Abuja – Managing Director, News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Ima Niboro, has commended Federal Government for commissioning Basic Registry and Information System in Nigeria (BRISIN), saying it would provide reliable data for economic development.
Niboro gave the commendation while receiving a delegation from BRISIN at NAN headquarters in Abuja on Thursday.
He said that collection and harmonisation of data by relevant government agencies had remained a great challenge to the country, adding that the problem had retarded sustainable development of the economy.
According to him, the issue of conflicting data has been a major challenge, even for top management officials in the Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs) in the country.
“We need to harmonise our data from various MDAs for planning and developmental purposes.
“We should be able to have a mechanism to collate data in a reliable manner and disseminate them to various users.
“I am happy that this initiative is on and that you are going round media organisations for the sensitisation of Nigerians,’’ he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that BRISIN is an integrated system for the collection, storage and distribution of information to support the management of the economy.
It is an infrastructural system built to give a solid foundation for technological and socio-economic development of a nation.
The facility facilities and guarantees regular and continuous assessment and management of the population as well as the economy and administrative institutions in the country.
Niboro expressed the willingness of NAN to collaborate with the BRISIN team to disseminate timely, and reliable information on the project.
He said that the initiative required a lot of support from every stakeholder, stressing that no country could succeed without acquiring data for planning.
Earlier, the Head of Implementation and Technical Committee of Brisin, Dr Anthony Uwa, said that the programme was an integrated data and information infrastructure that would help to manage Nigeria’s economy.
“Our mission is to sensitise NAN on the project; we rely on the media, NAN first, because of the information for change which the current administration is clamouring for.
“BRISIN is the foundational objective which will see this country to a great developmental level,’’ he said.
He disclosed that based on some fundamental steps already taken by the committee, new investors started indicated interest to support the project.
According to him, Nigerians in Diaspora are also willing to support this project.
Also speaking, Mr Kalu Kalu, Chief Planning Officer, National Planning Commission (NPC) said that BRISIN was a Federal Government project.
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Kalu disclosed that infrastructure for the project was being provided by Dermon Impex, an Information and Communication (ICT) company based in Italy.
He said that proposal for the project was submitted to the Federal Government in 1998 but that approval was delayed for a long time.
‘’The Federal Government, under for President Olusegun Obasanjo studied the proposal and directed that a critical appraisal and evaluation of the system be made.
“A team of government officials visited Italy in May, 2006, to obtain firsthand information and understudy how the system works.
“Based on the report of the visit, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved that the project should be executed with the Federal Capital Territory as pilot,’’ he said.
Kalu, therefore, said that the technical committee was inaugurated to ensure the implementation of the project across the country. (NAN)
