FG to develop standardised websites for MDAs – Minister

The Federal Government says it plans to develop standardised websites for Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to enhance easy access to information on government services.

Bosun Tijani, the minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, stated this on Monday at the 6th edition of the monthly DevsInGovernment meeting in Abuja.

According to him, the ministry is planning to have standardised government websites for all government institutions for easier access, security and virtual identity.

The minister said the report of the standardised websites for government agencies and institutions would be presented to the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for adoption.

“There will be a special advisory board for this project that will review everything that will be done.

“Before its release, it will come back to the project committee to review and agree that this is what the new standard should be for web platforms within the Nigerian government.

“We will take it to FEC to adopt and say every agency must migrate to it.

“The goal will be to have people work in different sub-groups to design what we want to see and we are going to get experts from the industry as well that will support us,’’ the minister said.

According to him, over the years, many Nigerians have been complained about not able to access information on government services because the MDAs’ websites are not similar.

He said this project would harmonise the design to ensure the standardisation of websites in MDAs.

“One of the biggest things that Nigerians complain about is the fact that it is not easy for them to access information on government services

“The websites are not similar because if you look from one MDA to another, the websites look different.

“But with this programme, we are harmonising the design. So, collectively we are working together to come up with standardised websites of what government websites should look like.

“As we do this, it is important we call all government IT experts along because they are the ones who are going to implement it.”

He said that the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) had a guideline for it already, adding that the ministry would work with NITDA and interpret it in clear terms.

“Though NITDA has something like that it is just a document that describes what your font should look like in text, the colours have been described in the document in text, the visuals described in text.

“This effort is to take the work that is been done to a new level. Let us open it up and ensure that the people we want to serve are part of the process of developing this new standard.

Vincent Olatunji, executive commissioner, National Data Protection Commission (NDPC), urged the committee to consider individual data protection and cyber security.

“As you know personal data and cybersecurity are a major component of anything you do, I urge you to make personal data protection and cybersecurity a major aspect of all that you will do,” he said.