ADDRESS BY HIS EXCELLENCY THE EXECUTIVE GOVERNOR OF KADUNA STATE ARC MOHAMMED NAMADI SAMBO fnia AT THE OCCASION OF THE OPENING OF THE ICT TRAINING WORKSHOP FOR ZAMFARA STATE EXCO MEMBERS AT THE CRYSTAL GARDEN HOTEL KADUNA ON THURSDAY 26^TH JUNE 2008.

PROTOCOL

I am delighted and honoured to be part of this momentous occasion. Let me begin by welcoming you to Kaduna as the host of the Information & Communication Technology (ICT) Workshop for your Executive Council members. I see the seminar as timely and critical to our current collective efforts which are aimed at building human capacity and physical development with key elements being knowledge, innovation and creativity. I have no doubt that the outcome of the ICT workshop will justify the efforts that went into its preparation.

In the 21^st Century, only nations that share a commitment to providing safe environment, building human capacity and guaranteeing political and economic freedom will be able to harness the potential of their people and assure their future prosperity. People everywhere want to be able to live safely, speak freely, choose who will govern them, worship as they please, educate their children, own property, have access to basic healthcare and enjoy the dividends of democracy and their labour. These values of freedom are right and true for every person, for every Nigerian in every society and the duty of protecting these values lies with the government of the day. This is why we have our 11-point Agenda, the Promise of these values for freedom with ICT as an integral part of the agenda.

We are faced with the enormous task of transforming our economic potential into sustained growth and poverty reduction. The key to meeting these challenges may lie more in ICT strategic implementation procedure taking into account social, attitudinal and religious rather than economic factors alone. Thus the government will be required to make aggressive and decisive policy shift to be defined as a continuum of actions roughly divided into certain phases and constantly monitored to be in line with the Agenda. We have done that in our policies on Security, Education, Health, Water, Agriculture and Energy. In the area of ICT, our goal is e-Governance with a top down plan but bottom-up approach i.e.  Having an overall framework ready, but starting with flexible pilots that could be scaled up later.

We have founded a formula on how Public-Private Partnership (PPP) can work in ICT for economic and social development of the State and have come up with a comprehensive strategy from plan to a roadmap for better integration of all sectors of the economy aimed at bridging the digital divide and application of ICT to the workings of government to serve the public more efficiently and transparently popularly known as NAMADI ICT4D (Information & Communication Technology for Development Action Plan). The thrust of the plan is to provide a compass with which the state could move its socio-economic structures, create sustainable development and build human capacity using ICTs as has been the case with India and so many other countries.

The fulfilment of our promises in this light, ICT training was conducted in January this year for all the Honourable Commissioners, Permanent Secretaries as well as Chief Executive Officers of parastatals. This was preceded by the distribution of 200 laptops to Honourable Commissioners, Special Advisers, Permanent Secretaries and chief Executives of Parastatals. Just last week on June 18, 2008, the entire Civil Service of the State was rejuvenated with the flag-off of the first batch of ICT Training of 8000 Civil Servants out of a total of 27000 civil servants in the State with the sum of N120m released for the training. The scheme will continue until all Civil Servants in the State are fully trained and computer literate. To sustain their knowledge, we are introducing Computer Acquisition Scheme for Civil Servants in collaboration with CANI and other indigenous computer firms in the State. This goes hand in hand with the creation of enabling ICT environment and dynamic infrastructure to integrate all sectors of the economy in the State and to enhance the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the Plan of Action of the World Summit of Information Society (WSIS) and African Regional Development Initiatives as mapped out by the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD)

Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen, our Action Plan is anchored on achieving our 11-Point Agenda while supporting the 7-Point Agenda of President Umaru Musa Yar'adua who has called for more proactive approach at furthering Nigeria's development goals especially in the area of ICT in order to adequately give her a place among the 20 leading economies by year 2020. This plan has taken into consideration to build a world class ICT Park in the New Kaduna City.

In a world of new complexities, high hopes and ICT, the internet brings un-parallel advantage towards building bridges between Government and people. Our collective economic vitality is our greatest asset. It is the product of the creative spirit of a free and industrious people and of an economic system that gives opportunity to virtual private incentive. In Kaduna, we shall meet our challenges and keep our promises.

Kaduna State has been named the best place to do business in Nigeria by the World Bank simply because of our commitment to Security through Operation Yaki, our commitment to Industrial rejuvenation, our resolve to build our ICT capacity and provide enabling environment to attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in areas of ICT, Solid Mineral and Agriculture and our indomitable patriotic spirit to provide Good Governance to the people of Kaduna State.

We believe that strong leadership is about consultation. It is also about principles but not ideology based. It strives to balance priorities for all devoid of giving in to the interests of a few. Most importantly, it is about encouraging people to share their ideas, work together and set out an ambitious action plan to create a competitive and compassionate economy which seeks ultimately to display the values of hard work, humility and excellence. Our promise is to build abetter quality of life for everyone in the State, create equal opportunity for all, support the most vulnerable, and devote our energy and experience to seeing these promises fulfilled. We continue to seek your support, prayers and cooperation. We therefore urge you to visit the Kaduna state website (www.kadunastate-ng.com) for more details.

We appreciate the opportunity to serve as Special Guest of Honour in this occasion and we look forward to a continually mutual and beneficial friendly relationship between our States

Thank you and God Bless