James Agada, the newly inaugurated president of Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) has unveiled a framework to lift the indigenous software practice to be able to match the demand of organisations in the country for patronage.
In his speech at the national executive council inauguration in Lagos, Agada decried the state of indigenous software in the country lately after making impact some years back.
“It is crucial to remember that Nigerians have been driving the development and deployment of software technologies for a very long time—far longer, and in far greater depth, than most people realise.
“Arguably, the first banking application built on a relational database was developed by Nigerians, in Nigeria. The first engineers to figure out how to store binary large objects (BLOBs) in relational databases were Nigerians, working right here. The first offline ATM card system was deployed in Nigeria. The largest card personalisation project in terms of sheer volume and speed of delivery was executed in Nigeria, by Nigerians.
“Nigerians built the first microprocessor-based telephone switching system and wrote the code here on our soil. Today, our people are operating locally and globally across the entire spectrum of the industry: from payments and gaming to enterprise applications, digital government, and Artificial Intelligence.
“However, it is deeply saddening that these milestones, and the brilliant minds behind them, are rarely recognized, celebrated, or even properly documented for history,” he noted.
He said ISPON under his leadership will begin solving this problem of discovery. “Within the next six months, we will launch a National Software Industry Registry to document our achievements and celebrate our own. We will make our industry visible.
“While our sector reputedly employs over a million people directly and indirectly, with more than 100,000 registered companies operating, the latest NBS reports indicate we contribute less than 0.2% to the national GDP. Perhaps this is an undercounting by the NBS. Or perhaps, the software consumed in Nigeria is simply contributing to the GDP of other nations. The licenses, subscriptions, support fees, and service fees we pay outward represent revenue that should be growing our own national GDP.
“It is also telling that ISPON currently has fewer than 500 corporate members and 10,000 individual members. This is the multi-headed monster ISPON has battled since its inception: the growth of our software companies is capped by a lack of opportunity; that lack of opportunity is perpetuated by a lack of appreciation and patronage, and the cycle continues.
He added that other nations treat software as a highly strategic sector. Grow their local industries through deliberate government patronage, often acting as the initial testing grounds and providing the domain knowledge required to build world-class products.
“Furthermore, software companies in those climes have thrived because they possess better business models, stronger organizational structures, and a greater ability to attract and reward capital.
Agada promised to tackle the monster head-on. “We will ensure visibility through our Software Industry Registry. We will build robust partnerships and advocate fiercely across all economic sectors and within government.
“Equally important, we will provide our members with practical education and exposure to the business of software, not just the technology. We are gathered today on the premises of the AUSSO Leadership Academy. Starting this November, we are partnering with their Business Masterclass series to develop guided business expansion strategies for ISPON members.
“We have also established an Industry Partnership and Enterprise Growth Committee to enhance the commercial capacity of our companies. Simultaneously, our Verification and Standards Committee will work closely with the Education Committee to elevate both the professional standards and the technological capabilities of our practitioners,” he said.
Chris Uwaje, co-founder and fellow of ISPON, said that under the new leadership, ISPON will focus on key strategic pillars: such as imperatives for supercharging national Software Policy, Building Talent, Partnerships with universities, bootcamps, and dynamic industry that will enable us create a million-strong, globally certified software workforce.
“This mission can be achieved by converting 50% of National Youth Corps Service members into trusted Software developers and Systems Analysts - spread across critical development sectors.
“Today, the challenges before us invite us to transform Software Policy, scale apprenticeships and align curriculum with what the market actually needs - both locally and internationally.
“ISPON deserves the inclusivity status in shaping national software Policy and strategic roadmap. We deserve the recognition as the technical partner in the room when laws on AI, cybersecurity, data, and digital trade are written. ISPON will provide empirical technical evidence, not just opinions,” he added.
