News
Government, Lack of Trust Killing Local Software

Nigerians do not trust local software, leaving the industry with potentials to generate some $100 billion annually to operate in fits and starts, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can now report.
Also, the government supposed to support the industry with political willpower look elsewhere, unbridled importation of software into the country contibutes to killing what is left of the indigenous developers.
As a result, Nigeria is the prime destination of all manners of offshore software companies which export billions of dollars annually in the name of deployment and payment for licensing fees.
As if the problems of the local software industry are not enough, lack of continuity in policy formulation, strategic plans, and implementation procedure as well as high interest rate on loans and the absence of venture capital have also conspired to hobble the growth of the industry.
Local practitioners warn that unless government moves to check the organized chaos and the unregulated importation of software products and service by public and private sectors, the industry will collapse.
They said with quality of human capital in the country, Nigeria can emerge as a global competitor in the software market with profound effect on wealth and job creations.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek gathered that the global software industry has grown purely on the strong political willpower of government of various countries not only to export their local knowledge solutions but also to ensure the local usage and patronage of such solutions.
In Nigeria, government’s lip service to promoting local content and indigenous has manifested in its lack of vision and commitment.
James Agada, managing director of ExpertEdge Software Limited noted that it is wrong to reason that the software sector could develop in isolation of other sectors of the Nigerian economy.
“What is working in Nigeria? The software industry will only grow at parity with every other thing in the country. Take a look at education, infrastructure, security, and power, what is working at optimal level? Software industry will grow when every-thing-else begins to experience growth,” said Agada.
He noted that “nobody trusts Nigerians and anything from Nigeria. Trust is a critical element of the development equation. When our politicians behave the way they do, and the youth take a cue from them to go on the internet and transact unwholesome businesses, it impacts negatively on the national psyche.”
Nodding in agreement, Akeem Aponmade, an intellectual property law expert, noted that Nigerians must first appreciate the work of a software developer as owner of “intellectual property.”
Getting Nigerians to appreciate the work of a software developer means that government must lead the way by purchasing and encouraging Nigerians to purchase locally made software.
Chris Uwaje, president, Institute of Software Developers of Nigeria (Ispon) and an avid campaigner of local software said that government must act fast in boosting local software development in the country, in order to save the situation.
In one of his campaigns for local software, he said that: “A simple National Software Development policy and conscious IT legislations (Acts of the National Assembly) can turn the Nation’s Software fortune around. The time to act is now! Our universities need software strategic plans and a robust Campus Intranet Infrastructure Backbone to engage in the knowledge economy. New knowledge must precede new technological products and the supercomputer of today will become the everyday nano-computer of tomorrow”.
But Agada said there are urgent things to do.
“Our number one priority as a nation should be development of the power sector, and other things will grow along. The mistake of comparing Nigerian software industry to that of India should not arise,” he stated.
Concurring, Aponmade said, “You must appreciate the fact that this intellectual property adds value to the turnover of a given industry. We have to appreciate the fact that intellectual property has the propensity of adding value to the GDP of the nation.”
He challenged the government to come up with workable policy aimed at creating an enabling environment for software developers to strive in the country.
“The government can start by asking all its ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to consume local programmes developed by Nigerians. The armed forces and other security agencies should also be compelled to not only use Nigerian programmes, but be made to pay good value for the properties,” he enthused.
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek also gathered that the judicial system needs to be strengthened for the protection of intellectual property owners.
India, one of the countries globally acclaimed as having done well in ICT development over the last two decades is said to have done well because it has put in place world class infrastructure for the sector to grow.
News
NIA Questions Legality of Reps’ Financial Probe

The Nigerian Insurers Association has urged the House Committee on Capital Market and Institutions to respect the constitutional separation of powers as it carries out a probe on over 20 insurance firms.
In a statement on Tuesday night, the Director General/Chief Executive Officer of NIA, Mrs Bola Odukale, said the decision of NIA and the affected firms to approach the court was to seek clarity on the constitutional limits of the House Committee’s probe.
It would be recalled that the House of Representatives on Monday is investigating no fewer than 25 insurance companies operating in the country for various financial infractions spanning financial reporting, claims settlement, premium remittance, and issuance of policies.
The Chairman, House Sub-Committee on Capital Market and Institutions, Kwamoti Laori, during a meeting with the management of the insurance companies at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja, said the meeting was convened following the receipt of a petition on infractions by the insurance companies.
In the statement, Odukale said, “The Association wishes to state unequivocally that all actions taken by the NIA and the affected member companies in response to the Committee’s invitations and pronouncements were based entirely on legal advice by its Solicitors. It was on the firm instruction of legal counsel that recourse was made to the courts.
“The objective of approaching the Court is to seek judicial guidance on the legality, propriety, and constitutional limits of the Committee’s intervention in order to safeguard institutional integrity, uphold regulatory independence, and ensure that legislative oversight remains within the bounds of law.
“The Court action seeks to determine whether the current posture of the Committee reflects an exercise of legislative judgment, which, by constitutional design, is the exclusive province of statutory regulators, such as the National Insurance Commission, Securities and Exchange Commission, Nigerian Exchange, Financial Reporting Council, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, and the National Information Technology Development Agency.
“This raises serious questions about legislative overreach and an erosion of the doctrine of separation of powers, a cornerstone of Nigeria’s constitutional democracy.”
Odukale maintained that the NIA was committed to lawful and constructive engagement with all arms of government, provided that such engagement respects the autonomy of statutory regulators and the boundaries established by the Constitution.
“The NIA will continue to provide its full support to all member companies while upholding the principles of legal compliance and sector-wide integrity,” Odukale concluded.
17 of the companies that went to court were represented by their lawyer, Mr Abimbola Kayode, at the meeting with the committee.
News
Horn of Africa Leaders Seek Enhanced Digital Integration for Increased Regional Growth

Finance ministers and development partners from the Horn of Africa have called for enhanced digital integration to boost trade, drive economic growth and promote regional stability during the 25th Ministerial Meeting of the Horn of Africa Initiative (HoAI).
Held in Nairobi, on July 14, the meeting was co-chaired by the African Development Bank’s Vice President for Regional Development, Integration and Business Delivery, Nnenna Nwabufo and Somalia’s Minister of Finance, Bihi Iman Egeh. Discussions underscored the critical role of digital integration in reducing trade barriers, boosting government service delivery and creating employment — particularly for the region’s youth.
“Digital technologies are shaping today’s economy and tomorrow’s industries. By embedding these technologies into our programs, we can not only improve inclusion but also leapfrog outdated development models,” said Nwabufo.
She called for digital integration a “central enabler” in each of the Horn of Africa Initiative’s pillars – trade, infrastructure, resilience, and human capital,
Learning through experience
Drawing from global and regional success stories, speakers highlighted the transformative potential of technology-led development. The ministers pointed to the Philippines as a strong example, where ICT has generated millions of jobs in business process outsourcing. Similarly, Kenya’s fintech innovation—especially the success of M-PESA—was cited as a model for scaling digital financial services across the region.
Participants urged governments to proactively foster digital ecosystems by capitalizing on the demographic dividend, identifying infrastructure upgrades, tighter regulatory reforms, and digital skills trainings as priorities to enable broader participation in the digital economy.
Minister Egeh reiterated the need for more coordinated regional efforts to create the enabling environment required for accelerated digital integration and expansion. He referenced the HoAI Digital Policy Matrix, adopted in 2023 which provides a blueprint on how to address key obstacles to achieving effective digital integration across the region.
Barack Makokha, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury, underscored the importance of regionally-aligned public private partnerships and advocated for blended financing to reduce investment risk and expand digital access in underserved areas.
World Bank Vice President for Eastern and Southern Africa, Ndiame Diop, called for a comprehensive multi-pronged approach, combining cross-border coordination, large-scale financing, robust policy support, and digital infrastructure investments. He pointed out that such measures could transform digital integration into, “a powerful engine of economic transformation” for the Horn of Africa—ensuring no one is left behind in the digital era.
The meeting concluded with a shared recognition that sustained political will and the determination to implement a multifaceted approach are essential to unlocking the region’s economic potential and driving long-term growth.
The event also welcomed observers from the East African Community, Agence française de développement, and Shelter Afrique, reflecting strong regional and international backing for the HoAI in the development community.
News
CSCS Inaugurates Custodian Portal to Enhance Digital Access, Operational Efficiency

Central Securities Clearing System Plc (CSCS), Nigeria’s capital market infrastructure provider, has launched its Custodian Portal, a user-centric digital solution designed to optimise custodian operations through intuitive, secure and efficient features.
Haruna Jalo-Waziri, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), CSCS, announced this in a statement on Monday.
The CSCS is a Public Limited Company with a diversified shareholder base, which serves as the Central Securities Depository for the Nigerian Capital Market.
It serves as the Central Depository for Equities, Commercial Papers, Corporate Bonds, Sub-National Bonds, certain Sovereign Bonds like the FGN Sukuk and the FGN Savings Bond, Equity-traded Funds, Real Estate Investment Trusts, Mutual funds and Commodities.
Jalo-Waziri said that the custodian portal offered a streamlined experience for market participants with powerful tools that facilitate comprehensive portfolio and trade management, document tracking, share transfer operations, client symbol search, and real-time access to vital data.
He explained that the portal, designed to operate through a flexible subscription-based model, empowered users to manage their records effortlessly and securely through convenient payment channels such as GTPay and Paystack.
According to him, “Digital transformation remains at the core of our strategy to enhance the efficiency, transparency and accessibility of Nigeria’s capital market services.
“The custodian portal is a significant leap in that direction, offering custodians a centralised platform to manage critical processes in real-time.
“We are excited about the value this innovation brings to our stakeholders, and we will continue to evolve the platform in line with users’ needs and industry trends.”
The CEO also explained that the portal was designed with user experience in mind with feature tools like portfolio viewing and downloads in PDF or Excel format.
He further said that it also featured tracking of stock movements across date ranges, inbox messaging and request tracking, as well as robust user management capabilities including role assignment and status tracking.
Similarly, the Divisional Head, Business Technology and Digital Innovation, CSCS Plc, Tobe Nnadozie, said that the portal aligned with CSCS’s drive to automate the market.
“In addition to the normal features, the platform is a part of an omnichannel platform for custodians, and includes API services.
“It also connects to the market-wide workflow, which CSCS has built to ensure secured communication and approvals across all major stakeholders in the market.
“The platform is well secured with best-of-breed cybersecurity solutions and our SOC,” he said.
The Custodian Portal reinforces CSCS’s commitment to leveraging technology to streamline back-office functions and support a more agile, data-driven capital market ecosystem.
All custodians in the Nigerian capital market have now been successfully on-boarded on the Custodian Portal, marking a significant milestone in CSCS’s ongoing drive to enhance collaboration, standardise operational processes, and promote digital adoption across the market.
- Telecom2 days ago
Glo Launches Nigeria’s First-of-its-kind Device Protection Plan
- Telecom2 days ago
Telcos: How and Why Network Services have Been Poor
- Broadcasting2 days ago
Canal+ Clears Final Hurdle to Acquire South Africa’s MultiChoice
- E-Business2 days ago
NIMC Warns Nigerians of Fake NIN Website
- Telecom2 days ago
MTN Executive Adeola Oduntan Emerges as Africa’s Supply Chain Leader of 2025
- Telecom2 days ago
MTN Nigeria Sweeps Africa’s Procurement Awards With Innovation and Impact
- E-Business2 days ago
Microsoft Servers Hacked by Chinese Groups
- Telecom2 days ago
Telegram to allow U.S. users send, receive crypto directly in app