Nigeria should rework her investment and employment policies as means to enhance local contents policy, says the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).
In line with that, the Association believes the country should urgently reintroduce the indigenization policy as means to tackle growing unemployment, according to a report by TechEconomy.ng.
The Second Vice President, of ATCON, Mr. Muyiwa Ogungboye, made these remarks at the Nigeria Information and Communications Technology Reporters’ Association’s (NITRA), quarterly forum with the theme, “Local content development in Nigeria’s ICT sector: stimulant for national economic recovery” held in Lagos, recently.
Mr. Ogungboye who doubles as the Managing Director of e.Stream Networks Limited, stated that government should urgently reintroduce the indigenization policy in the form of local contents policy; if we are to reduce or eradicate the continuous unemployment of Nigerian youth whether skilled and or unskilled.
He noted that the benefits of liberalizing the telecom and ICT sector would not accrue to teeming Nigerian population until the necessary action is taking by the Nigerian government at all levels.
Ogungboye, who is also the Managing Director/CEO eStream Networks, decried the lack of zeal by government to tenaciously pursue the indigenization policy embarked upon many years earlier.
He cited the case of Ghana who has one of the most protective policies for her citizen in terms of employment and investment.
In his words: “Ghana as a case study has one of the most protective policy for her citizen in terms of employment and investment and majority of the developed countries do not play lip service to the issue of employment of their citizens.
“As a matter of fact, they make sure that their nationality is considered for any employment opportunity before any other nationality is considered as goes for South Africa.
“Nigeria as a nation needs to quickly stop the idea of her citizenry not being given the first consideration even in their own land.
“And Nigeria should rework her investment and employment policies, he added”
As a way forward, he recommended that government should draw a plan to comprehensively develop the ICT sector, ensure speedy implementation of the plan, creation of evaluation, monitoring and enforcement unit and establishment of ICT Park across the federation.
He called on government at all levels to make ICT Sector a top priority in Nigeria, adding that the sector contributes about 8% to our Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
Speaking at the the event, Adebunmi Adeola Akinbo, Secretary, Association for Information Communication Technology Local Content, called on stakeholders in ICT industry to support the ICS 2018 exhibition for local content, adding that convergence is created for stakeholder’s and professionals, initiators, innovators and creators of products and services with local content input and execution.
He revealed that the platform would be an annual project that would base solely to advocate, promote, and protect the use and adoption of Made-in-Nigeria products with relevance to the existing Acts and Orders.
The exhibition according to him is organised to bring together government Agencies and stakeholders in the ICT industry to consider and deliberate on the Themes and Subthemes to fashion out ways we can work together for effective implementation of all Federal Government Executive Orders and Acts on the promotion and protection of Information and Communication Technology related to Local Content.
He noted that the exhibition will serve as a platform to publicize and promote products and services provided by indigenous ICT practitioners in Nigeria.
Akinbo added that the convergence will provide a platform for SMEs and entrepreneurs to meet, share ideas, rub mind and network with major stakeholders and consider ways of partnering with the objectives of promoting Local Content in line with global standard as sustained in the country.