The Institute of Information Management (IIM) is advocating for the transformation and repositioning of the Ministry of Culture and Information for effective data management.
The President and Chairman Governing Council of the Institute, Dr. Oyedokun Ayodeji, made this known at a media briefing held in Lagos recently.
He also called for the establishment of National Information Management Development Agency (NIMDA)) for a better data and information governance regime in the country.
According to Ayodeji, “The National Information Management Stakeholders’ Forum would like to recommend the need for the Ministry of Information and Culture to be transformed and repositioned to enable it take its rightful position as it concerns data, information, records, archives, and contents management in Nigeria.
“We need a possible separation of the Ministry from Culture and the ultimate establishment of a relevant agency (National Information Management Development Agency (NIMDA)) which will be tasked with managing the Information Lifecycle of data, information, documents, contents and archives generated by all government agencies, ensuring enabling standards, specifications, processes, laws, and policies are in place for a good data and information governance regime in the country.
“The agency will set the standards and ensure that qualified and certified personnel are assigned to the management of government data and information. Developing and promoting best practices in government business processes and providing adequate training and monitoring for data and information management personnel in government, is key.”
Ayodeji said the proposed agency would ensure that all government MDAs comply with standards, processes, procedures, and specifications as it applies to data, information, records, content, and archives use, classification, storage, collaboration, retention, and disposition. He added that the proposed agency would work with other relevant government agencies in ensuring appropriate information management and technology tools are deployed at all government MDAs for effective information security and governance, among others.
He noted that the pace of change and the challenges of the digital era, propel new opportunities despite the new risks.
Ayodeji stated that strong leadership, governance and professionalism in data, information, records, contents and knowledge management were key, to seizing opportunities and meeting the challenges ahead.
The IIM President noted that government and a good number of organisations were yet to regard data and information as essential corporate assets, with a clear understanding of the difference between information technology and information management.
He insisted that there was need for the industry to effectively and consistently engage the Ministry of Information and Culture, as effective data and information governance would go a long way in ensuring the success of the initiative for an effective National Digital Economy Policy implementation.
