By peter oluka
Software is at the heart of the global knowledge economy as the increasing adoption of ICT enabled tools and technologies further enhance the value the value.
Also, software presents Nigeria with an opportunity to take high up position in the global ICT value chain. The value chain consists of the creators.
However, the industry has witnessed some major challenges.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek approached Mr. Mike Olajide, the executive director, Finance and Administration of Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited and the executive chairman, WaveTek Nigeria Limited.
He is a 1981 graduate of Computer Science from the University of Lagos; a distinguished Data System Analyst with over 35 years in the IT industry. He has a vast knowledge about the software industry in Nigeria.
According to Olajide, “Just like in every other sectors, we failed as a nation to do what we need to do to develop the software industry. It was a deliberate policy of the Indian government and people to develop the software industry for both local and international consumption. We have not developed and implement such a policy even now. What you are seeing today in the software industry is a product of private initiatives. Young people decided to move the industry on their own. Even the local content policy is not enforced for the MDAs not to talk of Private Enterprises. Government only reacts to what people are doing in the industry”.
He described the Nigerian software industry as innovative, virile and resourceful.
“I can tell you that the Nigerian Software industry is innovative, virile and versatile but the management and support from the government is still very low. Indians have grown their homemade software and are exporting them to the world while Nigeria still depends on imported. We pride ourselves in imported products than homegrown products. The time has come to have a change of attitude,” he said.
The ED Finance and Admin at Sidmach, added “Software development costs time and money. No developer can survive without requisite expertise, experience, financial clout/support and patronage. For more than two decades now, Sidmach have been engaged in software development, which are deployed to our clients’ sites and they have performed optimally without fail. We pride ourselves in software development and we have engaged many young people through this”.
To him, lack of patronage of local software companies is one of the greatest problems confronting the industry in Nigeria; “a situation that is not applicable in India. Due to non-patronage or low-patronage of local software in Nigeria, the country loses much in foreign exchange. The payment made in dollars and euros for subscriptions and annual software maintenance fee could be reduced and retained in the country through the purchase of local software”.
“For example, let us imagine what we would have gained if, at least, just one Nigerian bank decides to use an indigenous software rather than the prevailing situation where they all use foreign software or if the software used by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) or the one installed at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation [OAGF], Federal Inland Revenue Service [FIRS], NIBSS and the Central Bank of Nigeria [CBN] are powered by indigenous software companies. This is possible today but it is requires government policy. WAEC, JAMB and NYSC are not using foreign software and they have continued to do very well in carrying out their functions”.
Watch out for the full interview soon.
