The Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (Ispon), at its annual general meeting held in Lagos recently elected Chris Uwaje as its president among other official that will serve the body.
Among other officer are John Tani Obaro, 1st vice-president, Pius Okigbo Jnr. 2nd Vice-President, Chinneye-Mba-Uzoukwu general secretary, Afolabi Salisu treasurer and Adeyinka Oyewumi as assistant general secretary.
The election the new Ispon team indicates that roadmap for actualizing national goals of “Software Nigeria’ may have finally arrived – particularly at a time when the federal government has inaugurated a Governing Board for the National Information Technology Development Agency (Nitda).
Chris Uwaje, the new Ispon president said that Information Technology Software is the missing-link and solution to the actualization of Nigeria’s vision 20-2020 and realization of President Yar’ Adua’s Seven-point Agenda. “Existing studies indicate that the Nigerian software industry is a solid gold-mine in-waiting to be tapped. It is estimated that it has the capability to generate well over $20 billion annually if well harnessed. Above all, it is perhaps the answer to the nation’s youth unemployment, as the software industry is capable of generating employment for millions of youths,” he said.
The Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria was established in 1998 to promote and foster the development of indigenous software (Application and Systems Software) for the empowerment of Nigerian economy and her people. Engr. Simeon Chijioke Agu chairman, Neptune Software Limited– the immediate past president and the last executive council have laid a formidable foundation for software in Nigeria to carry on and respond to global competitiveness.
Today, the software industry is one of the largest and most influential industries in the world. The industry originated with the entrepreneurial computer software and services companies of the 1950s and 1960s, grew dramatically through the 1970s and 1980s to become a market force rivaling that of the computer hardware companies, and by the 1990s had become the supplier of technical know-how that transformed the way people worked, played and communicated every day of their lives allover the World.
Recognizing software development as a new productive knowledge frontier and potential instrument for economic empowerment and creation of wealth, government in 2005, decided to launch a nationwide awareness campaign – based on the technical report submitted to it by the Inter-Ministerial Committee on National Software Development Initiative (NSDI). Ispon’s mission is to improve the level of the nation’s computer literacy index and also promote and spread the use of “Nigerian Developed” software applications and services in governance.
, education, health, business and industry, agriculture, transportation, public administration and national security. Ispon is set to actively promote the application and use of Nigerian Developed Software, which is defined as “Software developed in Nigeria with its Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) owned by Nigerians, in Nigeria and where funds repatriation out of Nigeria is not applicable.
ISPON has been consistent in stating that the hope for national development lies first in engaging the challenges posed by the emerging new economy of the knowledge society.
