*Lack of govt patronage killing local capacity—Beta Computers boss

Edited by Emeka Aginam

Following over dependency on consumption of foreign information technology solutions by Nigerians, the market for both local personal computers and software  appears to be shrinking by the day.

This development is not only killing local capacities but is also  making the Nigerian market  a dumping ground for all manners of IT products and solutions.

With this development, the Nigerian Computer Society, the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, ISPON, and the Certified Computer Manufacturers of Nigeria, CCMON have warned on the dangers of neglecting the implementation and monitoring of local content on IT.

According to them, Nigeria will continue to be a consuming nation in the 21st century knowledge economy unless the e Federal Government reverses the trend.

Worried with the ugly trend, the NCS at the just concluded 2016 National Conference held in Abuja noted that there was need to have home grown technology instead of relying on the foreign technology to solve our local issues.

“We advise the Federal Government to patronize Certified Computer Manufacturers of Nigeria, CCMON. Full implementation of the local content policy will create more wealth, resolve the problems of unemployment and build capacity of our youths”, the President of NCS, Prof. Sola Aderounmu said in a communiqué issued at the end of the conference.

Meanwhile, the  coordinator of CCMON, Mr. Bode Pedro   had said that the  main objectives of  the group  is to work  with all relevant stakeholders to grow the capacity of Nigeria Computer manufacturers that will generate increased employment, strengthening the Naira and grow our local economy.

Speaking on the need for government patronage, the Managing Director of Beta Computers that manufacture SPEEDSTAR computers, one of the approved local personal computers by government, Mr. Will Anyaegbunam, lack of government patronage was killing local capacities.

Anyaebgunam who is among the promoters of Certified Computer Manufacturers of Nigeria, , CCMON, stated  this recently  in Lagos when the Acting Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA, Dr. Vincent Olatunji and his team paid him a courtesy visit in the company’s assembling plant Lagos

He noted that Nigeria quest to use IT to significantly increase her GDP in these days of dwindling oil revenues may not be achieved in the nearest future if the Federal government does not take urgent steps to ensure compliance of her agencies with the local content policy in IT that has been in existence for many years now.

Anyaegbunam stressed that local PC assemblers needs to be encouraged and supported by the government so that they can increase their capacity and generate employment  in the whole value chain of PC manufacture up to content development and customer support.

The visit of the Ag. DG was part of the renewed engagement process of the government to re-connect with the stakeholders in the Nigerian information technology ecosystem to grow the digital economy.

It would be recalled that the drive to encourage and support local manufacturers of computers started in 2002 when the former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, through the office of the secretary of the Government, issued a circular dated 7th of March, 2002, to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies, that only locally manufactured computers, certified to be of acceptable quality standard should be patronized by all Federal establishments.

This directive was followed up during the last government with the establishment of the Office for Nigerian Content in Information Technology (ONC), to drive this process deeper to ensure increased implementation, monitoring and compliance.

In his narrative of how Beta Computers has been assembling SPEEDSTAR PCs even before government started recognizing local hardware years back, he said that, “Government cannot be developing local capacity and be using foreign brands in their offices. We need to be enabled and supported to make Nigeria a Hub of PC manufacturing in the West African sub region and capable of generating significant foreign exchange earnings for the country.

He told the Ag. DG that, “NITDA is a development agency. The local content policy has been there but monitoring and implementation remain the issue. If Nigerian PC manufacturers are not developing, I am sure as DG, you will feel that the mandate of NITDA as a development agency is not bean realized.

“No local PC assemblers in the country can claim enough patronage from the government. Lack of government patronage is killing local capacity.

I do not see the reason why government agencies should be using foreign brands in the office. It is amounts to gross violation of her own policy on local content in IT”

He said that CCMON  looks forward to  ONC  for a more robust implementation of the  policy.

Noting that Beta Computers assembling plant has the capacity to assemble no fewer than 200 PCs per day, he said that, “We have a renewed expectation from NITDA”

In his remarks, the NITDA DG, assured on the government commitment to support to grow local capacity in IT.

“We are here to reconnect with the stakeholders. It is a multi-stakeholders approach. We are here to see what you are doing, hear from you and see how best we can work together to grow the sector. “We are already putting in place structures that will make IT work. I just told our management during our meeting that nobody should bring foreign PCs brands in the office again”.

I have written a letter to the Vice President on why government should not buy foreign brands.

“I am discussing with the government on this. We will build local capacity to position Nigeria as the hub of IT in Africa. We are working with the IT hubs”, the Acting NITDA DG assured.

He said that NITDA will use the GITEX trade exhibition to tell the Nigerian story to the world by showcasing home grown IT products.