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ISPON calls for deliberate policy to encourage indigenous software, IT sector
… Country needs regulatory framework that will not stifle technology growth – Dr. Omobola Johnson
BY: Justice Godfry
A critical look at Information Technology as a field of endeavor reveals that the most important ingredient for a successful (IT) industry is intellectual capital or knowledge and training of the population in the IT field.
Moreover, there are several ways a nation could catalyze its IT ecosystem to achieve success and become self-reliant and ultimately be a net contributor to the IT economy of the world.
To this end, the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) believes that there is need for deliberate policy to boost the morale of indigenous software developers and grow the IT sector in general.
Speakers at the Institute’s Presidential Dinner held in Lagos on Friday, April 26, 2019, unanimously agree that IT ecosystem should be for the country, the ingredients to having viable IT economy and how to create sustainable IT Ecosystem
The former Minister of Communications Technology, Dr. Omobola Johnson, who delivered the keynote paper at the dinner with the theme: “Having An Inclusive IT Ecosystem”, said many have questioned at international fora whether the African Digital Transformation drive was a hype or a reality, but insisted that the drive remained a reality for African countries, especially for Nigeria.
She however urged the federal government of Nigeria to come up with better policy and regulatory framework that will not stifle technology growth in the country.
According to Johnson, “Nigerian government must focus on Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education to drive Information and Communications Technology (ICT) education that will boost digital transformation in Nigeria.
“Software stakeholders must collaborate with government to design specific training on ICT for young Nigerian startups and government must do everything possible to grow the country’s infrastructure in order to facilitate national development.”
Citing China and India that have become strong forces for global technology development, Johnson challenged ISPON to form a formidable force that would promote inclusive IT ecosystem for the country.
The President of ISPON, Dr. Yele Okeremi, decried that since the days of the oil boom, the fate of the Nigerian economy became tied to the international price of crude oil: The economy became buoyant when international oil prices rose and went into slowdown and even recessions once the international price of crude fell or Nigeria became unable to meet up with its production quota.
“The petroleum industry itself became overly focused on the mere extraction of crude without any value added.
“The country has become over-dependent on trading in primary goods with consequent implications on employment, wealth creation and wealth distribution. It is a known fact in scholarly circles that economies that operate in such manner end up exporting its prosperity and in turn import poverty from other countries”.
Where We Should Be
From the aforementioned facts, Okeremi suggested that it is now necessary for Nigeria to take a second look at its economic recovery strategy if it is to achieve results and sustain such results.
“It is considered prudent for societies and economies to encourage the creation of complex businesses, which create an environment for its citizens to get engaged in meaningful work.
“It is in the light of this that I seek to present an inclusive Information Technology ecosystem as a potential to lift the country out of its current economic challenges”.
IT Ecosystem
He said that a critical look at Information Technology as a field of endeavor reveals that the most important ingredient for a successful Information Technology industry is intellectual capital or knowledge and training of the population in the IT field.
“IT, particularly the software field can be pursued effectively by countries that have a favorable age demographics, with a good youth population and a sound education”, the ISPON president said.
He further proposed what the IT ecosystem should be for the country, the ingredients to having viable IT economy and how to create sustainable IT Ecosystem using the success of the Silicon Valley as a bench mark.
“As the name implies, an ecosystem is a self-sustaining system where all its participants create some form of value that is consumed by some other members and all the players operate in a symbiotic manner.
Inclusiveness – the Weapon
“There are several ways that a nation could catalyze its IT ecosystem to achieve success and become self-reliant and ultimately be a net contributor to the IT economy of the world. For a country like Nigeria that has a high propensity for technology consumption and a suitable age demographics, Nigeria can borrow a leaf from countries like China that catalyzed their industry on the premises of local consumption. In other words, the country needs to come up with a deliberate policy to encourage the mantra of producing what it consumes and consume what it produces”.
He said that the ability to achieve this is quite simple by following the money and studying which areas the country consumes the most technology products.
“The country has every right to begin a simple policy of import substitution. This will ensure the practitioners in the country are automatically provided domestic market access”, he said.
News
Badaru on Operational Tour of 82 Division, other Military Installations in Enugu and Imo States
The Honourable Minister of Defence H.E Mohammed Badaru Abubakar CON mni is currently in Enugu on operational tour of 82 Division of Nigerian Army and other military platforms in Enugu.
He was received on arrival by the General officer Commanding 82 Division of the Nigerian Army / Commander JTF SE of operation Udoka Major-General H.T Dada and other senior military officers.
The Minister is expected to meet with South East stakeholders on the way forward.
Details later…
Tinubu has granted full oversight responsibilities to Ministers of State over agencies under them amongst whom are Minister of State for Defence Dr. Bello Matawalle, Water Resources and Sanitation, Minister of State for Agriculture and others will henceforth enjoy full oversight responsibilities over such agencies.
President Bola Tinubu at FEC Meeting has approved that ministers of state be given full powers to supervise the agencies under them, the cable reported.
Until now, files pertaining to departments and agencies under their supervision were sent by their permanent secretaries to the senior ministers.
With the new dispensation, ministers of state can now grant all necessary administrative approvals on the governance process of these agencies and departments.
According to a source in the office of the head of service of the federation, “the president was not pleased with the prevailing governing framework in which ministers of states were just ministers in name”.
This, Tinubu reportedly said, led to the “underutilisation of the expertise and capabilities” of most ministers of state.
“The president believes ministers of state should have the right to make decisions and direct action within their areas of responsibility,” the official added.
According to the Cable report, the source said the idea, first mooted by Hadiza Bala Usman, special adviser to the President on policy coordination and head, central delivery coordination unit got an instant buy-in from the President.
With the new directive, the administration hopes “to unleash” the potential of all the ministers, the source added.
…It’s unprecedented to earn above minimum wage in Enugu- Labour
… We’ll commence implementation immediately- ALGON
Governor of Enugu State, Dr. Peter Mbah, has approved N80,000 minimum wage for the state’s work force, including local government workers, effective October 2024, noting a direct link between a motivated workforce and his administration’s vision of growing the state’s economy from $4.4bn to $30bn.
The new minimum wage covers all state employees, primary school teachers, and local government workers.
Organised labour has described the wage as unprecedented, as it was the first time that Enugu workers would be earning above the national minimum wage.
Mbah announced the new minimum wage on Thursday after a meeting with the Enugu State Minimum Wage Implementation Committee headed by the Head of Service, Kenneth Ugwu and labour leaders, including the state’s labour leaders.
Mbah said, “Few weeks ago, I inaugurated a committee with the responsibility to oversee the implementation of the New National Minimum Wage in Enugu State. Today, I’m happy to announce a new minimum wage for workers in Enugu State, reflecting our fidelity to their welfare, in regard of which we have been resolutely committed.
“We have approved the sum of N80,000 as the new minimum wage in Enugu State. This underscores our commitment to bequeathing lasting legacies of improved living conditions.
“Our commitment to improved workers’ welfare runs deep, and is rooted in the firm understanding of the inextricable link between an inspired workforce and the audacious economic targets we had set our sights on.
“We clearly understood that reducing poverty to the barest minimum and achieving an unprecedented economic growth target were contingent on the output of the workforce. Therefore, for us, the best way to acknowledge that labour creates wealth is by ensuring that the workforce, which creates the wealth that oils the wheel of government, is sufficiently motivated.
“We have similarly demonstrated our commitment to workers welfare through the consistent payment of the wage awards, a gesture we had pledged to sustain until a new wage structure took effect.”
Speaking, the Chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Comrade Fabian Nwigbo, thanked governor Mbah for always prioritising the welfare of workers, describing the new minimum wage as “a great one for Enugu workers.”
“In the past, when minimum wage is announced, it takes up to one or two years for anything to happen; and when it did, we took anything they gave us as we saw it. But today, you have even given us something much higher than national minimum wage.
“But I am not totally surprised because when other governors were paying N12,000 wage award, you were paying us N25,000. When others paid for some months and stopped, you continued paying it until the new minium wage as you promised. So, we have enjoyed wage award for 11 months and today you announced the minimum wage which is the first of its kind since my 32 years in service,” said.
Speaking to Government House correspondents, the Chairman of the Enugu State chapter of the Trade Union Congress, TUC, Comrade Ben Asogwa, said, “We are so happy. The governor did not just announce ₦80,000 minium wage, but said that it cascades down to even local government workers. He said that he does not want disparity in salary implementation in Enugu State anymore because we all go to the same market.
“This is the first time in history we are seeing the implementation of minimum wage above the approved amount by the federal government. Actually, when we entered into the negotiation, we were afraid because we know quite well that we are not among the states that share in dividends of oil money. We know quite well that we are at the back when it comes to federal allocation, but His Excellency actually surprised us.
“One thing we have seen is that he understands the impact of motivation on productivity. The governor has set a pace and we know that any other person coming after him will have the challenge to meet up with the target set by His Excellency, Governor Peter Mbah.”
On his part, Chairman of the Association of Local Government Workers, ALGON, Enugu State, Hon. Okechukwu Edeh, pledged the commitment of council chairmen to implementing the new minimum wage.
“When you motivate workers, they become more productive. What I am promising on behalf of the Enugu ALGON family is that we are going to cascade the new minimum wage to the local government level. Implementation begins immediately,” he said.
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