Our Constitution

CONSTITUTION OF THE
NIGERIAN INSTITUTE OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY ENGINEERS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Consequent upon the need to deepen the development of the ICT industry, the Nigerian Institute of ICT Engineers was founded on 27^th February 2016.

It was sequel to call among ICT Engineers especially within the regulatory and operational environment that the industry is of age to have an Institute that brings together practicing ICT
Engineers with a view to promote the practice and learning of ICT Engineering in Nigeria, and to provide a think tank for the Government on ICT Engineering issues.

The inaugural meeting was held on the 27^th of February in the Nigerian Communications Commission, and then it was called Nigerian Institute of Communications Engineers.

Section 1: NAME

The name of the Institute shall be the Nigerian Institution of ICT Engineers and intended to be a Division of the Nigerian Society of Engineers (hereinafter simply referred to as NIICTE for short).

Section 2: GOVERNMENT & ADMINSTRATION

1. The Institute shall be governed by this Constitution, Bye-Laws and Rules of NIICTE as well as by the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or others which shall be made from time
to time under this Constitution.

2. The affairs of the Institute shall be managed by the National Executive elected from its Corporate Membership cadre which shall have:

(a) Full control of the activities of the Institute subject to the limitations of this Constitution and any amendment thereof.

(b) The power to recommend amendment or repeal of Bye-Laws and Rules in harmony with this Constitution to the Annual General Meeting for discussion and decision.

 3. The Institute shall have an Ordinary General Meeting (OGM) every third Thursday of the month.

4. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) shall hold once every year in the month of July and the date shall be fixed during an OGM under the guidance of the National Executive.

Section 3: OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Institute shall be to advance theories and practices in the field of ICT Engineering by any of but not limited the following:

A. To bring together all ICT
Engineers in Nigeria and facilitate standard professional ethics in Communications services delivery.

B. To advance the interest of the Nigerian Society of Engineers with respect to ICT, and offer her quota to make the society more influential in the ICT policy formulation, regulation and
general practice.

C. To promote, protect, encourage and maintain a high standard for ICTs study in Nigeria.

D. To promote, protect and maintain a high standard of practice among members.

E. To protect and enhance the welfare of ICT Engineers in Nigeria

F. To promote the culture of
Best Practice and position Nigerian ICT Engineering practice in the World
Class.

G. To promote capacity
building and learning of ICT Engineers as well as in the Educational sector.

From time to time, the objective of the Institute would continually be improved upon.

Section 4: MEMBERSHIP AND PRIVILEGES

i. Membership shall be voluntary and each member shall be entitled to a Certificate of Membership, endorsed by the Chairman and the Secretary of the Institute.

ii. The Certificate of Membership shall remain the property of the Institute and be returned upon termination of membership.

iii. Abbreviation of the titles to be used by members shall be as follows:

          a. Fellow – FNIICTE

b. Member – MNIICTE

c. Honorary Member – Hon. MNIICTE

d. Corporate Firm Member cCMNIICTE)

e. Graduate Member (gMNIICTE)

f. Student Member (sMNIICTES)

iv. Each member that wishes to terminate its membership shall deposit with the NIICTE Secretariat through the Secretary, Certificate of Membership and any other properties of the Institute in its possession.

v. Each member shall be entitled to wear the emblem or display colors approved by the National Executive of the Institute for his/her grade of membership.

SECTION 5: QUALIFYING CRITERIA FOR MEMBERSHIP

1. General Membership

i. A candidate for admission to the Institute in any grade, except that of Fellows and Honorary member shall make application on an approved NIICTE form.

ii. A candidate for admission to the Institute except a Fellow or an Honorary Member should be referred by at least two (2) financially up to date members who have
personal knowledge of his qualifications.

iii. Any application for membership from a candidate who may not be able to give the necessary number of references may be recommended by the National Executive for
ballot after sufficient evidence has been obtained to show that the candidate is worthy of admission to membership. Such candidate may refer to officers or voting members of other Societies or Institutes of like standing.

v. The sponsors of each candidate shall be requested to make such confidential communications to the National Executive through the Secretary as will enable the National Executive to arrive at a proper assessment of the eligibility of the candidate. All such confidential material shall be destroyed by the Secretary within a reasonable period after acceptance of election by payment of the admission fee and annual dues.

vi. Each candidate approved by the National Executive shall be assigned to the grade of membership to which his/her qualifications entitles him/her.

2. Corporate Firm Membership:

i. Any suitably qualified corporate organization shall be admitted to corporate firm member of the Institute at the discretion of the National Executive.

3. Student Membership

i. A candidate for admission to the Institute as a student member must be endorsed by the Head of the applicable Engineering Department or the Faculty Officer of
the student branch located at the Institution where he/her is a student.

ii. A student member may participate in all the activities of the Institute but shall not be permitted to vote or hold an elective office except in the Student Branch at the Institution in which he/her is a student.

4. Fellow Membership

i. From the Institute’s register, the Secretariat shall compile, every year, a list of members who are eligible to be elected as Fellows of Institute.

ii. The National Executive shall contact in writing, each of the listed members requesting for:

a. The member’s consent to become a Fellow,

b. Comprehensive curriculum vitae,

c. Three references who must themselves be Fellows of the Institute or a similar Institute / Institution

iii. There shall be automatic admission to fellowship for the following categories of persons

a. All serving and past Ministers of Ministry in charge of ICT who are Engrs.

b. All serving and past Chief Executives of Regulatory Agencies in the ICT Sector who are ENGRs.

c. Chairmen and Past Chairmen of the Institute

d. Members of ten years and above.

 iv. The National Executive shall appoint a Board of Fellows. No Member of the National Executive shall be appointed member of the Board of Fellows. The board shall consist of members who are Fellows or are eligible to be elected as Fellows. The Secretariat shall secure references from the three referees of each candidate and forward to the board under confidential cover. The board shall assess the curriculum vitae and references of each candidate, and make necessary recommendations to the National Executive.

v. Unsuccessful candidates can be reassessed two years after the initial trial.

 Section 6: FEES AND DUES

1 (a) The cost of the Membership Application Form shall be Three Thousand Naira (N3,000.00) and the cost of processing the form shall be Ten Thousand Naira (N10,000.00) making a total of Thirteen Thousand Naira (N13,000) which is referred to as admission and membership fee for ordinary member while Five Thousand Naira (N5,000.00) is application form for Fellow Members and the cost of processing the form is Ten Thousand Naira (N10,000.00) making a total of Fifteen Thousand Naira (N15,000) for Fellow Member.

1 (b) The annual dues shall be Ten Thousand Naira (N10, 000.00) for all grades of membership.

These fees and dues shall be reviewed from time to time by the National Executive and approved by the Annual General Meeting before such reviews can become effective.

2. The admission fee and annual dues shall be payable on the first day of the month following the date of election. Only upon the payment of this amount shall the person elected be
entitled to the rights and privileges of membership in the grade to which he is assigned. If such a person does not comply with this requirement within three months of notice of his election, the National Executive may declare his election void.

3. The annual dues for each ensuing year shall be due and payable in advance on the first day of July. A bill for annual dues shall be mailed to each member by October of each year.
Notice of arrears shall be sent thereafter as directed by the National Executive.

4. By the 1^st of September each year, the Financial Secretary shall submit to the National Executive a list of members whose dues have not been paid.

The National Executive will take action that may be considered appropriate.

5. After the close of the fiscal year on June 30^th, the Financial Secretary shall submit to the National Executive a list of members whose dues have remained unpaid for 12 months. Such defaulters shall at the discretion of the National Executive be stricken from the roll of membership and shall cease to have any further rights as members.

6. The National Executive may temporarily excuse from payment of annual dues any member who from ill health, advanced age, or other good reason is unable to pay such dues; and the National Executive may remit the whole or part of dues in arrears.

7. The National Executive may restore to membership any person dropped from the rolls for non-payment of dues or otherwise, upon such conditions as it may deem best. The National Executive shall also decide whether or not a reinstatement fee should be paid and the amount.

Section 7: THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE

a. The National Executive shall comprise of the following

i. Chairman

ii. Vice Chairman

iii. General Secretary

iv. Media Publicity Secretary

v. I.T Publicity Secretary

vi. Financial Secretary

vii. Treasurer

viii. EX-Officio

b. The National Executive shall be elected and shall be headed by the Chairman to manage the resources and affairs of the Institute and its Secretariat for a fixed tenure.

c. The tenure of the National Executive shall be two years and members of the National Executive cannot be re- elected for the positions they occupy or have occupied.

d. Upon completion of his/her tenure, the Chairman shall be appointed into the Board of Fellows of the Institute.

5. The National Executive shall consider the failure of an incumbent from inability or otherwise to perform the duties of his office, and may by a two-third vote, declare, any elective office vacant. The National Executive shall there upon appoint a member to fill the vacancy until the next election of officers. Such appointment shall not render the appointee ineligible for election to any office.

6. An act of the National Executive (within its power under the Constitution) which shall have received the expressed or implied sanction of the membership at the following meeting of
the Institution shall be deemed to be an act of the Institute and cannot afterward be impeached by any member.

Section 8: COMMITTEES

i. Upon assumption of office, the Chairman shall appoint, subject to approval of the National Executive such Administrative Committees to assist in the conduct of the affairs of the
Institute and such professional Committees to investigate and report upon subjects of ICT Engineering interest as may be deemed desirable.

Section 9: SOCIETY REPRESENTATION

i. The Chairman may appoint a member or members, or other persons, to represent him in his capacity as Chairman or the Institute at meetings of Societies of kindred aim or at public
functions. The duties of such representatives shall terminate with the occasion for which they were appointed.

Section 10: ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE NATIONAL EXECUTIVE

i. The members of the National Executive as outlined in Section 7 shall be elected in an Annual General Meeting, the date of which shall be determined in an Ordinary General Meeting.

ii. Every member of the Institute can aspire for a position in the National Executive subject to his/her meeting the eligibility criteria informed by the Rules and Laws of the Institute.

iii. Prior to the election of the National Executive, the Chairman shall set up an electoral committee to preside over the elections. The duty of the committee shall basically include
determination of candidate eligibility and organizing the elections.

Section 11: OFFICERS OF THE INSTITUTES

i. The officers shall perform the duties regularly or customarily attached to their offices under the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and such other duties as may be required of
them by the National Executive or the Bye-laws.

Section 12: ESTABLISHMENT OF BRANCHES

i. The object of a geographical branch of the Institute shall be to provide means of promoting the work of the Institute by an organization of members who are resident within a
given territory.

ii. A branch of the Institute may be organized upon acceptance by the National Executive of the written request of a satisfactory number of members. Such a branch shall be designated
as a branch of the Nigerian Institute of ICT Engineers.

Section 13: STUDENT BRANCHES

i. A student branch may be organized upon acceptance by the National Executive of the written request of at least ten students pursuing a professional ICT Engineering curriculum in a
school of accepted standing. Such branch shall be designated as the Student Branch of the Nigerian Institute of ICT Engineers.

ii. The provisions of the Constitution, Bye-laws and Rules of the Institute shall cover the procedure of all student branches but no action or obligation of a Student Branch shall be
considered an action or obligation of the Institution as a whole. This Bye-law shall be imprinted on any publication issued by the student branch.

Section 14: PUBLICATION AND PAPERS

i. Sequel to one of the cardinal objective of the Institute bothering on promotion of the practice and learning of ICT Engineering in Nigeria, the Institute shall promote, enhance
and facilitate the release of publications and papers on ICT Engineering subjects as well as suitable platforms/workshops for such release aimed at public consumption through an Editorial Committee which shall be constituted by the Chairman as empowered by Section 8.

ii. The Institute through the Editorial Committee shall organize periodic lectures at least twice a year based on ICT Engineering themes. Such lectures shall project papers and
presentations on ICT Engineering subjects and shall involve Regulatory Bodies as well as international telecommunication organizations,

Section 15: FUNDING OF THE INSTITUTE

i. The Institute shall operate one or more bank accounts as deemed appropriate by the National Executives. Signatories to such account(s) shall be the Chairman, Financial Secretary and
the Treasurer who are members of the National Executive.

ii. The Chairman shall be entrusted with the financial resources of the Institute, and shall in conjunction with the Treasurer and Financial Secretary, implement the following in
accordance with the Laws of the Institute and Financial Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

a. Judiciously manage the funds of the Institute

b. Determine means of funding the Institute

c. Provide quarterly financial review detailing income and expenditures as well as revenue forecast.

No disbursement or expense shall be made from the account without written approval of the Chairman.

iii. Sources of funding shall among most others, include

a. Levies, Dues and Penalties among members

b. Levies, Dues and Privileges from both public and private sector organizations with strong utilization of Communication Engineers

c. Privileges from NGOs and international telecommunication organizations

d. Proceeds from Institute’s Privileges and facilities as the case may be.

e. Donations and grants

iv. The Institute shall involve the services of an external auditor for its yearly financial review.

SECTION 16: DISCIPLINE

i. The Chairman and Secretary in conjunction with the Board of Fellows shall constitute a Disciplinary Committee for the Institute.

ii. The Disciplinary Committee shall be responsible for the administration of disciplinary and punitive measures for the Institute. In the discharge of its duties, the Committee can
also invoke other Committees.

iii. Where members of the Committee are liable to Disciplinary measures, the Committee shall undertake its functions without the involvement of such members.

iv. A member of National Executive or member of any Standing Committee who may possibly face disciplinary measures may be suspended from his/her role at the discretion of
the National Executive and the Board of Fellows, pending the determination of the case.

v. Any process leading to the administration of disciplinary action shall be concluded at least within one month of commencement of such process and in any case not beyond 3 months.

vi. Punitive measures shall be at the discretion of the Disciplinary Committee who may consult internally and externally.

Section 17: Constitutional Matters and Bye Laws

i. There shall be a standing Committee on constitutional review whose primary duty shall be making the Constitution and Bye Laws more responsive to the needs of the Institute.

ii. Ratification and amendments to the Constitution and Bye Laws of the Institutions are subject to ratification during any Annual General Meeting.