Nigeria in software mood

Africa’s most populous country of 150 million is
‘software tripping.’

Last week in Abuja the country’s Minister of Science
and Technology Prof. Turner Isuon inaugurated a
16-member Taskforce for the development of software in
Nigeria as part of the plans to implement the National
IT Policy.

A day earlier in Lagos Jim Ovia, a renowned banker and
managing director of the country’s fourth biggest bank
Zenith Bank, held a closed door meeting with local
software developers to set up a software park [See
details soon]

Zenith Bank would be putting Two Billion Naira (about
$18 million) in the project Ovia told his audience
assuring them that he was acting on the country’s
president mandate.

Ovia is the immediate past president of the Nigerian
Internet Group (NIG) and owner of Cyberspace, one of
the country’s leading Internet service providers
(ISPs). Besides, Zenith Bank has interest in
Lagos-based indigenous computer manufacturers Omatek
Computers.

The same week in Lagos the indigenous software
community held its annual software exhibition and
conference NISE 2004.

In Abuja at the inauguration of the new taskforce Prof
Isoun spoke on his ministry’s new direction: “Having
achieved considerable success in public enlightenment,
having also given a boost to hardware manufacture, the
stage has now been set for a holistic approach to the
development of software in Nigeria so as to attain the
level of global competitiveness as in countries such
as India”.

But some analysts are not impressed. A major voice in
the country’s IT sector and one of the originator of
the National IT policy Chris Uwaje described the
initiative as lacking concrete plans that could
salvage the country’s poor software culture [Details
to be posted on online later]

Nigeria remains a favourite destination for foreign
solutions particularly banking software. Virtually all
the country’s banks are powered by offshore solutions
with Finacle from India on top of the list.

The local IT community has roundly condemned a recent
software deal of several millions involving the
country’s power utility company NEPA and a foreign
company. “Government needs to encourage indigenous
software practitioners, said Dr Chris Nwannenna,
president of Nigeria Computer Society (NCS).

The terms of reference for the Task Force include:
“To develop a blueprint of strategies for promoting
software development in the country;
“To develop a blueprint for the creation of an
enabling environment for software development to
thrive in the country;
“To put together a roadmap for R & D activities in
software specifying concrete deliverables on a
short-term (0- 2 years), medium - term 2 – 5 years)
and long - term (over 5 years); and
“To develop a blueprint for facilitating Nigeria’s
active participation in the global software
outsourcing market.”

 More…..

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