" ITREALMS: Oyewole: Lack of information governance, bane of national digital economy policy - ITREALMS

Wednesday, December 04, 2019

Oyewole: Lack of information governance, bane of national digital economy policy - ITREALMS

Lack of effective data and information governance has been identified as potential bane of any national digital economy policy implementation in the country, reports ITREALMS.

The President and Chairman, Governing Council, Institute of Information Management (IIM), Amb. (Dr) Oyedokun Ayodeji Oyewole, made this observation in Lagos at the weekend, during the media presentation of the National Information Management Stakeholders’ Forum (NIMSF).

He decried that both government and a good number of organizations were yet to regard data and information as essential corporate assets, with a clear understanding of the difference between Information Technology (IT) and Information Management (IM).

Oyewole, who also is the founder, Records and Information Management Awareness (RIMA) Foundation, noted that the need for information management professionals in the country to be charged with managing the information life-cycle to evolve and assume their rightful position, as Information Management is gross misconceived in Nigeria cannot be over emphasized.

Stressing that for an effective National Digital Economy Policy implementation, there is a need for the industry to effectively and consistently engage the Ministry of Information and Culture, “as effective data and information governance will go a long way in ensuring the success of the initiative.”

ITREALMS recalls that stakeholders in Nigeria may be gearing up for a revolution in the Information Management (IM) industry with their strong demand for the creation of National Information Management Development Agency (NIMDA), reports ITREALMS.

NIMSF also called for the breakout of Information and Archives departments from the current Ministry of Information and Culture by creating NIMDA to enable transformation and repositioning, especially on data and information governance in the country.

In addition, NIMDA, he said, for instance, will be setting the standards and ensuring that qualified and certified personnel are assigned to the management of government data and information.

Also, he said, developing and promoting best practices in government business processes and providing adequate training and monitoring for data and information management personnel in government, will be part of the proposed agency mandate.

NIMDA, he noted that when set up will ensure all government’s Ministries, Departments and Agencies (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.

Further, NIMDA, he told ITREALMS, will 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 and so on.

He insisted that for an effective National Digital Economy Policy implementation, there is a need for the industry to effectively and consistently engage the Ministry of Information and Culture, stressing that “effective data and information governance will go a long way in ensuring the success of the initiative.”

NIMDA, he said, 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.”

NIMSF, he told ITREALMS was developed by the RIMA Foundation to advance sustainable development at all levels in the information management industry.

“Our activity aims to enhance open, accountable and participatory decision-making and governance on sustainable development through enhancing the involvement of all industry stakeholders. We focus particularly on the effective engagement of stakeholders on information management related policy processes,” he said.

Remmy Nweke/DoP

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Pix: L-r: Protocol Officer, Kitiya James; Member, Governing Council and Director of Training, Dr. Kolawole Oseni; President/Chairman, Governing Council, Dr. Oyedokun Ayodeji Oyewole and Head of HR, Merit Endurance, all members of Institute of Information Management (IIM-Africa) during the press conference by National Information Management Stakeholders’ forum held at IIM-Africa’s secretariat on Friday in Lagos State, Nigeria.

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