ICT LOCA
ROUNDTABLE ADVOCATES ROBUST MEASURES TO PROMOTE THE CONSUMPTION OF LOCAL ICT
GOODS AND SERVICES IN THE OIL AND GAS SECTOR
ICT
Community Roundtable organized by ICT Local Content Association (ICTLOCA) has
advocated robust measures and solutions to challenges facing ICT Practitioners
engaged in the provisions of goods and services in the Oil and Gas Sector and
other sector of the economy.
As
part of efforts to tap into the huge investment opportunities innate in the Oil
and Gas sector, the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum ICT (NCCF-ICT) sectoral
working group of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB)
gave birth to ICT Local Content Association (ICTLOCA) to actualize this dream.
ICTLOCA
is the association responsible for the protection of interest of local ICT
practitioners, enforcement and implementation of the NOGICD Act and other local
content policies of government on the use and deployment of indigenous
Information Communication Technology products and services in the oil and gas
sector and other sectors of the Nigerian economy for the benefit of local ICT
practitioners. The ICT Local Content Association represents the interest of ICT
practitioners in the oil and gas sector. The Local Content Act allows Nigerian
ICT players to provide 75 per cent rental of communication lines, 85 per cent
telecommunication subscription services; 95 percent of public address system
services as well as 75 percent of other information system/ IT services. Also
to tap into the over $190 billion local content market following the creation
of the Nigerian Content Consultative Forum ICT (NCCF-ICT) sectorial working
group by the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB).
30th of January was
historical in the history of the Association as ICT Practitioners gathered at
NIRA Secretariat, 8, Funsho Williams Avenue, Surulere in Lagos state to discuss
ways indigenous ICT Practitioners could benefit from the NOGICD and other policies put in place for the promotion of
local ICT goods and services during a Live ICT Community Roundtable themed “ICT
Local Content: Dissecting challenges and proffering solutions.
From
the opening speech of Mr. Adewale Akingbade, President, ICT LOCA, the ICT
Community Roundtable was put together to deepen patronage of local ICT goods
and services and to provide huge financial and investment opportunities for
Nigerians in Information and Communication Technology.
The Roundtable which
was hinged on three major activities which are exhibition, discussion and
presentation of communique gave invited members and stakeholders the
opportunity to deliberate on challenges militating against ICT companies and
practitioners from benefiting from the local content laws and policies that is
put in place to promote the patronage of local ICT goods and services in the
Oil and Gas sector.
In her Keynote address, Edith Udeagu,
the Executive Secretary of NiRA said local
content development in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT)
sector will serve as a stimulant for nation’s economic recovery and increase
the production, sales, consumption of high-quality information technology
products and services developed by indigenous companies that serve the needs of
the local and global market.
The Roundtable session with
the theme: Role, Challenges, Solution was moderated by a member of the
Association and supported by Mr. Gbolahan Awonuga (ICT LOCA Treasurer) and Mrs.
Abibat Olatunji, ICT LOCA Legal Adviser. It also had the following important
dignitaries as panelists Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Chairman/CEO,
NCC, Representative fromNigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), Emma
Okonji, President NITRA, Prince Akinsemoyin, President, Nigeri-Vietnam Chamber
of Commerce and ‘DeRemi Atanda, Chairman of NCCF-ICT. Patrick Obah, Director,
Planning, Research and statistics of NCDMB, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman,
ALTON, Dr. Isa Ali Pantami PhD, Director General, NITDA, Dr. Jumoke Oduwole,
Executive Secretary, PEBEC and Oluwaseun Adesanya, Chairman, Awareness and
Planning Committee. Rev. Sunday Afolayan and Mr. Jide Awe also served as
members of the Panel.
The 16-point communiqué issued after
the Roundtable meeting was presented in the presence of the following
stakeholders,
Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), Nigerian
Communications Commission (NCC), Computer Professionals Registration Council of
Nigeria (CPN), Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria
(ALTON), Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), FinTrak
Software, SystemSpecs, BlueBic Limited, Local Content Diplomacy (LCD), Nigerian
Content Consultative Forum in ICT (NCCF-ICT), Computers Guild of Nigeria (CGN),
Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) and other Individual
Organizations. The communiqué was moderated by Adebunmi
Akinbo, Secretary of ICT LOCA and supported by NCCF-ICT and representatives of
NCDMB.
Resolutions reached at the end of
the meeting include:
1. Government to encourage
deliberate consumption of local ICT goods and services in the public and
private sector, according to the NOGICD Act 2010.
2. NCDMB to ensure that the
websites of Nigerian Companies bidding for contracts must be hosted locally and
that they use a .ng domain name.
3. NCDMB to provide ICTLOCA
access to Annual Nigerian Content Performance Report relating to ICT Contracts
in the Oil and Gas industry and other relevant information that will assist the
Association.
4. NITDA should certify local ICT
Software and certify local software vendors.
5.
Enforcement and Monitoring of local content laws and policies of government on
the promotion of local content in ICT by CPN, NITDA, NCC and other relevant
regulatory bodies.
6.
NCDMB to maintain a database of
the formal and informal ICT skills and capabilities, with Open (statistics)
Data Access to all Stakeholders.
7. Government through the NCDMB
to identify, support and fund young innovators in the ICT industry and implement
intervention programmes to correct the identified skills/competence gap.
8. NCDMB to support ICTLOCA’s
efforts to ensure the patronage of local ICT goods and services.
9. CPN certification should be a
sufficient requirement for the registration ICT practitioners on the NOGICD and
NJQS.
10. Intensify collaborations
between NCDMB and NCCF-ICT to increase awareness and sensitization of
practitioners in the ICT industry.
11. NCDMB in collaboration with
NITDA, NCC and other relevant government agencies should support existing ICT
Hubs to be more efficient, sustainable and relevant to the needs of the
industry.
12. Government through the
relevant regulatory agencies should sanction all offenders of local content
laws and policies.
13. NCDMB to organize relevant
trainings and seminars for ICT practitioners to enlighten them on project
tendering and ICT Jobs and Service contract awards processes and implementation
in the Oil and Gas Sector.
14. NCDMB to consider the
possibility of unbundling jobs in the oil and gas sector to create
opportunities for local ICT SMEs to partake in projects that are relatively
within their financial capability.
15. NCDMB to collaborate with
ICTLOCA and NCCF-ICT to immediately conduct a survey to determine the quantum
of ICT goods and services utilized in the sector, the percentage provided by
Nigerians and foreigners and the Skill set required majorly by local ICT
practitioners to undertake the provisions of ICT goods and services in the
sector.
16.
NCDMB to facilitate the participation of OEMs and ICT practitioners in Nigeria
to drive investment in Local Content.
In his closing remarks,
Rev. Sunday Afolayan lauded the executives of ICT LOCA for organizing such
educative and informative event (ICT Community Roundtable) and further urged
members and stakeholders of the Forum to continue coming up with ideas and
events aim at unbundling jobs and opportunities for ICT Practitioners in the
oil and gas sector.
By:
Tolulope Adedoyin – National P.R.O (Computer Guild of Nigeria – CGN). Ibadan.
