Says local software alternatives performing
at lower cost
WHILE Nigeria expends about $2.8 billion
annually on the importation of information
communications, ICT, good and services, a
huge amount of almost $1 billion, or about 4%
of the proposed 2017 annual budget will be
spent on software importation.
The Director General of the National
Information Technology Development Agency,
NITDA, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim who disclosed this
at the weekend in Lagos during the 2017
Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria,
ISPON, Presidential Dinner told the gathering
that as a regulator of the sector, the
regulatory authority was keen to ensure the
Nigerian local content policy was promoted
and enforced. “We are committed to the local
content policy for the development of our
emerging ICT sector and for the reduction of
capital flight.
“We are committed to reverse this trend of
uncontrolled inflow of foreign software to the
detriment or our own local software. We seek
to identify, strengthen and promote our
indigenous software as an alternative to the
foreign software that currently dominated our
ICT sector. After all, facts and figures at our
disposal suggest that the local software
alternatives are performing well at a much
cost”, the former acting DG of NITDA ,
Vincent Olatunji who represented the NITDA
DG, explained.
From left: Bimbo Abioye, Managing Director,
FinTrack, Chris Uwaje, Director General, Delta
State Innovation Hub, Olorogun James
Emadoye, President of Institute of Software
Practitioners of Nigeria, ISPON, and Chinenye
Mba-Uzoukwu, 2nd Vice President, ISPON nd
during the 2017 Institute of Software
Practitioners of Nigeria, ISPON, President’s
Dinner held in Lagos at the weekend.
Success of indigenous solution:
According to him, the success of an
indigenous solution such as the Treasury
Single Account, TSA, policy of the Federal
Government was a case in point. “TSA has
has assisted government in eliminating ghost
workers thereby saving government billions of
naira on monthly basis. NITDA is therefore
eager to support the local software industry to
have many more indigenous success stories.
“We will therefore be glad to partner with
ISPON to develop a robust database of
certified software practitioners as well as a
repository containing a list of the the products
of your members with detailed description of
your expertise and available solutions that can
address the peculiarities of our country and
by extension, Africa. In addition, this will
enable us to properly liaise with the National
Office for Technology Acquisition and
Promotion NOTAP, to ensure that approvals
are only given for the importation of software
for which there are no viable indigenous
alternatives”, he further explained.
Solutions must meet necessary standards:
To meet international best practice, the NITDA
DG noted that as a way of promoting local
solutions, the regulatory agency would provide
needed support to ensure that these products
meet all the necessary standards and best
practices for quality.
“Much as we eager to promote indigenous
products, we are careful not to do so at the
expense of the minimum global standards.
Thus, our office for Nigerian Content, ONC, is
actively exploring support mechanisms for the
local solutions for both the Nigerian and
foreign markets”, he noted.
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