Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) has insisted that only the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN) has the power to conduct registration and licensing in IT industry.
This is coming on the heels of the announcement by National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), that it has commenced registration and licensing of Information Technology (IT) contractors.
NCS is the umbrella organization of all Information Technology professionals in Nigeria and diaspora, interest groups and stakeholders in the country while part of the mandate of CPN is to screen corporate bodies seeking to be registered to engage in the sale or use of computing facilities and/or the provision of professional services in computing in the country.
NITDA, on the other hand is Nigeria’s apex IT clearing house, in simple terms, it is what Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is to banks and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to telecommunications.
But Prof. Adesola G. Aderounmu, NCS President has insisted that if any other body apart from CPN is allowed to register contractors, that it will amount to double registration.
NCS further argued that based on CPN mandate of Act 49 of June 1993, only the Council has the authority to register and license IT contractors, citing the CPN Act section 2, subsection 2 on membership registration, which states inter alia:
“Persons admitted to the membership of the profession shall be registered as members of the profession in various categories including the corporate member category.”
Also NCS cited section 8 (1) on the list, which states thus, “CPN has the mandate to keep, publish, print the list of all registered professional and is available for inspection for members of the public at all reasonable time. This has been in operation since 1998.”
And finally, NCS cited the CPN Act section 18, subsection 2b, which focused on licensing and asserted that “It prescribes the form of licence to be issued annually.”
NCS president, a professor of computer science, pointed out that the call for another registration and licensing of IT contractors by NITDA is equivalent to double registration which is contrary to the Federal Government’s policy on ease of doing business.
“Furthermore it may lead to the registration of quacks and non-professionals,” NCS president declared.
Aderounmu who also is the Director, African Centre of Excellence in Software Engineering, Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) Ile-Ife, maintained that the failed and substandard public IT projects alleged by NITDA as basis for current controversial registration and licensing, should have been reported to CPN for necessary action.
“IT contracts should only be awarded to CPN registered members; the list is available online and in accordance with Public Procurement Act 2007,” NCS president said
Prof. Aderounmu emphasised that registering and licensing IT contractors is not within the mandate of NITDA, which is to create framework, guidelines and policy to develop IT.
“When properly implemented, it will solve the problem of unemployment in Nigeria which is the focus of the present administration,” NCS president insisted.
