Plans are underway to compel foreign firms operating in Nigeria to use locally developed software as a way of promoting the development of the software industry in Nigeria and backed by the local content policy. This was disclosed by Ernest Nwapa, Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).

Nwapa, who made the call in Lagos recently, during the ISPON President’s Dinner 2015, said: “We need to collaborate with software practitioners in the country, just as we are currently doing with the oil and gas sector of the Nigerian economy, in order to achieve the same level of success recorded in the oil and gas sector through the Nigerian Local Content Policy.”

He said what is going on in the oil and gas sector, could be replicated in the software industry, if there is a strong collaboration between the board and ISPON.

“To promote software, we must agree that certain percentage of software used in Nigeria by foreign firms, must be developed in Nigeria, and once we stand by it like we did with the oil and gas sector, the investors will have no choice but to key into our plans,” Nwapa said, adding that for Nigeria to achieve full local content development in any sector, there must be local manufacturing in Nigeria.

Governor Liyel Imoke, of Cross River State, added: “I have seen some young Nigerians that have developed excellent local software and I have also seen some local software used by various agencies and departments. I have seen local software in Cross River State that was developed by Nigerians and used by hoteliers for booking of accommodation and other hotel services. I have also seen local software used by government especially in the state ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs). The potential of software industry in Nigeria, is therefore great, but it is something I think we have to develop beyond what it is today.”

Source: http://www.techcityng.com/nigerian-government-to-compel-foreign-firms-to-use-locally-developed-software/

This is good news for the IT sector, and I guess our government are beginning to wake up now. They should also replicate the same thing in the hardware sector, i.e we should (or must) patronize our local hardware vendors like Zinox, Omatek, Speedstar etc. This is the only way these guys can grow and of course this will boost our economy and create more jobs.

All these coys that we patronize: HP, Dell, Apple, etc are all amongst the fortune 500 coys. Imagine if we patronize our local guys: Zinox, Omatek and co the way the americans patronize apple, these (our local) coys would have been like NNPC and MTN here in Nigeria where everyone would be craving to work.

Yes i understand that they make low quality stuffs, but the only way they can grow and produce standard stuffs is if they are patronized and they have constant buyers, cos even the Hp and co it's just nice packaging that they have, majority of what's in their system like the HDD, DVD-ROM, Screen, mother-board, etc are produced by 3rd parties.

It is called a free market system.. concentrate on providing funding of our secondary schools and universities with the right training for teachers, better curriculum for students and modern teaching aids for a better learning environment. you want my N500 million a year small business to run on software built by a half-baked kid fresh out of university without any exposure to international standards and experience. FG Relax your balls on a cup of hot coco.. that will never happen.. unless you build a technology hub and sustain development of tech sector with better funding for projects. look at india case in point

I get your point, but we have a vibrant software market in nigeria, at least i know of a bunch of core SW coys like Sidmatech(that currently handles JAMB and NYSC), E-softies, Chams, socket-works, etc and all the other SW coys at Silicon valley Yaba. Of course we are not yet there, but I feel this is a right step taken by the government.

voltron:
It is called a free market system.. concentrate on providing funding of our secondary schools and universities with the right training for teachers, better curriculum for students and modern teaching aids for a better learning environment. you want my N500 million a year small business to run on software built by a half-baked kid fresh out of university without any exposure to international standards and experience. FG Relax your balls on a cup of hot coco.. that will never happen.. unless you build a technology hub and sustain development of tech sector with better funding for projects. look at india case in point

Point of correction,Nigerian developers are not half baked and tell me these who creates those international standards you are talking about are they machines or humans?

Pins:

Point of correction,Nigerian developers are not half baked and tell me these who creates those international standards you are talking about are they machines or humans?

Global Standards are derived from continuing revision of what works best (aka Best Practice) if you abide by these standards, you are fulfilling requirements built from expert reviews of use cases that revolve around innovation, consistency and professionalism. I say half-baked not because they are not good but because they need to be exposed to the culture that breeds best practices

abdul01:
I get your point, but we have a vibrant software market in nigeria, at least i know of a bunch of core SW coys like Sidmatech(that currently handles JAMB and NYSC), E-softies, Chams, socket-works, etc and all the other SW coys at Silicon valley Yaba. Of course we are not yet there, but I feel this is a right step taken by the government.

These successful local companies refuse to move out of their comfort zone to explore and exploit the horizon of opportunities available. They stagnate thus