The Nigerian government through the House of Representatives Committee on Telecommunications has accused operators and major tech companies in Nigeria of violating the president’s executive order on local content act that covers expatriate quota.
Saheed Akinade-Fijabi, House committee chairman on ICT said the lawmakers would end illegal influx of expatriates which is why the committee is investigating level of compliance with expatriate quota system by telecommunication companies operating in the Country.
Huawei Technologies Company Nigeria Limited is one of the companies accused of flaunting the quota system. According to Fijabi, Huawei has 299 expatriates mainly Chinese in Nigeria even though there are qualified Nigerians who could perform similar duties they were being made to do by the firm.
He said: “The parliament will not allow Nigeria to be turned a dumping ground of all manners of expatriates, if this committee finds out that there are Nigerians that can do similar work these people are doing, we will not hesitate to send them packing
“If you say you have about 10 or less expatriates in your Company, that can be overlooked but when you are saying about 300, that is alarming and unacceptable to us when the law of local content is there with the recently signed executive order by the president ”
“If there are Nigerians that Can do what all these expatriates are doing, there is no reason giving them our visa in line with the new Executive order singed by the President.”