Federal government is intensifying efforts at enhancing and marketing indigenous software as an internationally acceptable brand that would fetch it foreign exchange revenue.
Prof Cleopas Angaye, director-general, National information Technology Development Agency (Nitda) stated this while receiving the final draft of the National Software Policy from the National Software Policy Committee (NSPC) last week in Abuja.
He said software industry was of utmost importance in the competitiveness for economies across the globe.
He explained that the country had witness tremendous growth in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector in the last one decade.
This according to him had led to increase in the internet penetration in the country from 200,000 users in 1999 to current over four million users.
He added that growth and deployment of ICT in almost all sectors of the economy had led to considerable investment in the software both in the public and private sectors.
Angaye explained that in recognition of the importance of software to economic development, the agency had made various efforts and attempt at developing the sub-sector of ICT.
These efforts according to him include inauguration of the National Software Taskforce and the National IT Policy.
The director-general commending the committee’s efforts on the drafted policy, promised that Nitda would commence immediate actions for its submission to the Minister of Communication and Technology.
Angaye also pledged that all necessary follow up actions would commence without delay.
“Nitda will continue to collaborate with all relevant stakeholders and the international community in order to ensure appropriate positioning of the country amongst the country of nations in the current digital age,” he said.
Prof. Oluwole Akinyokun, chairman of the committee, said that software was a tool for productivity and efficiency capable of leading to better transparency and accountability.
“This means government and the art of governance can be made highly effective, citizen-friendly and contributing to the standard of living of the people,” Akinyokun said.
He noted that the document received contribution from stakeholders in the software and ICT development from public and private sectors both within and outside the country.
The committee inaugurated on Dec. 6, 2010 was to draft a national software policy aiming at promoting software as one of the top critical national information infrastructure for growth of the country’s economy.
The policy was also expected to promote Nigeria as a hub for the growth of software industry and facilitating flow of investments as well as increasing the contribution of software industry to the GDP of the country.