1) In light of the fact that the layout and architecture of aforementioned site is not good and could be better
2) In light of the fact that aforementioned site was recently hacked
3) In light of the fact that a google search for "nigeria" doesn't place aforementioned site in at least the top 3 on page 1 of the SERPs

I hereby request all interested web designers/developers to join me on a pro bono project to help revamp Nigeria's image online. This site isn't meant to rival what is out there but to (hopefully) replace it in its entirety.

What's in it for you?
Definitely not money (at least not upfront or via "hook up" with the government). If this is what tickles your fancy, don't bother showing interest. What's in it for you should be the pride in knowing that you have helped expose your country, in a positive light, online. If money comes after that, consider that a by product.

Approach
I am estimating at least 20 individuals to get involved here. I actually requested this last year or so but it fell on deaf ears. So I am trying again. I am also estimating a project timeline of no more than 3 months (sure, we can do it in 4 days but we should be aiming for a site that is built right the first time).

The plan is to attack this on all fronts: Design, Code (HTML, CSS, JavaScript, whatever back end language we use (most likely PHP)), Architecture, SEO.

Once site is complete, we hope to present it to "someone" in "some department" and/or to the various media outlets. If it isn't picked up, so be it. At least we get to go to bed at night knowing that we actually did something positive. Who knows? It might even encourage similar initiatives worldwide.

Where do I fit in?
I will most likely serve in a Project Management capacity. Sure, I can get my hands dirty too but I am looking for a way "to give back" as I have been doing this for a while

Next steps
1) The current site indicates that it is managed by the Office of the SSA on ICT. If you or anyone you know happens to know who is in charge there, alert them to this thread as it will be updated quite frequently (assuming the interest is there)

2) Start thinking of what you can bring to the table. I won't be conducting interviews per se and everyone will be learning here. Just be honest, with respect to your skill set, that's all. If you want to serve in a learning role, that's fine by me.

3) Soon, I will be posting a "plan of attack" on this thread so stay tuned.

4) I will only proceed if there is enough interest (which should be indicated on this thread).

It's about time Nigeria be shown that it could be better and that we have the people capable of making it better, who aren't driven by immediate monetary gain.

Thanks for your time.

Consider this thread sticky too when the audience is up to expectation.

Count me 1.

Project specifications too matter here. I've got ideas to what we can output as well.

Very Good, I am also interested, I will be a part of this project by designing the GUI, and, slicing the GUI with CSS and. HTML.

Infact, I will start working on the GUI right now,


This is our country, together we can make it better!

Cheers

This is a temporal list to to ensure we get the requested number of contributors. Tasks are liable to be shuffled once we commence development. Thanks for your understanding.


Project Manager
#1: Yawa-ti-de

Secretary to Project Manager
#2: OmniPotens

Version Control Manager
#15: Fayimora

Front-end Coders
#3: Clementcro
#5: Sisqology
#14: Timileyin
#19: Shy-One
#22: Frankjoe

Miscellaneous
#4: Tubiz
#7: Adewaleh
#28: Afam4eva
#29: Lynkyinka

Security Tester/Hacker Prove
#6: Slyr0x
#13: WeMaStEr
#28: Develop3r

Backend Coders
#8: Farouqzaib
#9: Dual Core
#10: Instinctg
#12: Abidemi_A
#16: Worldbest
#17: Chillaz
#20: Ogzille
#23: Maximip
#26: Spysense

Graphics/Animation
#11: Databoy247
#21: Koolwilly
#24: Scopgel1
#27: Petres_007

Copywriters
#18: Yamakuza

Documentation
#25: Lakelake

@omni:
Did you work during the last census?

@clemencro:
I appreciate your fervor and passion for this project. I will however, if you don't mind, ask you to hold off on the design for now. Let's at least wait till we can all agree on requirements, biko. I hope you understand

@omni:
Would you mind being our secretary and put clemencro's name down as one of the front end coders? Thanks

@yawa-ti-de please also count me in.

I have been following the issue of the nigeria.gov.ng website and I felt really bad about it what a wrong way to promote our image.

But I believe in what you (we) are planning to do towards making it better.

Think now is the time for me to start putting my skills to better use.

Have been silent about it all this while.


----Since there is now a Minister in charge of ICT, after the project is done we can get in touch with her ----
----That would be the best bet, instead of looking for a contact in the Office of the SSA on ICT----

Sure tubiz, I would rather go straight to the source myself.

Thanks for volunteering. Let me give this till Monday or so, before I announce the next moves

Can I be I₪?? If I am good enough!

sisqo:
As stated in my OP, there is no "good enough" or "bad enough" with this project. Worse case, you can collect content and populate pages with it

Thanks for showing interest.

Then, I am in

IN

I sincerely hope this thread dosent die off. Count me in. My skills? Graphics, content developer, SEO. Errm, since the site was hacked? How do you (we) take it back from them? (maybe slyr0x should ans this)And how do we acess the control panel? Or is this the part where "contacts" come in?

I'm in, i use asp, html and access

Count me in. Server side development using PHP et al.

I'm as into this project as I'm into the OP (figuratively literal).

I am still taking the numbers down. As at the time of my posting, we 9 in number. More hands needed. PLEASE IN CASE I FIXED YOU AT MISCELLANEOUS, IT MEANS THAT I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU FIT IN BUT THAT CAN STILL BE SORTED OUT. No Hard Feelings, please. With due respect, you can connect me and tell me where you fit in and I will honour that. Thanks for your interest.

As they branded us to be: Nigeria, Great People, Great Nation.

yawa-ti-de:

1) The current site indicates that it is managed by the Office of the SSA on ICT. If you or anyone you know happens to know who is in charge there, alert them to this thread as it will be updated quite frequently (assuming the interest is there)

Site was developed by www.inetworkscanada.com , am in, Database modelling, back-end or front-end coding.

Layout aspect! Great html ãήϑ css

Noted and will be fixed at once. Thanks for the update.

@instinct,

One look at that canada site and i am like, "no wonder the naija site sucks". The apple doesn't always fall too far from the tree, does it

I just couldn't say or post anything after seeing that website. I pretended my eyes saw nothing. Copyright still at 2003 without updates et al. Make I no just voice out or I will defile my silent mod though it seems I've started talking again. l l

hmm, so many badt guys in the house, well, what can i do?

i got it. i will be the chief beafer of the website

will come in post launch and tell you everything that is not cool about it. i guess yawatide don get this job already,

but i go still join beaf

well i think the only different thing from all the above i will like to do

1) Optimizing the website for speed gzipping, caching. etc
2) Post launch check list for everything ranging from absence of favicon, misspelling, wrong capitalisation, etc
3) .htaccess consultancy

databoy247:

Errm, since the site was hacked? How do you (we) take it back from them? (maybe slyr0x should ans this)And how do we acess the control panel? Or is this the part where "contacts" come in?

When a site gets hacked, it doesn't necessarily mean its been hijacked permanently. .Its just for sometime till it gets cleaned by the admin in charge. .but then the site was only defaced. .let's hope there's no backconnect in there.

Also we talking about developing ANOTHER site. .I don't think we have any business with the current site. .nigeria.gov.ng. .(Control panel included) except the domain name (I might be wrong tho).

Exactly ђat I have been pondering on

^^^ What?

First things first, lets register a domain name, one that could easily be remembered. we should research on available domains and then settle for one.
Suprisingly,
1. http://www.nigeria.com/
2. http://www.nigeria.com.ng/
3. http://www.thenigerian.com/

And they forgot about me! Hmmmm anyways wud just watch then. .

@Fayimora
How we go forget you now? That is why (as promised), I created a brand new thread (which omni will sticky) as opposed to continuing on that other thread. It would have been hard to find

@instinctng
Since the aim would be to (hopefully) hand over the site to the government, I was thinking there is no need per se, to register another "nigeria" domain. This might also double as those guys not seeing us as a threat but as partners. Let's hold off on the domain stuff for now. There will be plenty of time for this and others. Let's rather focus on those who are "ready to serve". Though this will be ongoing, I intend to end round 1 of volunteer solicitiation, based on demand so far, by September 18, 2011.

Thanks

I am happy to contribute:
My skills:
  C# (ASP.NET), Systems/database design/analysis

@yawatide
how do we share code base? how do we access updates on everyone's work? In other words, the demo url need not be the live one (though i have this feeling it might be ), so let's know if there are other options.

instinct, thanks for your questions/concerns.

I will partially answer what you have mentioned, only because as I stated earlier, initial phase is to gather all those interested. Trust me, these issues have been thought out and will be addressed. For instance, my initial thinking regards your questions is to assign 1 or more people to each section of the site (government, about, whatever). This way once the original template has been designed and the code architecture agreed upon (header, footer, etc), all the person/people need to do is populate with content. This will reduce possibility of one person over writing each other's code. Again, just a thought, since you asked.

Good questions though. Let's wait till at least Monday. More to come by then, Lord willing.

Wed ave love to be part of this but have got academics on the way. Final semester exams on. Anyway i would like been a partner then.