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.”
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