Indigenous software the way to go, say Nigerian ICT experts

NIGERIA’S Information and Communication Technology (ICT) professionals have called for the development of indigenous software to complement current efforts to transform the economy.

Four years ago, Goldman Sachs — an international investment bank had — predicted that by 2020, Nigeria would join the 20 top economies in the world if the government of Africa’s most populous country could get its act together.

The ICT professionals who spoke in Lagos noted that with a population of over 150 million Nigeria was blessed with all that was required to ensure that it realised its potential through empowerment, coupled with adequate infrastructure, especially power.

Emmanuel Onyeje, Country Manager of Microsoft Anglophone West Africa who spoke exclusively to our reporter in Lagos at the presentation of gifts to Microsoft Nigeria partners, said Microsoft believed in locally designed software.

He said that Microsoft would continue to deploy locally designed software, adding that the company had set up several platforms, including what he called the Windows Assiure, software applications and the conducting of training for software writers and developers.

He regretted that software development in Nigeria was seriously plagued with piracy, adding that until the issue was tackled, the country would continue to have increased capital flight as a result of acquisition of foreign software by companies in the country, while local software growth would be stunted.

Recently, the awarding of contracts for the supply of about 132 000 units of direct data capture (DDC) machines for the voters registration exercise by the Nigerian election commission to largely foreign vendors drew condemnation from local ICT professional bodies including the Nigerian Computer Society, Information Technology Association of Nigeria, ITAN and the Institute of Software Professionals of Nigeria (ISPON) and the Nigerian Internet Group (NIG).

The concern for Nigerian ICT experts and software practitioners and professional bodies is that Nigeria may pay a great price in future if its national database is left to foreign agents to manage.

The major concern for local ICT experts, however, is that the awarding of contracts to foreign vendors would lead to capital flight and will not encourage local players who have been sidelined in the execution of government IT jobs, hence the need to develop indigenous software.

Professor Uwadia, president of Nigerian Computer Society, said neither CPN nor NCS was consulted before the decisions (to award the contract to foreigners) were taken.

“The position of NCS on substantial local content in all ICT contracts remains. This position was made known to the new INEC chairman at our last meeting with him. It is important for the country to continue assisting locals in building sufficient capacity in order to avoid reliance on importation which eventually leads to capital flight. NCS has continued to canvass the protection of local industry as well as government patronage through implementation of existing policy on it,” Uwadia said.

IKECHUKWU OSODO in Abuja, Nigeria