The National President, Information Technology (Industry) Association of Nigeria (ITAN), Egnr Olutayo Adeniyi, has urged the federal government to patronize only companies that are properly licensed to practice IT in the country.
He stated this while briefing newsmen on Thursday in Abuja.
He charged the government to also obtain the registers of licensed IT providers. “We call on governments to obtain the register of Licensed IT providers from the registry of Computer Professional Registration Council’s (CPN) and patronize only those companies that are properly Licensed to practice IT in the country.”
He further said, “contrary to procurement policies and the local content of ICT procurement, government does not go to accredit IT companies, saying that procurement is instead done through third parties who have no knowledge and experience about IT which makes procurement more costly, creates delays in delivery and exposes beneficiaries to sub-standard products and services in many cases, MDAs end up with solutions that do not work.
“Nigerian economy can be made more competitive to provide jobs and generate wealth for the country through a careful deployment and mainstreaming of ICTs in the critical sectors of the economy and society.”
“We call on the government and its agencies to abide by the policy. At the level of ITAN, we will be setting up a mechanism to monitor the implementation of the policy with a view to advice government and possibly for it to sanction erring establishments.”
The Vice President ITAN Dr Yunusa Yau said that Nigeria has human capital skills to compliment this initiative, adding that Nigeria does not lack the procurement skills since it is in order but lacks to follow the procedures.
