NITRA confirms ISPON’s endorsement on local content forum

The Nigerian Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), under the purview of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), has confirmed the endorsement by the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) on the forthcoming local content forum which is scheduled for August 30, 2018.

Speaking to business a.m. on Thursday, Emma Okonji, chairman of NITRA said the indigenous software developers’ professional body was the latest out of a few organizations that declared support for the event.

He said the third quarter forum will focus on “Local Content Development in Nigeria’s ICT Sector: Stimulant for National Economic Recovery,” as the theme – riding on the fact that local content development in Nigeria remains one of the critical components of the executive order from the federal government.

According to Okonji, the federal government had developed local content guidelines envisioned to help restructure and develop a strong indigenous ICT industry by addressing critical areas such as innovation, local ICT industry, intellectual property regulation and protection standards.

He said if properly implemented would enable the local ICT industry to contribute meaningfully towards the achievement of national development targets; and would stimulate and increase the production, sales, consumption of high-quality information technology products and services developed by indigenous companies that serve the needs of the local and global market.

“We have most of the resources needed for local content development to thrive in Nigeria. I am strongly convinced things will fall in place if we stop depending on foreign software to make things work in the country,” said Okonji.

In a statement, Yele Okeremi, president of ISPON said: “On behalf of the National Executive Council and members of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), it is with pleasure that I endorse the NITRA quarterly forum 2018. This year’s event is centered on local content in ICT which is one of the top issues of ISPON’s advocacy.

“As a software practitioner with several decades in the Nigerian IT ecosystem, I understand the importance of the media and duly recognize the immense contribution the media has made to the IT ecosystem, particularly by proper reporting of the IT industry. NITRA can be said to be a body of professionals who know their onions and have made a great contribution to our industry and ISPON is proud to be associated with them.”

According to Okeremi, the forum will provide an opportunity for a critical analysis of the correlation between the promotion of local content and the growth of the Nigerian economy by seasoned technocrats with a focus for the adoption of this model by the relevant regulatory bodies.

“Rest assured, ISPON will be present at the forum to contribute its quota to this laudable initiative,” he concluded.

The forum, therefore, will not only highlight the opportunities and challenges of deploying local content in the country’s ICT sector, it will also provide knowledge and networking platform that will bring together technology innovators, developers, Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), and other players in the nation’s ICT sector.