Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan presented the country’s 2012 draft budget to the National Assembly recently, and it was revealed that the Ministry of Information and Communication would receive a total allocation of N18.31-billion, and N30.84-billion being allocated to the Ministry of Science and Technology.
This is in stark contrast to this year’s budget, when the Ministry of Information and Communication received N30.39-billion, and the Ministry of Science and Technology was allocated N48.73-billion. “Even in the 2011 budget, a good number of ICT professionals criticised the low budget allocated to Information and Communications Technology,” the Vanguard wrote.
While the Communications Technology Ministry received N12.08-billion less, Jonathan allocated N921.91-billion to Security, N400.15-billion to Education, N180.8-billion to Works, N282.77-billion to Health and about N161.42-billion to Power.
“Although all these other sectors which allocation dwarf that of the Communications Technology and the Science and Tech Ministry put together, the mistake the government seems to be making is neglecting the fact that in this 21st century it is only ICT that can easily transform them with a lightning speed,” the Vanguard added.
Charlie Fripp – Acting Online editor
