By Chris Uwaje

THE purpose of this write up is to present an empirically informed understanding of the processes inherent in software development dynamics as a professional response by the Institute of Software Practitioners’ of Nigeria (ISPON) to statements credited to one Adejare Adekitan, a staff and head of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) at Skyway Aviation Company Limited (SAHCOL).

The views would definitely not go unnoticed by discerning IT professionals and indigenous software developers. This response aims to correct the very misleading impression by the source – Mr. Adejare.

Mr Adejare in his remarks emphasised the continued patronage of foreign software as against indigenous software (Software Nigeria).

Arguments on technicalities
A critical look at the opinion and related statements did not present any argument on technicalities as to the reason why indigenous software is not of reckoning to the aviation operations and services.

This opinion is a fallacy and goes a long way to publicly display the deep ignorance of how software product functionality, quality and integrity emerges and are sustained. It is therefore constructive at this junction, to emphasize that “No software in the world is perfect” – that is why continuous versioning of applications and solutions are strategic imperatives.

Software engineering is about transforming organisational policy, functions, business processes and operations culture into an automated systems solution. To state that Software Nigeria can not deliver related solution is a great misconception. It is important to emphasise the following to debug and debunk the fallacy embedded in the statement of Mr Adejare:

1. All software solutions of the world are delivered with one, many, and several process flaws or malfunctions in them – that is why there are many versions, leading to system capability and maturity model (CMM). Even at that, the complexity of human needs continues to demand more drive for perfection that makes flawless software process a mirage.

2. There are numerous foreign software – imported into Nigeria and deployed\implemented by the aviation and banking, oil and gas sectors and other core industries at colossal costs to shareholders and the national economy – that have either FAILED to perform, or fulfil the contract scope of works!

3. I doubt if Mr Adejare is  listed in the membership registry of Professional IT/Software Practitioners’ of Nigeria and his opinion to say the least is grossly uninformed and a layman’s view. His views are grossly misleading, ignorant of software attributes and should not be taken as expert opinion.

Lest Mr Adejare forgets, an electrical engineering graduate who to my view had never ventured or written any reasonable software application for the aviation industry, should not arrogate to himself to be an expert judge on indigenous software.

By extension, he missed the point by expressing the view that Africa has no credible software developers which is equal to saying that orthodox medicine cures all illnesses in Africa. Nay, the matter is about human intellect and creativity – that is software – and Africa/Nigeria have them plenty.

Let it be said that various indigenous application software are driving the significant operations of some of Nigeria’s top performing industries, in aviation, banking, oil and gas, and so on.

The critical issue of this subject matter is focused on the fact that Software development lifecycle has two fundamental elements: Domain Knowledge and R&D-driven Professional Expertise on Analytical Process to codify the required solutions – applying specific tools and standard procedures.

In that context, aviation applications are predominantly and indirectly addressed and specified by domain knowledge resources from the  sector (who generate the operational policy roadmap brief) working directly with software analysts’ engineers and developers who apply technology process logic and tools to deliver the assessed needs of the client.

Same applies to space exploration, communications, financial, accounting, payroll, construction, medical, agricultural, oil & gas solutions to mention but a few.

Software solutions
Application software solutions, from the above mentioned domain are often subjected to intensive domain brief and research, through various channels of investment – particularly encouraged by the financial institutions.

The gestation period is long – maturity timeline ranges from minimum three to five to seven years and upwards to many decades at the enterprise level. To the best of our knowledge, there has not been any of such classified investment into the software industry in Nigeria either by the aviation, oil and gas, banking or any other venture capitalist sector.

What Mr Adejare seems to forget is that indigenous software developers read from the same universities, books and use the same tools as their foreign counterparts. Enabling environment may differ. But Nigeria is and will remain our primary laboratory for practice and quality assurance.

Indeed, the domain policy, operational requirements and briefs from the clients are then matched with the technology needs-assessment of the clients to enable the software developers come up with the desired design and appropriate tools capable of delivering the solution.

Software – simply defined as computer software, or just software, is the collection of computer programs  and related data  designed to provide the logical instructions directing a computer   hardware or related devices on what to do. The term was coined to contrast to the old term hardware  (meaning physical devices).

In contrast to hardware, software is intangible, meaning it “cannot be touched”. Software is also sometimes used in a more narrow sense, meaning application software  only. Most of these applications software are derived from DOMAIN needs and replicate the operational characteristics of such domain.

Coming from the Aviation sector which should be concerned about the growth of the economy, this is really heart-breaking and goes a long way to show that majority of our aviation service providers and institutions are not committed to the growth of Software Nigeria and the economy.

Mr Adejare of SAHCOL got it all wrong by asserting that foreign software solutions are the answer to Nigeria’s aviation sector. He has not stopped to think of the peculiarity of adaptive technology which can only be guaranteed by local developers.

By extension, he might have become a paid ally of those countries who intend to box us into the Digital Colony Domain, where Aviation Application software becomes the major tool to assassinate stubborn African/Nigerian Presidents in future. TO BE CONTINUED.

Uwaje is President of ISPON.