By Emeka Aginam

By Friday, July 22, 2015, members of the Nigerian Computer Society, NCS, will head to the polls in Akure, Ondo State during the international conference to elect the IT icon that will steer the ship of the society for the  next two years. Whoever wins would become President of the umbrella organization of all Information Technology Professionals, Interest Groups and Stakeholders in Nigeria.

Chris Uwaje

Early poll indicators have revealed one very clear direction. The historical significance of this election will not be lost on several NCS members as this will be the first contest in which the Contestants including Chris Uwaje, Immediate Past President of ISPON, Vice President of NCS, Prof Gani Aderomu, Director, ICT Center at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ife, OAU, and , Sam Juwe, former 1st Vice President of NCS

Chris Uwaje, according to industry watchers is favored to win and become the next President of NCS, based on the antecedents of his enormous and proven contributions to the Nigerian IT Ecosystem. The fine lines between the three contestants had already been drawn, according to industry sources and professional opinion on the caliber of people vying for the post of NCS president.

But in reality, it will be a straight contest as industry watchers have predicted that Uwaje, the German trained IT priest will win the battle giving his wealth of experience and pedigree in the industry.

As the battle for the NCS Presidency intensifies, early opinion by the stakeholders in the Nigerian ICT ecosystem suggests that Uwaje , a prominent performer at the national IT Domain, has all it takes to win contest having made his marks as the President of Information Technology Association of Nigeria, ITAN, President of Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, ISPON, champion of IT Policy blue print in 2001 among others.

More strategies to rebuild ICT ecosystem N100 billion startup transformation fund

Meanwhile, amongst others from his manifesto, ahead of the election to be held during the12th edition of the NCS International Conference, Uwaje said that N100 billion budget was needed as a startup ICT transformation agenda for the e-Knowledge Ecosystem. According to him, nothing short of this amount will work, if the nation wants to see the big picture and engage national rebirth with Technology Retooling process.

For Uwaje , who has never mixed IT with politics, there was urgent need to retool and restructure the Nigeria IT Ecosystem for Innovation and competitiveness.

“To jumpstart the Retooling process, there is need to establish a National IT Litmus package with a seed fund of N100 Billion Naira ($500 million), to restructure and empower the acceleration of employment creation from the potential resources, capacities, capabilities and competitiveness in the Nigeria IT Profession and Industry”, he added.

Local content imperative:

According to Uwaje, there is an urgent need to ensure that the Nigerian Local Content ACT 2010 is implemented vigorously not only in Oil and Gas, but at all levels of ICT and by extension, a special protection provided for the patronage of Software Nigeria.

Currently, we cannot compete in heavy industries but in the IT knowledge and services industry. According to the recent UNCTAD Year 2013 Report on Software development for developing countries, the software domain represents perhaps the last opportunity for developing countries to accelerate their global competitiveness for future survivability, he explained.

Youth IT Forum, quarterly IT bazaar

That the IT mind of Uwaje is working like a time-clock is attested by his program for Nigerian Youth. For Uwaje who is always passionate about youth empowerment, by retooling the industry, said priority attention must be paid to youth IT forum. All over the world, according to him, the Youth, digital natives are collectively recognized as the rightful owners of IT.

“Our duty is to empower them to innovate and create. Therefore, NCS will refocus its strategy by putting the youths in the driver’s seat of the National IT Ecosystem – and by extension, making them the accelerator in the IT engine room. “This translates to mounting a National IT Innovation Olympiad via the vehicle of National IT Hackathon and indeed celebrating their creativity through a public IT Bazaar – tabled quarterly.

“Historically, youths have always been at the centre of communication technologies which have played a key role in the development of human societies. Nowhere is this influence more evident than in the current information revolution. “This has led to new bodies of knowledge such as Bio-Informatics, Nano-Technology Megatronics and so on. Therefore, the Nigerian Youth must be granted unrestricted access to assert themselves in championing IT innovation for national development at all levels”, he explained.

Establishment of National IT Summit

The National Information Technology Summit (NITS), will be established as an assembly of Technology Platforms which aims at harnessing the maximum resources, potentials and power of existing and future ICT professionals and Industry. The purpose, he said is to build, enhance and sustain the power of collaboration and partnership amongst IT Bodies, Innovators and Entrepreneurs for national development and global competitiveness.

“The primary objective is to establish an all-inclusive National IT Forum as the technology pinnacle and organizational structure which deliberates on the totality of the challenges in the National IT&CT Ecosystem”. Above all it will proffer solutions on how National IT/CT Education, innovation, entrepreneurial mission, business activities, project initiatives and social media can be better domesticated and coordinated for maximum national interest, youth employment and wealth-creation impact.

“All these would be directed to improve and add significant value to institutionalized IT vision. The mission is to establish a disruptive Ecosystem capable of creating about 5million ICT-enabled employment and services in three years and contribute an aggregate of 15 per cent to the GDP”, Uwaje who was among the key stakeholders that championed the creation of Communication Technology ministry in Nigeria said.

NCS business forum

For the Oracle, it is imperative that Government recognizes IT as big business and indeed, as the new economic backbone for sustainable national economy and security. NCS business forum, he noted must lead the way forward in the emerging knowledge-driven market in Africa estimate at well over $650 billion.

According to him, NCS business forum will be established for the following reasons: *To ensure that the works and benefits of IT Businesses and services in Nigeria accrue to IT Professionals and Practitioners in Nigeria to accelerate innovation and sustainable employment. *Become the centre of advocacy for minority-bid and transparent Tendering process in all Government IT Contract procedures at all Levels – including World Bank and similar Bids. The Local Content Act 2010 and Related Matters refer.

*To create 5 million jobs in 3 years and act as the primary multiplying factor for IT employment generator for graduates, associates and artisans in the IT Ecosystem, especially for the Nigerian Youth. *Attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), create venture capital and increase our GDP.