E-Business
ISPON Urged to Seek Relevance in New Economic Order
Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) has been urged to be united in articulating its vision in the ever-changing economic order which does not have boundaries.
Chinenye Mba-uzochukwu, immediate past president of ISPON stated this in his remark at this year’s Extraordinary General Meeting of the Institute held in Lagos recently.
He said: “we have not achieved our full potential and our full potential rest on what all of us in ISPON do together.
“We may have different opinion in terms of what our priorities are. We may have areas of our specific interest we wish to pursue, at the end of the day it is only when we pull together that we can actually make things happen.
“Taken up single items sometimes works but as you know all systems people know, a system is a system the parts have to work together, we must find a way of creating that synergy. The energy is transferred from one gear to the other and so on. Or in programming you don’t have to get a retrogressive lope where it says same thing over and over again.
“In the past 5 to 10 years we have seen a quite number of movements in the industry and the end result has been that we have established certain franchise within the system and some level of respectability within the area that seem to be our greatest challenge which is the regulatory system.
“We will continue to fight those battles, even as we speak there are a number of bills that are still in view that represent to a very large extent a threat to the overall system itself unless we respond together as one we may find ourselves unable to achieve what we are looking for.
“This conference and EGM are extremely important in that respect. It is critical that we understand the challenges that we face as the system itself is changing as it is accelerating and expanding, what is happening is that as it is expanding there is the tendency that the elements will start to lose touch with each other.
Technology especially software is in the hands of a generation that has more hairs than I do. That generation does not have connection with people like ourselves. The generation that seems to want to go it alone.
“A generation that wants to make and break and move on. Not to build big enterprise system that takes may be 5 to 10 years to put together.
“It is a generation that wants immediate result, a generation that is completely entuned with the fact that they are global citizen and their capacity and creativity can take them anywhere in the world”.
He noted that Nigeria and indeed Africa is facing the speed challenge and as people try to shut the door, and advocate policies that close the door, they cannot close the door because it is globalized world.
“It is a world where there is infinite movement across all dimensions. What we answer today is the call of the market primarily and it is the aspiration of every individual to be the best they can possibly be.
“How do we create an environment that is fertile, rewarding, exciting for anyone who wants to participate in our industry?
“Artificial intelligent world is a world that should excite us and not frighten us. We need to understand that a child of tomorrow is a child that is enabled by his/her capacity to use AI.
“We were told when calculator came we should not take it to the exam hall, we had to work with the slide rule. We have gone from the slide rule to the calculator, we thought the calculator will end all knowledge and make our children dumb.
“We have gone beyond that now, we tell them now not to take the computer to the room. But, today AI is an intrinsic part of our world.
“We must expand not only our minds but also our hearts. We have to accept that the world which we are living in have huge challenges as well as huge potential that is ours, and we have a right to participate in it and our children, children also have a right to participate in it”.
Also speaking, Mr. Bimbo Abioye, the newly elected president of ISPON, reiterated his resolve to ensure active participation in the Nigerian software dream.
“We will encourage Ministries, Departments and Agencies of governments (MDAs), including the private sector to embrace software Nigeria, and patronise it in order to support its growth.
“We will also ensue that Nigeria produces quality software that will meet the needs of Nigerians as well as the needs of multinational companies operating in Nigeria.
“Today we have local software that performs optimally better than most foreign software imported into the country. Software business is about trust, because the software codes are not tangible, but embedded into the computer system to perform certain operations via commands.
“It is for this reason that ISPON must ensure that software developed in Nigeria, must be tested and trusted for use”, he added.
South Korean authorities have temporarily blocked new downloads of the DeepSeek artificial intelligence (AI) app, citing concerns over the company’s handling of user data.
The country’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) announced the decision on Monday, saying that the Chinese AI startup had failed to fully comply with South Korea’s data protection laws.
According to PIPC, DeepSeek recently appointed legal representatives in South Korea and admitted to partially neglecting regulatory considerations regarding user privacy.
“The Chinese startup appointed legal representatives last week in South Korea and had acknowledged partially neglecting considerations of the country’s data protection law,” the PIPC said.
The commission added that the app’s service would resume once the company implements improvements in accordance with national privacy laws.
According to Reuters, when asked about South Korea’s move, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry said the Chinese government prioritises data privacy and security, ensuring compliance with legal standards.
The spokesperson also said China does not require companies or individuals to collect or store data in violation of laws.
The ban follows similar actions by other governments.
On February 4, Australia prohibited the use of DeepSeek on government devices due to security concerns.
Italy’s privacy regulator recently blocked the AI service, citing the company’s failure to address data policy issues.
Taiwan has also warned about potential risks related to cross-border data transmission and information leaks.
Also, regulators in Ireland and France have launched investigations into DeepSeek’s data-handling practices.
DeepSeek gained global adoption for its advanced human-like reasoning capabilities and open-source model.
In January, it surpassed OpenAI’s Chatgpt as the most downloaded free app on the Apple store.
The African Union (AU) has officially designated Nigeria as the Digital Trade Champion under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Digital Trade Protocol, citing the country’s leadership in digital enterprise and innovation.
The endorsement came at the 38th Ordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, which concluded on Sunday in Addis Ababa.
Nigeria’s proactive role in advancing the digital trade protocol, adopted in February 2024, was a key factor in the decision.
The AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol encompasses eight annexes covering crucial areas such as rules of origin, digital identities, cross-border data transfers, online safety, and financial technology. The protocol is expected to provide a robust framework for Africa’s digital economy.
According to a statement issued on Monday by Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, former President of Niger Republic and AU AfCFTA Champion, Mahamadou Issoufou, praised Nigeria’s leadership, particularly for convening the Digital Economy Roundtable in January.
“No organization, region, or continent has negotiated or adopted such a comprehensive legal instrument on digital trade, positioning the African continent to benefit from the digital economy for innovation and job creation,” Issoufou said in his progress report to the AU Assembly.
He also highlighted Africa’s growing influence in digital innovation, particularly in mobile banking and financial technology, and noted that the protocol would create an enabling environment for young African entrepreneurs.
“The AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade will establish a conducive environment for these young people to fully participate in Africa’s digital economy,” Issoufou added.
Reflecting on the roundtable in Abuja, he commended President Bola Tinubu and his administration for facilitating discussions with key stakeholders.
“The Roundtable was attended by young pioneers in Fintech, mobile banking and other areas of the digital economy. It was evident from the discussions that young people are eager to take advantage of Africa’s digital economy through the AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade”, he said.
Speaking at the AU summit, Nigeria’s Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole, described the AU’s endorsement as a milestone in Africa’s economic development.
“Africa has demonstrated global leadership by pioneering the first-of-its-kind AfCFTA Protocol on Digital Trade—establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework,” Dr. Oduwole stated.
She emphasized that the protocol is a “game changer” for the continent, predicting that it would generate millions of jobs, contribute billions to Africa’s GDP, and attract significant investments in digital infrastructure.
Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO has expressed concerns about the extreme risks posed by artificial intelligence (AI) falling into the hands of terrorists or rogue states.
Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO
He warned that nations such as North Korea, Iran, and Russia could adopt AI technologies to develop weapons capable of causing significant harm, including biological weapons.
Schmidt urged governments to oversee private tech companies, emphasising, “The real fears I have are not the ones most people discuss about AI, I talk about extreme risk.”
“I’m always worried about an ‘Osama Bin Laden’ scenario, where truly evil individuals take control of some aspect of modern life to harm innocent people,” he added.
With private companies driving AI advancements, he stressed the need for careful government monitoring and regulation. “It’s really important that governments understand what we’re doing and keep their eye on us,” he said.
His remarks followed a two-day AI summit in Paris, where the UK and the U.S. declined to sign a communiqué outlining the future direction of AI. The declaration on “inclusive and sustainable artificial intelligence for people and the planet” was endorsed by 57 countries, including India, China, the Vatican, the EU, and the African Union Commission.
The UK justified its decision, stating that the agreement lacked “practical clarity” on global AI governance and national security concerns.
Schmidt supports U.S. export controls restricting the sale of advanced AI microchips to certain countries, aiming to slow adversaries’ progress in AI research.
He also highlights the importance of international collaboration on AI safety, suggesting that cooperation with nations like China is essential to addressing global AI challenges.
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