E-Business
ISPON Urges MDAs to Prioritise Indigenous Software
Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) has harped on the need to implement the Presidential Executive Orders, as means to develop the software industry in Nigeria.
ISPON members at the event
This is the unanimous view of participants at ISPON’s Roundtable on the ‘Future of Software in Nigeria’; where the practitioners stressed need to implement the Presidential Executive Orders series that started in May 2017 with Numbers E01, E02; E03 and subsequently EO4, EO5 etc, so as to improve local content in software applications in Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of Government of Nigeria.
ISPON is the industry professional body for indigenous software developers and practitioners in Nigeria, established in 1999 with the aim of creating an enabling environment for local content developers.
The Institute has been in the forefront of championing the advocacy for the application and utilisation of locally developed software in order to boost our economy, GDP and give Nigeria an alternative to oil as a revenue earner.
In his opening remarks at the roundtable held on Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at TheNest, Yaba, Lagos State, Dr. Yele Okeremi, president of ISPON, said the roundtable was convened to unmask the miseries around the software industry in Nigeria.
According to him, embracing indigenous software in the deployment of critical government database and projects is one critical way to avoid impending ‘digital imperialism.
He urged Nigerian government officials not to overlook the lurking global cyberwar where software contains the footprints of any nation.
Dr. Okeremi wondered why nearly 60 years Nigeria is still preferred to it “as a country with a lot of potentials. When shall these materialise?”
“At a point we were doing well in agriculture. But when oil was discovered, probably we became rich and relaxed. Now the price of oil had ditched; the environmental degradation has become unbearable.
“Aside that, oil is becoming old-fashioned. It has now dawned on us that Nigeria, perhaps, is not very rich.
“Therefore, countries like Singapore; etc are doing very well without oil and such natural resources. We need to tap into the intellectual property and human resource we have to become great. This is not the time to play politics if we want to remain relevant as a great country, in the next 15 years.
“I am saying this because around 2013 Nigeria started showing up in the global map for innovation. Why? There were deliberate policies to support software industry. That is why we are asking the MDAs to ensure strict implementation of the Executive Orders that give priority to local software”.
The ISPON President also highlighted that while the country is referred to as haven for Fintechs; “investors are coming in their numbers, startups are raising funds. But there is urgent need to rethink our strategy as a nation”.
“Nigeria should have been known as leader in oil & gas technology, but we choose to make laws – local content- thereby asking permission to enter the kitchen in a house ‘we’ built and ‘own’”, he lamented.
“We are sourcing (software) engineers from different countries. Why? We have the human capacity but lacking the interest to harness the potentials.
“Technology has two areas – software and hardware. Until we can boost of having people with the IP to control relevant industries we might be playing to the gallery.
“China has come out to say all foreign hardware and applications should be trashed. Russia has also said that smartphones selling in its market will come preloaded with Russian apps.
“We might be remotely switched off as a nation. It is better to not only consume but produce ourselves and outsource”, he said.
Need for software houses
In his contribution during a panel session, Mr. Pius Okigbo Jr, former president of ISPON, believes the country must deliberately support the younger generation of software developers as means to build software houses focused on solving local needs.
To actualise this, he said there must be change of mind-set among civil and public servants, especially with regards implementing Presidential directives meant to empower local software developers.
Federal Government was emphasising on local participation in the execution of government contracts, thereby improving local content in national socio-economic development.
“We need to match words with action. The Government at Federal level directed all MDAs to engage indigenous professionals in the planning, design and execution of national software related projects. How have we faired so far?
“The intent was to maximise in-country capacity and capability in all contracts and transactions with software components, utilising Nigeria human and material resources in the planning and execution of Nigerian projects.
“Unfortunately, some people are not interested in working in that direction. This must stop if we are going to build an enduring and endearing future for the younger generation. We must build ‘software-future’ for the younger generation and it requires growing local by patronising indigenous software companies”.
Addressing the industry practitioner, Mr. Pius Okigbo. Jr. urged them to focus on solving local issues.
“For instance, there are about 700 hotels in Owerri, and the number in Enugu is growing too. A policy statement by the government to digitize the records of hotels in the state, it’ll lead someone to provide hotel management software to these hotels and open up a new business opportunity for the developer. We must look inward to grow and become global champions”, he charged.
Growing software industry by focusing on data
Mr. Emeka Okoye, chief semantic architect / knowledge engineer – CYMANTIKS Nigeria Limited, also drew the attention of participants to ‘data-economy’.
He said that future of software will dwell largely in ‘data territory’ as it has become strategic asset to companies and countries.
“I am confident that growing the software industry that is locally engineered and empowered would be beneficial to our country, generate wealth, stimulate inclusive growths in the domestic economy and reduce unemployment level. There are 20 million farmers in Nigeria who needs to be empowered using software” he said.
Consumer education, branding and patience-capital
The Founder and Managing Director of Future Software Resources Limited, Nkemdilim Uwaje-Begho, pointed out that branding, continued consumer education and advocacies are key ways to expose different users to the efficacies of Nigerian software.
On the other hand, she said that the country’s education system must be rejigged such that the graduates can be equipped for future-work.
In her words, “We must intentionally build the software industry for the younger ones who on their own should have ‘patient-capital’ as against get-rich-quick syndrome.
“The Order directed that all procurement entities of the FGN shall give preference to Nigerian companies in the award of contracts for major projects in SET and where local expertise is not available, Nigerian companies shall enter into consortium with relevant foreign firms,” he said.
The roundtable moderated by the General Secretary (ISPON), Lanre Adelanwa, also had in attendance the Past President Global Network for Cyber Solution and past president and co-founder of ISPON, Chris Uwaje; Chairman, Education & Capacity Building Committee (ISPON) and co-founder of The Nest Innovation Park, Peter Ogedengbe; Executive Director at SystemSpecs, ‘DeRemi Atanda amongst others.
Galaxy Backbone (GBB) aligns with and celebrates the successful announcement by the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation on the achievement of a Paperless Civil Service, a significant milestone in Nigeria’s public sector reform and digital transformation agenda.
The milestone was formally highlighted at a press briefing led by the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who commended Galaxy Backbone for its sustained support and contribution throughout the implementation of the programme.
GBB has played a critical role in enabling this transition by providing secure, scalable, and shared digital infrastructure that supports the digitisation of government processes across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). Through the 1Government Cloud, MDAs have been empowered to migrate from paper-based workflows to digital platforms, improving efficiency, collaboration, data security, and service delivery across the Federal Civil Service.
In addition, GovMail, GBB’s secure government email platform, has strengthened official communication, enhanced records management, and reinforced cybersecurity standards—key pillars in sustaining a paperless operating environment.
Galaxy Backbone acknowledges the collective efforts of the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Permanent Secretaries, Directors of ICT, consultants, partners, and dedicated public servants whose commitment and collaboration ensured the smooth delivery of this initiative.
The Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Backbone, Prof. Ibrahim Adeyanju, was represented at the press briefing by Akintayo Bamisaye, Acting Group Head, Research, Digital Innovation and Skills Department (RDIS).
GBB describes the achievement as a strong close to 2025 and reaffirms its commitment to supporting the Federal Government in building a modern, efficient, and digitally enabled public service.
At the close of 2025, Temidayo Ojo, the CEO of Jumia Nigeria, reflected on a year-end shopping season that points to the growing maturity of the country’s e-commerce market. “Black Friday is no longer a single, short-lived spike in activity,” he said.
“It has become a familiar, anticipated moment in the retail calendar, where consumers shop deliberately and with confidence.”
Preliminary KPIs for the two months ended November 30, 2025, show strong year-on-year growth in both orders and Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), with GMV growth outpacing order growth. This indicates that customers are placing fuller, more considered baskets rather than shopping in fragmented transactions. Nigeria ranked among Jumia Group’s better-performing markets, with engagement remaining steady throughout the Black Friday period rather than spiking briefly and tapering off.
A key factor behind this performance is the growing familiarity of consumers with online shopping. Customers are increasingly leveraging platform features such as saved carts, brand stores, and price comparison tools to plan purchases in advance. This trend suggests that digital commerce is becoming embedded in everyday habits rather than being viewed as a one-off event.
Ojo also highlighted the role of Jumia’s JForce network in connecting digital commerce to local communities. “Our agents are critical to ensuring that customers across Nigeria, including secondary cities and smaller communities, have access to variety, consistent pricing, and reliable delivery,” he said. “During peak periods like Black Friday, JForce agents can respond faster, serve more customers efficiently, and build stronger local relationships. This isn’t just a distribution channel—it’s a pathway to sustainable income and inclusion.”
Reflecting on the overall performance, the CEO concluded: “What we’re seeing this year-end is steady engagement across categories, stronger consumer confidence, and partners like our JForce agents benefiting from increased activity.
“It confirms that Nigeria’s e-commerce ecosystem is maturing, growing in a more structured and resilient way. As the December Holiday Sale continues, we expect these patterns of familiarity, trust, and participation to sustain momentum and drive both commerce and community impact across the country.”
Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) has been ranked first overall in the 2025 Federal Government Website Performance Scorecard.
This is a landmark achievement for Nigeria’s digital economy.
The ranking, conducted by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR), is the definitive benchmark for digital excellence and transparency across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs).
Professor Ibrahim Adepoju Adeyanju, managing director and CEO of Galaxy Backbone, received the award during a ceremony in Abuja.
He described the feat as a validation of the agency’s“Nigeria First”data sovereignty strategy and its relentless pursuit of service excellence.
This recognition comes as the Federal Government intensifies its push to achieve a fully paperless civil service by December 31, 2025.
GBB has been the primary architect of this transition through its 1Gov Enterprise Content Management (ECM) platform, which now hosts the operations of almost all federal MDAs.
The award adds to a growing list of accolades for Galaxy Backbone in 2025, following its recent win of the “International Standard Excellence Award for Best IT Service Provider.”
As the central hub for government shared services, GBB’s performance serves as a blueprint for other agencies currently undergoing digital transformation.
With its expanded fiber-optic backbone now covering over 13 states and its secure cloud solutions, Galaxy Backbone remains the cornerstone of Nigeria’s vision to become a leading digital nation by the end of the decade.
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