₦airaland Forum

@AjanleKoko. My brother that is the unfortunate situation we find ourselves in but we believe if we act now upcoming and would-be developers will not have the same shortcomings.

If they do, we would have failed no matter how successful we think we are. Remember no success without a successor.
Look at the countries you have mentioned and you will find that present generations are reaping from building blocks laid by people before them.

Sometimes I would want to blame Software developers here but I would always ask myself would they have behaved differently in a different circumstance and situation? I think they would.

what we are saying is we have identified the challenges. Now we must act to make it right. The time is now. We would like to have you and other like minds in the association moving forward.

rgds

N/B: There is also an ongoing discussion here on activities and project timeline https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-574165.0.html

I think we should combine the threads so that other people can join and contribute. Once again thanks.

BOLAJIAJANI thanks. Please guys let the campaign begin. see above some of the aims and objectives.

We can use this URL or use some of the excerpts from this thread.

rgds

@Kodewrita. You are not alone in this that's why you have legal and business frameworks to handle those aspects of business and more. What do you think will happen if somebody like Dangote dies today? just as an example. Who inherits his wealth? Definitely not any of the other directors on the board and not any of the shareholders.

Businesses can only grow and remain sustainable if they are structured accordingly. Remember they are entities.

Anything outside this is just hobby. Show me a business that is not structured and I would show you a business heading for the rocks. No matter how big, just a matter of time. Usually dies at the death of the owner.

He froze the site until he can get a webmaster to collaborate on it. Its distracting him and he needs someone who can code python to handle it. Nobody has volunteered so he has frozen it just like the earlier forum before nairaland (www.mobilenigeria.com)

This is exactly what we were talking about today. Business Continuity in Nigeria and the role of Software Developers in the economy.

God forbid but what happens if Seun is incapacitated and can not code again? I know he had thought about this. What happens if a lot of us get to a point where we can not run or manage our businesses any longer?

Think about it guys we really need to do something and fast too. Let us stop going at it alone. It's better to share N1billion with 10 people than to eat N10 million alone.

We really need to synergize and pull resources together. That way we won't be inundated with the amount of work needed to be done to achieve desired results.

rgds

Just to chip in that developers willing to collaborate on the development of the portal can do so by indicating interest here.

Let us do this for Nigeria.

Thank you.

@AjanleKoko Thank you for your advice. Facebook became a global company not because Mark is the smartest programmer in the world but because he had access to funding, enabling environment which includes power etc. and resources which includes collaborating with like minds and the right people.

I dare say that Nigeria programmers do not only "code for food", they are hard working business people and take their businesses serious. Nigeria programmers have great ideas and would like to see at least one of their ideas become big and make it to the global stage.

Without the aforementioned, this will almost be a "dream never come true". I can comfortably tell you that Nigeria programmers have the right products but lack the funding, resources etc. to grow their business. This is what the association intends to address.

Again thanks.

@ax242001. Thank you for your contribution. We are well aware of the challenges we went through, we face today and we are going to face tomorrow and that is why we have decided enough is really enough.

For example look at the entertainment industry today. Can you believe they could earn millions today as against 5,000 Naira or even less they used to earn back in the days.

How many years have passed? We criticize them almost on a daily basis for churning out unprofessional low quality movies even criticized them for lack of originality when they borrowed name from Hollywood.

The truth is if we do not do this now, posterity would judge us.

@Paulsopulu. Yes there are people alright and that's why we have taken it upon ourselves to do this. It is voluntary and we welcome suggestions, ideas an all. What is on the front burner now is to build a portal for the association which would be used as an effective communication platform for everybody.

We are still waiting for contributors.

Thanks

Insert Quote
I think the next thing for us is how we're going to collaborate on designing/developing the portal for SDA

Good one. That's a challenge. Having a collaboration platform to build a smart collaboration platform.

Any ideas? How can we build the portal effectively without having to meet physically?

Another thing is how can we spread the word to others so as to have a strong team of developers?

Everyday we keep wondering asking ourselves where our Software industry is going. Now there is an opportunity to change it and make a difference.

Guys please.

@.NET Thank you. If we do not start, it won't get started. We met a situation which we think is not ideal and we owe it to ourselves to either change it or leave it the way it is.

With regards to The Secretariat, it is still open. I can not say come and use my office because it might not go down well with all concerned. So first things first. First we should develop medium of communication and interaction then we discuss, agree and decide.

Secondly, membership is voluntary and open to the public preferably software developers and/or related fields including people in business, financial, legal professions.

It would be convenient to register online so I guess that's a route we might eventually take. Location is not a barrier so irrespective of where anybody is, it shouldn't pose a problem et all.

Let me know if there are any other queries/issues.

rgds

You are most welcome.

@ediclove. Thank you for your contribution. The association would carry everybody along and like I said, without the support of ALL and dedicated members, it will NOT succeed.

Kind of you to mention the "Nigerian Factor". Membership into the association is voluntary and every member MUST adhere to the rules and guiding principles of the association. Those are not my rules nor anybody's but "The Association" rules as certified by CAC and other regulatory bodies.

It is not an arm of Nairaland and never would be because they are different entities setup to do different things. What we are doing is to leverage on the forum(NL) to reach out to other people as this is Nigeria most read and used forum. We are politely asking and soliciting the support of Seun so that getting information out would be as fast and productive as possible. Remember without NL you wouldn't be reading this from me so let's give honour to whom honour is due.

When we(All of us) build the association's website and other communication medium, we can use them to collaborate etc. while moving our ailing industry forward.

Let me know if there are other issues.

Dear friends,
We have successfully registered Software Developers Association (SDA) and secured a domain name www.sda.com.ng (nothing there yet.)

Inauguration date and details to be discussed and agreed.

I would like to use this opportunity to thank everybody both software developers etc. for the positive and constructive feedback towards making this a reality. Without your contributions this would not have happened.


Some of the Aims & objectives(extracted from The Constitution - ARTICLE 3) are:-
1. To empower software developers to achieve their potentials through funding, training and retraining.
2. To develop and encourage software development in Nigeria through awareness creation, encourage project development and creativity.
3. To promote a digital knowledge economy through software development.
4. To eradicate poor infrastructure in Nigeria, inadequate funding, inadequate facilities and tools for software development.
5. Effective collaboration of technical know-how, availability of resources, to combat poor or low quality of products and poor sales due to any or all of the above.
etc.

Like we discussed and all agreed here https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-574165.0.html it is a community project and voluntary. It would only succeed if like minds work together for common objective.

I would also like to use this medium to ask Seun to please if possible create a child forum dedicated to SDA pending when the official website comes up. This child forum would be used to deliberate and discuss issues, meeting schedules, project timelines etc. and also collaborate on developing a web portal for the association.

We would be glad to answer any questions/queries you may have.

Thank you.

Dear friends,
We have successfully registered Software Developers Association (SDA) and secured a domain name www.sda.com.ng (nothing there yet.)

I would like to use this opportunity to thank everybody both software developers etc. for the positive and constructive feedback towards making this a reality. Without your contributions this would not have happened.


Some of the Aims & objectives(extracted from The Constitution - ARTICLE 3) are:-
1. To empower software developers to achieve their potentials through funding, training and retraining.
2. To develop and encourage software development in Nigeria through awareness creation, encourage project development and creativity.
3. To promote a digital knowledge economy through software development.
4. To eradicate poor infrastructure in Nigeria, inadequate funding, inadequate facilities and tools for software development.
5. Effective collaboration of technical know-how, availability of resources, to combat poor or low quality of products and poor sales due to any or all of the above.
etc.

Like we discussed and all agreed. It is a community project and voluntary. It would only succeed if like minds work together for common objective.

I would also like to use this medium to ask Seun to please if possible create a child forum dedicated to SDA pending when the official website comes up. This child forum would be used to deliberate and discuss issues, meeting schedules, project timelines etc. and also collaborate on developing a web portal for the association.

We would be glad to answer any questions/queries you may have.

Thank you.

Dear friends,
We have successfully registered Software Developers Association (SDA) and secured a domain name www.sda.com.ng (nothing there yet.)

I would like to use this opportunity to thank everybody both software developers etc. for the positive and constructive feedback towards making this a reality. Without your contributions this would not have happened.


Some of the Aims & objectives(extracted from The Constitution - ARTICLE 3) are:-
1. To empower software developers to achieve their potentials through funding, training and retraining.
2. To develop and encourage software development in Nigeria through awareness creation, encourage project development and creativity.
3. To promote a digital knowledge economy through software development.
4. To eradicate poor infrastructure in Nigeria, inadequate funding, inadequate facilities and tools for software development.
5. Effective collaboration of technical know-how, availability of resources, to combat poor or low quality of products and poor sales due to any or all of the above.
etc.

Like we discussed and all agreed here https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-574165.0.html it is a community project and voluntary. It would only succeed if like minds work together for common objective.

I would also like to use this medium to ask Seun to please if possible create a child forum dedicated to SDA pending when the official website comes up. This child forum would be used to deliberate and discuss issues, meeting schedules, project timelines etc. and also collaborate on developing a web portal for the association.

We would be glad to answer any questions/queries you may have.

Thank you.

@omo_to_dun. Good one. You sound mature and sound. Would like to meet with you. Are you based in Nigeria/Lagos?

It is indeed sad to hear all these things really. I had posted on NL sometime ago that Software Developers industry is the worst felt, unorganized, most marginalized, most malnourished etc. in Nigeria.

Just so you know, I think computer programming is one of the most permit me to use the word "malnourished" industry in Nigeria. My humble opinion and stand to be corrected.

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria?topic=574165.msg7402005#msg7402005

Dear friends, we can change the present and fashion a new future for ourselves and posterity.

Like I believe and have always said, we DO NOT NEED the government for any of the solutions. These are things we can do for ourselves.

Believe me by the time we start to make progress on our own, the government or any other agency, corporation, individual etc. would ask us how they can help.

All we need to do is to come together and with one voice say enough is truly enough.

Till then we would continue to be doing the same thing and expecting different results.

As a little contribution to our ailing sector, any software developer who can not or does not have access to power should indicate. We can make arrangements for at least 8hours of power supply everyday between 9am - 5pm.

Are you a software developer? Are you looking for an office space?

There is an opportunity to pay for an office space for Ten Thousand Naira per month.

This is my little contribution to growing our ailing sector. Developers will have access to meeting rooms, training rooms etc.
The office is in quiet place off Adeniyi Jones Ikeja.

I agree with you but I don't think that's the main reason. The argument is that there are other social networking sites/businesses out there and Facebook and twitter are getting unfair advantage over others which is not healthy for competition.

Take Nigeria as an example. I know there may be 1 or 2 social networking or related sites and nobody is mentioning them. Do you know what would happen to Nigeria economy, employment and all if the local media patronize them?

Besides France's presidential election is around the corner so they don't want what happened in Egypt, Tunisia etc. to happen in France.

France has banned the mention of Facebook or Twitter on French TV

This is getting very serious.


Source: http://www.bijemi.com/viewnewspublic/91

This is very inspiring. Stuffs like this should be encouraged in our software development community.

What a Smart way of generating traffic on NL!!!.

Score!!!

There you go pal.

http://www.cp-africa.com/2011/05/09/call-camp-wins-garage48-lagos/

This is pathetic, There are even better ideas from the event if you ask me.

This clearly shows that Nigerians are lacking in ideas. Just so you know vertical companies have replaced traditional call center agents with IVR systems which are more efficient, faster, cheaper and more robust and better,

what do you guys think?

This is the best thing to happen in the Nigeria software development community.
http://www.vanguardngr.com/2011/05/bijemi-software-out-in-3-nigerian-languages/

http://www.ngrguardiannews.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=46772:three-local-nigerian-languages-software-application-debuts-&catid=55:compulife&Itemid=391

Still experiencing delays though, using MTN fastlink. it's even worse than yesterday, had to make several attempts to post this.
Is this an MTN thing or NL? because other websites are opening very fast.

btw www.startupnigeria.com and www.startupsnigeria.com domains have expired and down.

What is going on with Nigerian websites Wahala dey O! We really need to look into our internet business models.

Would really love to see NL mobile.

Good for yookos.com and their developers/owners.

Come to think of it, I posted a new website that owns 100% their code and ideas and it was removed by the site moderators.

This is not fair and we say we encourage hardwork.

We should learn to practice what we preach and treat others as we would like to be treated.

Can somebody tell me what he/she thinks about bijemi.com?

Please let us encourage originality and creativity and not mediocrity.

Thank you guys.

Please be informed that there will be a meeting to this effect on Saturday 15th Jan. 2011.

The venue is @ No. 14 Ajao Road, Off Adeniyi Jones, Ikeja.
Time 10:00am prompt.
Saturday was chosen due to the busy schedule during Mon-Fri office hours.

Kindly confirm attendance by sending a mail to nigprogconf@yahoo.com

Thank you

Good suggestion.
Guys could you please suggest topics you can present or discuss. The maiden edition of the conference will be announced soon. Interestingly only 2 people have indicated interest so far.

You can post them here on NL or sent it via mail to "nigprogconf@yahoo.com".

Expecting your valuable inputs.