following
activitiesmustbecarriedout:
a. Promote collaborative
efforts of governments, planners,
health professionals and other
agencies along with the participation
of international organizations for
creating reliable, timely, high-quality
and affordable health care and health
information systems and for
promoting continuous medical
training, education and research
activities through the use of ICTs,
while respecting and protecting
citizens'righttoprivacy.
b. Facilitate access to the
world's medical knowledge and
relevant local content resources for
strengthening public health research
and prevention programmes and
promoting the general health of the
populace. Such resources include
content on sexual and reproductive
health and sexually transmitted
infections, and pandemic diseases that
are of global concern such as
HIV/AIDS, malariaandtuberculosis.
c. Alert, monitor and control
the spread of communicable diseases,
through the availability and use of
commoninformationsystems
d. Promote and enhance the
development of international
standards for the exchange of health
data, taking due account of privacy
concerns.
e. Encourage the adoption of
ICTs to improve and extend health
care and health information systems to
remote, uninformed and hence
vulnerable populations, recognizing
women's roles as health providers in
theirfamiliesandcommunities.
F. Strengthen and expand
ICT-based initiatives for providing
medical and humanitarian assistance
in situations of natural disasters and
emergencies.
4.1.2 World Health Organization
e-HealthInitiatives
T h e W o r l d H e a l t h
Organization (WHO) has attempted to
work through its e-Health initiatives,
to capture the increasing importance
of the use of ICT in the delivery of
health services. Under this initiative,
theWHO notes thattheemergenceand
growth of ICT has touched many
spheres of life as are reflected in the
Millennium Development Goals
(MDGs). The WHO also notes that
this has in the past decade brought
opportunities and challenges to all
countries. It has been found necessary,
therefore, to provide a framework for
global action to promote the best use
of ICT in health. Therefore, the kernel
of these e-Health initiatives goes
beyond the traditional focus on
technology to deliver health care, to
includethefollowing:
a. The adoption and use of
ICTfor healthsystems development,
b. The enhancement of a
wider access of the public to health
informationandeducation.
c. The execution of effective
public health action, through the
collaboration and contribution of
many stakeholders which include
citizens, health professionals,
institutions, health authorities,
researchers,academiaandindustry.
Where appropriately
applied, the benefits of ICT in health
sector would lead to positive
transformations in health systems and
services. They will also facilitate
effective interactions between
individuals, institutions, communities
and governments. As ICT improves
the content of health service delivery it
a l s o i m p r o v e s t h e g e n e r a l
administrative platform upon which

What is eHealth?
EHealth means Information and Communication Technologies tools and services for health. Whether eHealth tools are used behind the
scenesbyhealthcareprofessionals,or directlybypatients,theyplaya
significantroleinimprovingthehealthofcitizens.
Information and Communication Technologies )ICTs( have an ever-growing impact on our
working and private lives, and the healthcare sector is no exception. Used appropriately, the tools
andserviceswhichcontributetoeHealthprovidebetter,moreefficienthealthcareservicesforall.
eHealth covers the interaction between patients and health-service providers, institution-to-
institution transmission of data, or peer-to-peer communication between patients and/or health
professionals. Examples include health information networks, electronic health records,
telemedicine services, wearable and portable systems which communicate, health portals, and
many other ICT-based tools assisting disease prevention, diagnosis, treatment, health monitoring
andlifestylemanagement.
this delivery is made. With these, it
becomes easier to manage and
disseminate intensive information in
this sector. WHO also emphasizes
how essential it is to invest in the
development of ICT infrastructure for
health purpose so as to ensure
equitable, affordable and universal
accesstoitsbenefits.
T h e i n c l u s i o n o f a l l
stakeholders in the undocumented
process necessitates the expansion of
the scope of the use of ICT to cover
hitherto areas such as traditional
health care providers, Traditional
BirthAttendants (TBAs), Community
Based Organizations (CBOs)
focusing on various areas of health
caredelivery,andso on.
4.1.3 Overview of the Strategic
Thrusts for Development in the
NigerianHealthSector
The recently launched Nigerian
Health Sector Reform Programme
identified the following seven strategic
areas ofwork:
a. Improving the stewardship
roleofGovernment,
b. Strengthening the national
healthsystemanditsmanagement,
c. Reducing the burden of
disease,
d. Improving the availability of
healthresourcesandtheirmanagement,
e. Improving access to quality
healthservices,
f. Improving consumers
awareness and community involvement,
and
a. P r o m o t i n g e f f e c t i v e
partnership, collaboration and
coordination.
The tempo and direction for these
strategic thrusts in health reforms were
established within the National
E c o n o m i c E m p o w e r m e n t a n d
Development Strategy (NEEDS) the
overall Government macroeconomic
development framework which is
targeted at reorienting the values of
Nigerians, reducing poverty, creating
wealthandgeneratingemployment.
Each of the seven strategic
thrusts listed above has a number of
action points that require a good measure
of the management of data and
information for their effective execution.
Under the first strategic thrust, this was
categorically agreed upon as one of the
action components to deploy Information
and Communications Technology (ICT).
It was realized that the existing Health
Management Information System
(HMIS) is weak and has not been able to
provide adequate evidence for policy and
p r o g r a m m e d e v e l o p m e n t a n d
implementation. Indeed, the Health
Sector Reform document recognizes the
need for the use of ICT for the reform
efforts to succeed. It is the gap identified
and noted as existing here that this Health
Sector sub-plan of the National ICT
Strategy for Development seeks to
identifyandbridge.
4.1.4 Issues of ICT4D in the Nigerian
HealthSector
A good measure of the reform
actions identified in Nigerian Health
Sector Reform Programme is very

amenable to the benefits of the use of ICT.
For example, some of the constraints and
challenges that impede the stewardship role of
governmentthathavebeenidentifiedare:
a. The need to strengthen the
various Ministries of Health in the provision
of the required enabling management and
stewardship tools in the areas of policy,
framework, legislation, financing, human and
physicalresources,amongothers.
b. The need to foster inter-sectoral
collaboration with other arms of government
and the wider society to guarantee the
effectiveness of the health sector's
stewardshiprole,
c. The need to improve on the
dissemination and enforcement of health
policyimplementationprogrammes.
d. The need to recognize and
accommodate the informal (such as
traditional medicine) and non-governmental
areas (such as community based
organizations)inthenation'shealthsector
Some of the performance issues
identifiedintheprogramme are:
i. Establishing a national health
system which encompasses public and private
providers of health services, and provides, in
an equitable manner, the population of the
Federal Republic with the best possible health
servicesthatavailableresourcescanafford,
ii. Setting out rights and duties
of health care providers, health workers,
healthestablishmentsandusers, and
Iii Protecting, respecting, promoting
and actualizing the rights of the people of
Nigeria to the progressive realization of
accesstohealthcareservices.
The programme identifies the need to
accelerate the deployment of appropriate
ICTs for the productivity and efficiency of the
internal workings of the Federal Ministry of
Health, as well as its relationship with local
stakeholders and the outside world. It
identifies a strategy to deploy ICT in all facets
of the business transactions of the Federal
Ministry of Health. The consequence of this is
the establishment of a sector wide e-health
enterprise, resulting in improved access and
usage of ICT in the public health-sector,
starting with the process and functions of the
FederalMinistryofHealth.
It is noted that many remote parts of the
country still lack adequate health facilities and
it is difficult to provide them with adequate
health delivery services. It is also noted
that the use of ICT can greatly transform
the way in which health service deliveries
are made available to these areas.
Moreover, a well defined and properly
executed National telemedicine
programme employing the use ICT will
bringhealthservicesclosertothepeople.
The current development in the state of
the nation's telecommunication provides
great opportunities as smaller equipment
can be carried around and made to offer
information sharing services that
computers would not have been available
to do. This, however, poses the challenges
of available connectivity backed up by the
availability of electricity and network
coverage. The components of this Health
Sector Sub Plan of the National ICT
Strategy for Development have been
identified to fulfill the aspirations for the
use of ICT in the Nigerian Health sector
and to serve as the fundamental step for
mainstreamingICTinthesector.

4.2 StrategicPlanforICT4D inHealthSector
HLT01: Programme for the Improvement of Data Exchange and Knowledge Sharing among Health
Practitioners
ImplementationLevels This programme is to be implemented nationally (at the federal level) targeting
all health practitioners in Nigeria. The cooperation of the State and Local
Governmentswillbeenlistedtoensureultimatenationalcoverage.
RelevantNational ICT4D •To improvetheavailabilityandmanagementofthenation'shealth
PolicyObjectives resources.
•To strengthen the national health system with particular focus on the health
managementinformationsystem.
•To facilitate information sharing in all parts of the national health sector and
makethisthebedrockfor improvedhealthdeliverysystem.
SpecificProgramme •Increasebyfourfolds theprovisionof adequateICTequipmentand
ImplementationGoals connectivityinmedicalofficesacross thenationas theplatformforthe
andTargets NationalHealthInformationManagement.
•EstablishanationalmedicalWebPortal.
RelevantImplementation
Strategies improvehealthdeliveryandprovision.
•Using ICT to improve network and collaboration in the health sector of the
nation.
•PromotingtheacquisitionofICTskillswithintheNigerianhealthsystem.
•DeployingICTtoaddress majorissues of nationalhealththreats.
RelevantInformation and •To developaneconomyinwhichthemajorityoftheworkingpopulationare
KnowledgeEconomy(IKE) eitherdirectlyor indirectlyinvolvedandknowledgeableininformationand
DevelopmentGoals communicationsrelatedactivities.
•To develop an economy characterized by a wide-spread deployment and
exploitation of ICTs within the society to support the delivery of health,
education,administrationandsocialservices.
•To develop an economy in which the provision and delivery of services by
government and its administrative machinery are to a large extent facilitated
byinformationandcommunicationstechnology.
•To develop an economy based on an advanced and reliable national
informationandcommunicationsinfrastructure.
PlanActions
HLT01-PAC01 The federal government to ensure the increase by four folds the provision of
adequate ICT Equipment and connectivity in medical offices across the nation
as the platform for the National Health Information Management, especially
with the implementation of an Electronic Health Records Management Service
inallhospitalsinNigeria,whichis accessibleonline.
•DeployingandincreasingaccesstoICTwithintheNationalHealthsystem
to

Plan-ActionImplementation
Time-line
PlanActionDescription The availability of a good National Health Information Management system
will place in the hands of the nation's medical practitioners a ready source of
data and other medical resources that will greatly improve their practice.
However, the information management system will be of effective use only
when there is an adequate provision of the ICT equipment with which the
system can share. It is required, therefore, to ensure that more of the medical
offices across the nation are adequately ICT equipped. If the current numbers of
ICT equipment are quadrupled, then the nation would have achieved a great
deal in line with this goal within the stated time target. This action will ensure
that the required equipment in the health sector, offices and institution that will
be involved in the exchange and sharing of information and data are made
available.
Pre-RequisitePlan HS-4.1TheFederalGovernmentthroughappropriateFederalAgenciesand
Actions/Programmes appropriate means for continuous/life long education for Medical Doctors, and
Pharmacists HS-4.2 The Federal Government through appropriate Federal
Agenciesandappropriatemeansfor continuous/lifelongeducationforNurses.
TheTime-linefortheimplementationof thePlanActionis:2010 2015
Time-Bound Measurable (TBM)Targets Implementation Agencies
The National Information Technology Development
Agency (NITDA), working with the Federal Ministry Development Agency in collaboration with:
of Health will identify and include other non-governmental •Federal Ministry of Health
organizations that need to hook up to the information sharing •States Ministries of Health
plan in the health sector by the end of 2011. •Federal Ministry of Health
•Agencies
The National Information Technology Development Agency •Teaching Hospitals and Federal Medical
(NITDA) working with the Federal Ministry of Health is to Centers, and
ensure the provision of a representative departmental •Local Government Areas' Health
computer in each participating organization/institution by the Departments
end of year 2011.
The National Information Technology Development Agency
(NITDA) working with the Federal Ministry of Health is to
ensure the connection of all representative computers as
identified above to the Internet by the end of year 2012.
HLT01-PAC02 Federal Government is to establish a national
medical web portal
Plan-Action Implementation Time-line The Time-line for the implementation of the
Plan Action is: 2010 2015
Nigerian Information and Technology

PlanActionDescription The Web Portal will be the medium through which the health service
professionals, practitioners and stakeholders will exchange and share
information.ThisactionwillmakethePortalsatisfactorilyavailable
Pre-RequisitePlan Actionhasno specificpre-requisiteplanactionsorprogrammes.
Actions/Programmes
Time-Bound Measurable(TBM)Targets ImplementationAgencies
TheNationalInformationTechnologyDevelopmentAgency •FederalMinistryofHealth
(NITDA) incollaborationwiththeFederalMinistryof Health •StatesMinistriesofHealth
anditsagencieswillestablishthedetailsthatareinthe •FederalMinistryofInformation&
requirementfor anadequatenationalmedicalwebportal. Communication
Thisportalwillbelaunchedbythesecondquarterof the •NationalInformationTechnology
year2014. DevelopmentAgency
Itwill,throughtheFederalMinistryof Informationand •FederalMinistryofHealthAgencies
Communication,bemadepartof theexistingnationalportal. •FederalMedicalCenters,and
TheFederalMinistryof Healthworkingincollaboration •LocalGovernmentAreas
withNITDAandStateMinistriesof Healthshould organize
trainingandcapacitybuildingprograms requiredfor the
creationsupport andsustainableoperationof theportalbythe
endoftheyear2015
TheFederalMinistryof Healthworkingincollaborationwith
NITDAandStateMinistriesof Healthwillputinplaceallin
frastructurerequiredby theFederalMinistryofHealth,Federal
HealthInstitutesandotherrelevanthealthsectororganizations
foroptimalusageof theportalbyfirstquarteroftheyear2015.
HLT02: Programme for the Promotion of Telemedicine
ImplementationLevels This programme is to be implemented nationally at the Federal level
targeting all health practitioners in Nigeria. The cooperation of the State
and Local Governments will be enlisted to ensure ultimate national
coverage.
Relevant National ICT4D Policy · To reduce infant mortality rate.
Objectives · To improve maternal health delivery.
•To reduce the burden of the three key infectious diseases
HIV/AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis.
•To improve the efficiency of patient medical care.
•To reduce the cost of healthcare delivery, and
•To improve productivity in healthcare administration and delivery.
Specific Programme · To provide universal access to basic health information within
Implementation Goals and three years.
Targets · To deploy various telemedicine services telediagnosis,
telepharmacy,teleradiology,teleconsultationandso on.
· Develop Database of Telemedicine personnel and facilities within
oneyear.
Relevant Implementation Strategies •Promoting the inclusion of people in remote areas and those in the
hitherto traditional segments of society in formal health care
delivery considerations
•Improving access and availability of basic ICT equipment in all
areas of the nation as to support effective telemedicine.
•Promoting awareness and the benefits of Telemedicine

Relevant Information and
Knowledge Economy (IKE) exploitation of ICTs within the society to support the delivery of health,
DevelopmentGoals education,governmentandsocialservices.
•To develop an economy in which the provision and delivery of goods and
services from the key sectors of the economy are to a large extent facilitated
government and its administrative machinery are adequately facilitated by
informationandcommunicationstechnology.
informationandcommunicationsinfrastructureanddata.
PlanActions
HLT02-PAC01 The Federal Government to ensure the greater penetration into all the areas of
the country, particularly the rural areas, with relevant ICT equipment to achieve
universalaccess,
Plan-ActionImplementation TheTime-linefor theimplementationof thePlanActionis 2010 2015
Time-line
PlanActionDescription The distance between care providers and patients coupled with the difficulty
that is often experienced in the physical transportation of the patients to the
medical practitioners, make it necessary to have help rendered through some
remote interactions.The remote interactions between a health care provider and
one who needs the care can only be guaranteed by their connection through
some ICT equipment Computer, Internet, PDA, Telephones (Landlines and
GSMs) and Radio links. This action will contribute towards ensuring that the
neededequipmentareavailable.
•To develop an economy characterized by a wide-spread Deployment and
Pre-RequisitePlan
Actions/Programmes
TheNationalInformationandTechnology •NigerianInformationandTechnology
DevelopmentAgencyinconjunctionwiththeNigerian DevelopmentAgency.
CommunicationsCommissionwillestablishbythe •FederalMinistryof Health.
endof2012 apolicythatwillensurethatequipment •NigerianCommunicationsCommission
manufacturersandmarketersprovideinteroperable •TelecommunicationsEquipmentandService
equipmenttosupport telemedicine. Providers.
•StandardsOrganizationof Nigeria.
The Nigerian Information and Technology •National Information and Technology
Development Agency in conjunction with the Nigerian Development Agency.
Communications Commission is to ensure by the end of •Federal Ministry of Health.
2012 compliance to the policy above to make equipment •Telecommunications Equipment and Service
manufacturers and marketers provide interoperable Providers.
Equipmenttosupport telemedicine. •StandardsOrganizationof Nigeria.
TheFederalMinistryofHealthistoproducethefull •FederalMinistryof Health.
databaseof personnelandfacilitiesthatoffertelemedicine
servicesbytheendof 2013
HLT02-PAC02 The Federal Ministry of Health is to deploy various telemedicine services
telediagnosis,telepharmacy,teleradiology,teleconsultation,etc.
Actionhas nospecificpre-requisiteplanactionsorprogrammes.

Plan-ActionImplementation
Time-line
PlanActionDescription This action will define, create and deploy the content of the telemedicine
services.
Pre-RequisitePlan HS-2.1Thefederalgovernmenttoensurethegreaterpenetrationintoallthe
Actions/Programmes areas of the country, particularly the rural areas, with relevant ICTequipment to
achieveuniversalaccess.
TheFederalMinistryofHealthistoestablishtheformatfor •FederalMinistryofHealth
informationpresentationinthevariousICTequipmentand •StatesMinistryofHealth
mediathatwillberequiredfor informationflowinthedifferent •LocalGovernmentAreaHealth
areasof thepracticeof telemedicineby SecondQuarterof2012 Departments,FederalMinistryof
Traintheusers attheICTequipmentinterfacetobeabletohandle Health Agencies
theequipmentrequiredfortelemedicineandtoknow how toadapt, •TelecommunicationsProviders
asmaybenecessaryby thirdquarterof2013 •Privatesector Societyfor
TheFederalMinistryofHealthistoensurewithcollaborating TelemedicineandeHealth.
agenciesthateachhealthfacilityregisteredas partofthe •NeGSt
telemedicinedatabasehasarepresentativeICTequipmentby the •NationalInformationTechnology
endof2013 foruseintelemedicine. DevelopmentAgency
TheTime-linefor theimplementationofthePlanActionis 2010 2015
HLT03: Programme for the provision of a National Health Information System
ImplementationLevels This programme is to be implemented nationally (at the federal level)
targeting all health practitioners in Nigeria. The cooperation of the State and
LocalGovernmentswillbeenlistedtoensureultimatenationalcoverage.
RelevantNational ICT4D · To use ICTfor theestablishmentofHealthInformationSystems(HIS)
PolicyObjectives cuttingacross primary,secondaryandtertiaryhealthcaresystems..
· To improve the efficiency of patient medical care, reduce cost and
improveproductivityof healthcareadministrationanddelivery.
· To deploy ICT for the development of drug information, administration,
recordsandbibliography.
· The use of a suitable common platform for managing spatial information
onhealthusing GIS.
SpecificProgramme •CreationofDatabaseof HealthSectorResources Facilitiesand
ImplementationGoalsand Personnelwithinoneyear
Targets •DeployingaHealthGeographicInformationSystem
•Use of ICT in the enhancement of the tracking of items by the National
Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC)
withinoneyear.
Relevant Implementation •Promoting ICT based data collection and record keeping by medical
Strategies personnel and institutions
•Improving access to ICT resources to facilitate health information
provisions and support

Relevant Information and
Knowledge Economy (IKE) are either directly or indirectly involved and knowledgeable in information
DevelopmentGoals andcommunications relatedactivities.
exploitation of ICTs within the society to support the delivery of health,
education,governmentandsocialservices.
•To develop an economy in which the provision and delivery of goods and
services from the key sectors of the economy are to a large extent facilitated
government and its administrative machinery are to a large extent facilitated
informationandcommunicationsinfrastructure.
Plan Actions
HLT03-PAC01 The Federal Government is to ensure the creation of a comprehensive database of
Health Sector Resources Facilities and Personnel as part of the National Health
InformationSystem.
Plan-Action Implementation The Time-line for the implementation of the Plan Action is 2010 2015
Time-line
PlanActionDescription The availability of a good National Health Information System will place in the
hands of the nation's medical practitioners a ready source of data and other
medical resources that will greatly improve their practice. This activity will
ensurethatacomprehensivedatabaseiscreated.
•To develop an economy in which the majority of the working population
Pre-RequisitePlan
Actions/Programmes
TheFederalMinistryof HealthworkingwiththeNational
InformationTechnologyDevelopmentAgency(NITDA) will •NationalInformationandTechnology
identifyandincludeallhealthcarepractitionersandfacilities DevelopmentAgency.
intheNationalHealthInformationSystemby theendof 2013. •StatesMinistriesof Health
•Local Government Areas' Health
Departments
HLT03-PAC02 FederalGovernmentis todeployaHealthGeographicInformationSystem.
Plan-ActionImplementation TheTime-linefortheimplementationof thePlanActionis:2010 2015
Time-line
PlanActionDescription This action will enable an easier mapping and update of health resources
locatedinthedifferentpartsofthecountry.
Pre-RequisitePlan •Thereis no pre-requisiteplanaction/programmeforthisPlanaction
Actions/Programmes
TheNationalInformationTechnologyDevelopmentAgency •FederalMinistryof HealthanditsAgencies
workingwithFederal andStateMinistryof Healthwillcollate •NationalProgrammeonImmunization
theseparateefforts presentlyexistinginthehealthsector •NationalInformationTechnology
especiallyintheCivilSociety,Multilateralagencies, DevelopmentAgency
Internationalorganizationsandon-goingWHO/FMOH •NASDRA
rd
collaborationby 3 Quarterof 2012 •COMPASS
TheNationalInformationTechnologyDevelopmentAgencyin •PrivateSectorFirmsinvolvedinGIS.
collaborationwiththeFederalMinistryofHealthwillestablish
in2014 aGIS tosupport HealthCaredeliveryacross thenation.
•Thereis no pre-requisiteplanaction/programmeforthisPlanaction
•FederalMinistryof Health

HLT03-PAC03 Federal Government is to deploy a GIS aided tracking system of items in
support of the battle of the NationalAgency for Food and DrugAdministration
andControl(NAFDAC) againstfakedrugs.
Plan-ActionImplementation TheTime-linefor theimplementationofthePlanActionis:2010 2015
Time-line
PlanActionDescription NAFDAC has had a major problem in tracking the food and drugs that are
approved by them. This action will facilitate the identification of and the
tracking of the distribution of such items. A tracking system that is GIS aided
will ease the Agency's activities in the identification of drugs that are fake. By
assigning the proper identification methods and codes for each item, it will be
easy to track how these items move up to their final point of dispensation to
users.Throughthismethod,fakedrugs willbeeasilyidentified.
Pre-RequisitePlan •Thereisnopre-requisiteplanaction/programmefor thisPlanaction
Actions/Programmes
TheNationalFood andDrugAdministrationandControlis to •NAFDAC
establishincollaborationwithNITDAacodingsystemthatwill •NITDA
easilyassign codestoanyof NAFDAC's itemsbytheendof 2012.
TheNationalFood andDrugAdministrationandControlis to •NAFDAC
startby thesecondquarterof2011 toassign incollaborationwith •Councilof Pharmacists
theCouncilofPharmacistsanddrugandfoodmanufacturers,codes •Drug andFood Manufacturers
tothefood anddrugs thatneedtobetrackedfortheirauthenticity.
Thisprocess willbeongoingas andwhennewitemsareavailable).
TheNationalFood andDrugsAdministrationandControl,
theCouncilofPharmacistsandtheDrug andFood •NITDA
manufacturers,incollaborationwiththeNationalInformation •CouncilofPharmacists
TechnologyDevelopmentAgencyis toensureby thethird •Drug andFood Manufacturers
quarterof2012 thatthetrackingsystemestablishedaboveis
effectiveinidentifyingthemovementof genuineandfakedrugs.
HLT04: Programme to promote the use of ICT in Human Resource Development, Training and Capacity
Building for the Continued Medical Training and Retraining of Doctors, Pharmacists and other health
workers.
ImplementationLevels This programme is to be implemented nationally (at the federal level)
targeting all the health institutions in the States. The implementation of the
specific details of the initiative will be carried out by the Federal Ministry of
Health, Federal Ministry of Education, National Universities Commission
in collaboration with the various state Ministries of Education and other
relevantFederalMinistriesandAgencies.
RelevantNational ICT4D Policy •Promote,support andfacilitatethemodernizationof thenation'shuman
Objectives health capital development through the deployment and the
exploitation of ICTs with a view to improving health education, and
ultimatelyhealthcare delivery,inNigeria.
•Facilitate the deployment, integration and the mainstreaming of ICTs
intotheNigerianhealth educationsystem.
•Develop human capital with emphasis on creating and supporting the
knowledgeeconomyandsociety.
•NAFDAC

Specific Programme
Implementation Goals and disseminating information within two years.
Targets •DeployITfor use indistancelearningformedicalpersonnel.
•Incorporate the acquisition of ICT skills into the curriculum of all medical
programmes.
•Use ITbasedinformationsysteminhealthcareeducation.
RelevantImplementation •Improving accesstoICTresourceswithintheHealthsystemtofacilitate
Strategies Healthcareserviceprovisionanddelivery
•Inclusion of all medical schools and health training institutions in the
system and using ICT for the enhancement of the dissemination of medical
informationandknowledge,andotheraspectsofhealthcareeducation
•Promoting and Supporting the inclusion of ICT skills into the healthcare
educationcurriculum
•Promoting the use of ICT expertise for recruitment, retention, promotion
andrecognitionofmedicalpersonnel
RelevantInformation and •An economybasedon arichpoolof highlyskilledhumanresourcesin
KnowledgeEconomy(IKE) criticalskillareasrelevanttodevelopingandmaintainingacompetitive
DevelopmentGoals edge intheglobalmarket
exploitation of ICTs within the society to support the delivery of health
education,administrationandsocialservices.
•To develop an economy characterized by a modern educational system
within which ICTs are widely deployed to facilitate the delivery of
educationalservices
•To develop an economy based on a literate society with a high proportion of
computerliteracy.
•Mainstream the deployment IT as a research tool and means of
Plan Actions
HLT04-PAC01 The Federal Government through appropriate Federal Agencies an appropriate
means for continual/life long education for Medical Doctors, and
Pharmacists
Plan-ActionImplementation TheTime-linefortheimplementationofthePlanActionis 20102015.
Time-line
PlanActionDescription The training and retraining of medical practitioners will be greatly enhanced if
training materials are digitalized and shared with the help of ICTs. The ease of
storage and retrieval and the possibility of transfers through various networks
will make learning and knowledge sharing more effectively delivered.
Materials will be constantly provided through ICTs that will keep Doctors and
Pharmacistsconstantlyinformedofthenewdevelopmentsintheirfields.
Pre-RequisitePlan Thereis no pre-requisiteplanaction/programmeforthisPlanaction
Actions/Programmes
TheFederalMinistryofHealthshould conducta •FederalMinistryof Health
comprehensivereviewofthemethodsofupdating •StatesMinistriesof Health
doctors' knowledgepresentlybythethirdquarterof 2011. •FederalMinistryof HealthAgencies
TheFederalMinistryofHealthworkingincollaboration •FederalMinistryof Education
withtheFederalMinistryofEducation,theNational •NationalUniversitiesCommission,
UniversitiesCommission,theNigerianMedicalCouncil •NationalMedicalCouncil
andotherrelevantmedicalpractitionerstrainingagencies •PrivateTrainingandCapacityBuilding
willensurethatallkeytrainingandeducationalmaterialsare Institutions.
digitizedfromthethirdquarterof 2012.

Nigeria e-Health strategies

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