Nigeria’s computer manufacturers reject use of foreign IT devices for 2023 census

The Certified Computer Manufacturers of Nigeria (CCMON) has frowned at plans by the National Population Commission (NPC) to use foreign IT devices for the execution of 2023 population census.

According to CCMON, the move by the NPC to acquire over 800,000 foreign IT devices for the project is a breach of Executive Orders 3 and 5 issued by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Persecondnews reports that the Presidential Executive Orders 3 and 5 mandate all Federal Government Ministries, Departments and Agencies(MDAs) to utilize at least 40 percent local devices and content in all their projects.

CCMON President, Engr. Adenike Abudu, who made this known in a statement made available to Persecondnews, noted that the plan constituted an “affront to the government’s widely applauded local content policy and a blatant disobedience to the orders of the president.

Abudu recalled that a meeting was held on August 16, 2022, between the officials of NPC, CCMON, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) on the need to adhere to the President’s EOs.

“Both NITDA and NPC assured CCMON of their intention to strictly adhere to the government’s Local content policies.

“NITDA and NPC had assured CCMON of their intention to strictly adhere to the government’s local content policies. At the meeting, the body of computer manufacturers was assured of a feedback on August 18, on the outcome of their deliberations.

“When that feedback failed to come, CCMON in a letter noted that whilst appreciating the IT regulatory authority’s efforts on the full implementation of the local content policies, it reminded the agency that the Federal Government of Nigeria was intentional in her desire to develop and grow the ICT sub-sector of the Nigerian economy and provide jobs for the skilled and unemployed youth population in the country through the Presidential Executive Orders .

“CCMON decries this unwholesome plan by NPC and appeals to 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 in previous government projects including the N-Power project managed by the Bank of Industry (BOI) and elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC),” the statement said.

Abudu said members of CCMON are confident that NITDA will guide NPC appropriately in line with NITDA’s mandate, the Local Content Act and the executive orders to ensure that the exercise is not carried out at the detriment of local content development.

Read Also: Russia completely and partially cut off 13 EU countries from gas