ISPON Wants 70% Software Budget Spent on Local Solutions

The next battle field for globalization will be of constructive National Policies and Strategies on software, digital Security and Artificial Intelligence of Things (AIoTs), said Mr. Olorogun James Emadoye, president of the Institute of Software Practitioner of Nigeria (ISPON).

Other sensitive areas, he said, include, but not limited to: Empowering the Youth and the New Creative Class; Understanding and Classifying Software as essential products such as Food & Drugs; Devote great interest to promoting Digital Games with African Content; Engaging and facilitating Access to Mobile Broadband technology/IPv6 and reduce the unavoidable Africa e-Culture Shock of 21st Century.

In lieu with the drives, ISPON President said that President Mohammad Buhari will be doing his government great good by ensuring that the 70% of the over 15Billion Naira budgeted in 2016 for Computer Software Acquisition is spent only on software produced by Nigerians and Nigerian companies.

“The concept of fear and/or ignorance of Technology and Information Technology in particular (in top government policy-makers and informed citizens) have become a critical factor for the advocacy of e-readiness for the financial transaction Ecosystem.

“Government-to-Government (G2G) process automation is fundamental to the actualization of the objectives set forth in our National Economic Empowerment Development Plans; and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations.

“These plans are focused on how Government-to-Citizen (G2C) interface can grossly benefit the citizenry. Above all, G2G is critically essential to facilitate and accelerate the transformation and enhancement of the vital component of Government-to-Business (G2B) processes.

“President Mohammad Buhari will be doing his government great good by ensuring that the 70% of the over 15Billion Naira budgeted in 2016 for Computer Software Acquisition is spent only on software produced by Nigerians and Nigerian companies.

“This will ensure that the over 65% of our population who are Youth benefit greatly and shall serve as the tunic and pathway from the current recession”, he said.

Speaking on “Nigeria At 56 Which Way”, Emadoye recalled that the United Kingdom (U.K) has introduced coding into the national school curriculum; the Department for Education said its aim was to prepare children for ‘life in modern Britain’ the first G20 country to take this step.

“The clock is clicking and the time can no longer wait for a people who are not ready to take their destiny seriously. It is in the light of the above that I humbly wish to recommend to the Nigeria government as follows: E-Government skill acquisition should be made mandatory for all government policy makers, strategists and Political Leaders to drive social inclusiveness.

"And readiness for e-Everything; establishment of software development fund through the Bank of Industry (BOI) to be administer by the BOI at an interest rate/management fees less than 5% for Software companies and professionals towards developing capacity, attaining standardization and packaging made in Nigeria software to international standards and establishment of special State IT-Innovation Research Laboratories on Indigenous Software Development and Future Technologies and Embedded Systems – focused on Internet of Things (IoT.).

He said that ISPON also believes it’s high time National Software Development Fund (NSDF) be established, to build and estimated 500,000 Developers in 3 years) as large scale IT Workforce, as well as empower Entrepreneurs, Startups, and IT Professionals.

“We also recommend for the establishment of a standing special curriculum drafting committee for primary, secondary and tertiary level of education in Nigeria the committee should constantly retool the curriculums and finally, State should retool all lecturers and civil servants to deliver digital dividend through inclusiveness in the emerging information society (IS)”.

The Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), is the Industry-Professional body for Indigenous Software Developers and Practitioners in Nigeria.

ISPON was established in 1999 with the aim of creating an enabling environment for local content developers to thrive locally and internationally.

The Body has been in the forefront of championing the advocacy for the application and utilization of locally developed software in order to boost our economy, GDP and give Nigeria an alternative to Oil as a revenue earner.