… Insists on adherence to presidential Executive Orders on Local content in  IT Industry

The Certified Computer Manufacturers of Nigeria (CCMON) has picked holes on the plan by the National Population Commission (NPC) to use only foreign IT devices for the execution of 2023 National population census project.

CCMON recently cried out on this plan by the NPC to acquire 800,000 foreign devices which if allowed to sail through would be a total affront on the FGN widely lauded local content policy and a blatant disobedience to the Presidential Executive Orders 3 and 5 that mandates all MDAs to utilize at least 40% local devices and content in all her projects.

It would be recalled that a meeting was held on the 16th of August, 2022 between the officials of the National Population Commission (NPC), CCMON, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), on the need to adhere to the Presidents executive orders. Both NITDA and NPC assured CCMON of their intension to strictly adhere to the government’s Local content policies.

Due to the failure of their receiving the feedback by the 18th of August as agreed at the meeting, CCMON in a letter to NITDA on Monday, 29th August, signed by her president, Engr. Adenike Abudu and Secretary General, Tosin Ilesanmi, while appreciating the IT regulatory authority’s efforts on the full implementation of the local content policies, reminded her that the Federal of Nigeria was very intentional in her desire to develop and grow the ICT sub sector of the Nigerian economy and provide jobs for the skilled but unemployed youth population in the country through the Presidential Executive Orders . And they, NITDA, have the mandate to ensure that in the development and acquisition of ICT components in the country, there must be an adherence to the Local Content Policy that mandate  at least a minimum of 40 percent to Local/ Indigenous Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMS).

CCMON is hereby crying out over this unwholesome plan by NPC and humbly requests the president to put a halt to this violation of his orders and cause NPC to follow strictly his executive orders. There are NITDA certified local devices manufacturers who also have ISO 9001:2015 quality standards certified that performed excellently well in previous government projects including the N-Power project managed by the Bank of Industry (BOI) and the INEC elections.

Engr. Abudu added that the members of the Certified Computer Manufacturers of Nigeria (CCMON) are confident that NITDA will guide NPC appropriately in line with NITDA’s mandate, the local content Act and Presidential executive orders to ensure this project is not executed to the detriment of local content development. She insisted that “The posture and antics of NPC is unacceptable as it negates the Local Content Policy, the interest of young unemployed Nigerians and directed at encouraging capital flight.  She went on to say that “CCMOM, believes that this is an attempt to all intents and purposes by NPC to sabotage the credible efforts of the federal government in the ICT sub sector of our economy and deprive Nigerians of visible means of livelihood.

She closed by saying that CCMON’s prayers is that  the Federal executive council (FEC), the Bureau of public procurement (BPP) and NPC should prioritize national interest by engaging NITDA certified indigenous OEM’s.