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Enabling Environment for Nigeria Content Development in the ICT Sector (2)
This summary of the enabling environment and government actions to support it reveals the breadth and complexity of factors that analysts and practitioners have identified as important to putting in place the conditions that can enhance productivity and support content development. However, the table also makes clear that government is not the only actor involved in contributing to an enabling environment. As the governance terminology reflects, societal problem-solving, the production of public goods and social capital formation are not the sole purview of government actors.
Factors that Affect Content Development
Businesses thrive when products and services are produced and finished products marketed profitably. This ensures stock movement, as more goods will be produced and hence healthy return on investment. When the volume of sales is large, then more profit could be made, and some of it ploughed back to research. The product of research into indigenous content, affects content development. Thus any factor that limits the production and profitable marketing of finished goods will impact content development not only in ICT industry but also in other industries. Some of these factors are very apparent while some are opaque. I shall try to list some of them here.
a. Inconsistent Policy
b. Lack of Continuity
c. Infrastructure Development
d. Staffing
e. Finance
f. Multiple Taxation
g. Dumping
h. Lack of Transparency in Government
: Nigeria is a largely a government driven economy, so any hiccup in government affects the ICT industry. A case in point is the ongoing tussle over the over the signing into law the 2008 budget. The country is in a state of economic standstill. This negatively affects all sectors of the economy. Also transparency and accountability in all dealings with government reduces the cost of doing business. : Dumping of subsidised and therefore cheap foreign ICT tools impacts the local ICT industry negatively as a level playing field is lacking. : Multiple taxation from all the tiers of government is stifling return on investment and scaring potential investors. The case of MR. BIGGS and Lagos State Government LAASA is a case in point. Collection of advertisement and Signage fees is constitutionally vested on the Local Governments, but LASG Assembly in her wisdom last year passed a new law vesting it on LAASA – presto the fee became convoluted and quadrupled. : Most financial institutions in Nigeria encourage trade financing instead of investing in the productive sector of the economy – hence they tend toward financing LPOs. Manufacturing industries have long gestation period and thus require long term financing which is rarely available. : We are yet to attain e-workforce hence skills of new employees need to be updated as our institutions do not produce products with requisite skills compatible with the knowledge economy. Considerable resource has to be ploughed into equipping them to be functional. : The decay in the infrastructure in the country is mind bugling. We have to sink our own borehole, generate our own power, bear the brunt of impassable roads with the attendant accelerated wear and tear to vehicles, provide our own security, etc. The list is enormous. Under such conditions our products cannot compete in pricing with products from countries where infrastructure is better. : We are all aware of the reversal of some policies of the previous administration. Though we applaud some of them, especially were some of the transactions were done fraudulently in the first place; but a wrong signal has been sent to both local and foreign investors – your investment in this country may not be safe. : A policy an investor considers favourable for particular industry may lead him to raise capital and invest resources into bringing such industry to fruition after a comprehensive feasibility studies. And in Nigeria, this could be expensive as he has to also invest in so many ancillary sectors that are not directly related to the industry. Any policy reversal may put all in the investment in jeopardy. Leading to great loss. Such an investor will need a lot of convincing to ever venture into any project again in the country.
Negative Effects of Such Factors
a. Labour
: No need rehashing that the industry needs skilled force. Educational institutions as presently represented cannot produce the manpower needed in the knowledge economy. So resources are expended to skill these staff.
We at Zinox are contributing our own quota in this direction. Zinox:
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Has entered into partnership with Kansas State University in the US to streamline the curricula of two departments in the University of Lagos in line with what obtains in the knowledge economy. The partnership also involves the updating of lecturers skills so that they positively impact their students.
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Has under the Computerise Nigeria Initiative, provided ICT tools to teachers and lecturers of institutions of learning at subsidised prices and favourable payment terms.
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Under the Computerise Nigeria Initiative, the Zinox-Student Computer Ownership Project (Z-Scope) project was conceived to catch the work force young. Under it students are encouraged to own and use computers by providing them with subsidised ICT tools at favourable payment terms.
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Has also under the Computerise Nigeria Initiative been impacting the already employed workforce with by also extending ownership of ICT tools at subsidised rates and favourable payment terms.
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All these initiatives of Zinox involves much expenditure of resources, but the most saddening thing is that we are not encouraged by people defaulting after the initial deposit.
to be continued
We are also encouraging professional associations like NBA, NMA, ICAN, etc to encourage their members to own ICT systems under the terms explained above.
Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) has called for radical and urgent interventions to curb the rising wave of sophisticated digital examination fraud in Nigeria.
JAMB warned that the trend can cause long-term damage to the country’s education system.
Prof. Is-haq Oloyede, JAMB Registrar, made this call during a recent event in Abuja, as reported in the JAMB Bulletin published Monday.
Oloyede described the evolving tactics employed by fraudsters during the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) as “worrisome, highly sophisticated, and capable of jeopardising national development.”
“Malpractice is not only compromising learning and research, it is endangering our collective future,” Oloyede warned.
“There is an urgent need for decisive action on these new and disturbing developments. The public must not treat this menace with levity.”
He lamented that instead of addressing the growing problem, “some people are dissipating their energies on spreading unhelpful conspiracy theories and hatred, while our future is being jeopardised by a new crop of sophisticated digital fraudsters.”
The registrar detailed how high-level examination malpractices were uncovered during the 2025 UTME, leading to the withdrawal of some results and the arrest of several culprits nationwide.
According to him, JAMB discovered that certain Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres and school proprietors had colluded with hackers to gain remote access to candidates’ systems and submit pre-programmed answers to local servers at compromised centres.
Oloyede also highlighted the use of AI-enabled photo blending to impersonate candidates, noting that many of the impersonators were current undergraduates. Other fraudulent tactics included:
He said they also include registration with combined fingerprints through the combination of fingerprints from multiple persons for a single candidate’s registration.
He cited the extension of local area networks from some dubious centres to remote “strong rooms” as well as the pairing of candidates with professional mercenaries to gain access to the examination hall.
He revealed that over 3,000 candidates have been identified as either accomplices or beneficiaries of these crimes, stressing that many of them are university students already enrolled in institutions.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has filed a lawsuit against the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited over its failure to account for the alleged missing ₦500 billion, which the company reportedly failed to remit to the Federation Account between October and December 2024.
SERAP’s legal action comes after allegations made by the World Bank, which revealed that out of the ₦1.1 trillion generated from crude sales and other income sources in 2024, NNPC only remitted ₦600 billion.
This left a deficit of ₦500 billion, which remains unaccounted for.
According to the lawsuit filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday, the organisation is demanding that NNPC explain the whereabouts of this missing amount.
The suit, number FHC/L/MSC/553/2025, seeks to compel NNPC to account for the missing funds.
In the legal documents, SERAP is asking for an order of mandamus to direct NNPC to account for the alleged missing ₦500 billion.
The organisation also wants the court to instruct NNPC to invite appropriate anti-corruption agencies to investigate the spending and whereabouts of the funds.
Furthermore, SERAP requests that those responsible for the missing money be identified, held accountable, and handed to relevant authorities for investigation and prosecution.
The lawsuit follows NNPC’s response to SERAP’s Freedom of Information (FoI) request, where the company argued that the FoI Act does not apply to it.
NNPC’s lawyers, Afe Babalola and Co, claimed that the company is exempt from the FoI Act.
SERAP, however, argues that the NNPC must comply with the Nigerian Constitution and the Freedom of Information Act, along with international human rights and anti-corruption standards, in exercising its statutory functions.
In the suit, SERAP emphasizes that the missing funds have significantly contributed to Nigeria’s economic instability, including the country’s high deficit spending and crippling debt crisis.
The organisation argues that the NNPC’s failure to remit these funds has worsened an already precarious economic situation.
SERAP also stresses that the missing oil revenues reflect a broader failure in NNPC’s accountability and transparency. The organisation highlights that the company’s continuing disregard for these principles damages the country’s economic well-being and governance systems.
The lawsuit also references a recent Supreme Court ruling, which declared that the Freedom of Information Act applies to public records in the Federation, including those kept by NNPC. SERAP calls on the court to enforce the application of this ruling in the case at hand.
The suit filed on behalf of SERAP by its lawyers, Kolawole Oluwadare, Ms Oluwakemi Oni, and Ms Valentina Adegoke, read in part, “Nigerians continue to bear the brunt of these missing public funds from the NNPCL meant for the economic development of the country.”
“There is a legitimate public interest in providing the details sought. The NNPC has a legal responsibility to account for and explain the whereabouts of the missing oil money.”
“The country’s oil wealth ought to be used solely for the benefit of the Nigerian people, and for the sake of the present and future generations.”
“Without the full recovery and remittance of the missing ₦500 billion oil revenues, the dire economic situation may worsen and Nigerians will continue to be denied access to basic public goods and services.”
“Nigerians have the right to know why the NNPCL failed to remit the subsidy removal savings to the Federation Account, and why the NNPCL is deliberately denying states and local governments their allocations from the Account, contrary to the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution.”
“The failure by the NNPCL to remit the money to the Federation Account is a grave violation of the public trust and the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution, national anticorruption laws, and the country’s anticorruption obligations.”
“Despite the country’s enormous oil wealth, ordinary Nigerians have derived minimal benefit from oil money primarily because of widespread grand corruption, and the entrenched culture of impunity of perpetrators.”
“Combating the corruption epidemic in the oil sector would alleviate poverty, improve access of Nigerians to basic public goods and services, and enhance the ability of the government to meet its human rights and anti-corruption obligations.”
“The Nigerian Constitution, Freedom of Information Act, and the country’s anti-corruption and human rights obligations rest on the principle that citizens should have access to information regarding the spending of their commonwealth.”
“The Auditor-General of the Federation and Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) have for many years documented reports of disappearance of oil money from the NNPCL.”
“The World Bank recently disclosed that out of the N1.1tn revenue from crude sales and other income in 2024, the NNPCL only remitted N600bn, leaving a deficit of ₦500bn unaccounted for.”
“The revenue and other income were expected to be paid into the Federation Account and shared by all levels of government but the NNPCL reportedly failed to do so.”
“SERAP notes that Section 15(5) of the Nigerian Constitution requires public institutions to abolish all corrupt practices and abuse of power.”
“Section 13 of the Nigerian Constitution imposes clear responsibility on the NNPCL to conform to, observe and apply the provisions of Chapter 2 of the Constitution.”
“Nigeria has made legally binding commitments under the UN Convention against Corruption to ensure accountability in the management of public resources. Articles 5 and 9 of the UN Convention against Corruption also impose legal obligations on the NNPCL to ensure proper management of public affairs and public funds.”
“These commitments ought to be fully upheld and respected.”
“The missing oil revenue has also impeded Nigerians’ ability to enjoy their economic and social rights, and denied them access to essential public goods and services, especially at the time of the cost of living crisis in the country.”
“Had the NNPCL accounted for and remitted the alleged missing ₦500 billion to the Federation Account, it is likely that more funds would have been allocated to the fulfilment of economic and social rights, such as increased spending on public goods and services.”
“The Freedom of Information Act, Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantee to everyone the right to information on the whereabouts of the missing ₦500 billion of oil revenue.”
No date has been fixed for the hearing of the suit.
The leadership of Computer Village, Ikeja, has begun a biometric registration and enumeration exercise to sanitise the market, curb criminal activity, and restore investor confidence.
In a statement, Abisola Azeez, Iyaloja, described the initiative as part of a broader rebranding effort to address issues like phone snatching, fraudulent technicians, and substandard goods.
It stated, “The market’s leadership announced the move after a recent security incident led the Lagos State Task Force to consider a complete shutdown. However, market representatives intervened to safeguard legitimate traders. Under the new rules, only registered vendors with ID cards displayed at their stalls will be allowed to operate.
Approved street setups will be limited to plastic chairs, show glasses, and umbrellas, while wooden structures and open flames are banned to reduce fire hazards.”
Adeniyi Olasoji, baba Oja, noted the market’s damaged image, emphasising new security measures like CCTV, emergency alert systems, and increased collaboration with law enforcement.
“Other leaders, including Prince Tony Nwakeze, Ralph Chibuzor, Ben Onuorah, Nofiu Akinsanya, and Ikani Tony, affirmed the move as essential for transforming Computer Village into a structured, globally competitive digital hub.
The registration will be completed within two months, after which only verified traders will be allowed to operate.
Meanwhile, Fidelix Ezeugwu, executive secretary of the Ikeja Market Board, emphasised the market’s unified leadership, comprising representatives from four major ethnic groups, and the importance of updated data to align with global standards.
He said, “Additional upgrades include installation of walkie-talkies for improved communication, enhanced street lighting, and CCTV cameras to monitor activity.
“These improvements aim to position Computer Village as a world-class market, comparable to international hubs like Dubai and Singapore.”
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