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Local software Vs foreign software

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It is for this reason that the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) recently held a Stakeholders’ Summit on "Nigerian Content Development in the ICT Sector" The event took place at the Golden Gate Chinese Restaurants, Ikoyi, Lagos.

ATCON organized the meeting because it was of the opinion that for the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector in Nigeria to develop and level up with leading ICT nations of the world, concerted efforts have to be made towards developing some amount of local contents both in the software and hardware components of ICT infrastructure. It also felt that our local ICT infrastructure providers should be granted some measure of protection against their multinational counterparts whose corporate strength and investment could pose serious threat to the survival of local players.

The Association believes that the establishment of an enabling environment will encourage existing and potential local investors to venture into the development of Nigerian content in our ICT sector. This will eventually register Nigeria in the league of global leaders in the ICT sector.

The summit elicited passionate reactions from experts and stakeholders that came for the event. Of particular reference was the open challenge thrown to foreign software developers by Dr. Chris Uwaje, Managing Director, Connect Technologies Limited to come for an open competition to determine who was better at the job. He was quite confident that Nigerian software developer would not be found wanting nor underdogs.

Experts say that the software industry in Nigeria is worth over 20 billion dollars and over a trillion dollars worldwide.

The industry generally exudes much optimism but there is a pervading air of disillusionment which developers blame on absence of government support for the industry.

Government has never indicated interest in the local industry and it only seems to be interested in IT consumption. The Nigerian computer society with over 15,000 memberships is a strong advocate of government investing in software development in Nigeria. They have also advocated for the establishment of a software research institute.

There are thousands of indigenous software in the Nigeria market but they all get swallowed up as foreign brands. Nigerian made software provide solutions for school management, cyber café management, human resources, banking and micro-finance, the stock market and many other areas of human endeavours. Though a few have enjoyed patronage in the banking sector, stock market, and micro finance institutions. However, they still suffer discriminations when compared to that of their foreign counterparts even as foreign software is still dominant in the market.

Those from abroad get the lion share while local software are still lagging behind.

Foreign solutions practically dominate corporate Nigeria, particularly the banking and oil sector where IT has been remarkably integrated into their operations. Where local applications are in use, they are built into the architecture of the foreign solution as one of several modules. For instance, where the module for personal management of the offshore package does not fit into the local environment, it is replaced with a locally written module that reflects the unique traits of the local business environment.

Several banks in Nigeria are guilty of this practice. This means that the local developers are perpetually relegated to the background while their foreign counterparts take the driver’s seat of the national economy. Our local developers are never part of the major software platform, which drives the economy.

Though, there are areas where local software developers need to improve on their products, as many industry analysts say most local developers are yet to realise that software is both research and business. This is because they lack commitment to the business angle of software development. Also, they complain that most local software is not user friendly as the graphical user interface are not there.

They also complain that some software applications are difficult to understand when compared to those from say India, China or some western countries.

They submitted that developers must know that it is not always how good the software is that matters but how it can easily be understood and used.

Mr. Austin Okere, Group Managing Director, Computer Warehouse Group (CWG) once told his audience at a software forum organised in Lagos that local software developers are either unwilling to run the distance to keep to global standards or they are just being lazy to make their products global. He maintained that there are standards that must be reached if they want their solutions to compete favourably with foreign brands.

"Software has no tribe or race, the man who wants solutions would go for what can solve his problems,"he said.

Others believe that the mortality rate of local solutions is very high. Be that as it may, there are many who believe that there are some local solutions which could compete favourably with their counterparts from anywhere in the world.

Many believe that if our local software developers are encouraged, they would do better that they are doing presently. This is because many Nigerian developers lack the fund and necessary support. Some because of the socio-economic factors in the country are more concerned with their physiological needs than with the exigencies of their profession.

Though, the government have in the past pretended to be doing much to encourage the local software industry but industry watchers see these as just a flash in the pan. For instance, in 2004, the government inaugurated a 16 member task force for the development of software in Nigeria as part of its IT policy implementation strategies, an IT park worth N2 billion to be financed by Zenith bank was also promised. However, four years on, this project is yet to take off. To put it more succinctly, it is as good as gone with the administration that proposed it.

The 16 member committee was to among other things develop a blue print or strategies for promoting software development in the country and creating an enabling environment for software development to thrive in the country. This too still remains a dream which in the typical Nigerian parlance is still in the pipeline.

Dr. Chris Nwannenna, former president, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) speaking on the challenge confronting software developers in Nigeria, said lack of patronage was one of the greatest problems confronting the industry in Nigeria. "It is only in the last couple of years that Nigerians started patronising the software industry in Nigeria. Software is quite unlike other products. You conceive the product, do the analysis, design, code, package, test, before you even present it to anybody. All these will take a minimum of six months to develop a total commercial appreciation. Sometimes, it takes more. Also, marketing it becomes very difficult because of the economic situation in the country. So all these things discourage people from going into software development. The gestation period is quite long. Also, you need somebody to back up. You need support, so you can concentrate on the job.

He continued: "We have always said that the government can promote the private sector to become more effective. Well, government should come out open to say before any Nigerian agency, ministry or government institution buys any software from outside Nigeria; it must make sure that there is no indigenous equivalent. That will be the first step that will galvanise the Nigerian software industry. This will serve as an impetus to the local software industry.

"We want a clause that will make it difficult for any buyer of software to just purchase anything they see or hear about outside Nigeria without first checking what is available locally. Because you know Nigerians have a penchant for foreign things even when they are not good.

Perhaps if the government at all levels will heed to these wise words of an expert in the industry that as it were has seen it all. The software industry in Nigeria maybe on its way out of the woods and the practitioners may just get a new lease of life that may help them in their line of duty.

It is on record that the Nigerian Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector has continued to grow beyond bookmakers’ predictions. However, despite the high number of ICT professionals in Nigeria, adequate attention has not been given to the issue of developing and building local contents.


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Nigeria CommunicationsWeek believes that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. So since 2007, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and how they affect lives.

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NOTAP Boss Laments Loss of IPR by Nigerian Researchers

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Dr. Obiageli Amadiobi, director general, National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP),  has expressed displeasure over the level of Intellectual Property Right (IPR) losses by Nigerian researchers due to insufficient knowledge of the benefits of IPR protection.

NOTAP Boss Laments Loss of IPR by Nigerian Researchers

Speaking at a one-day Coordinator’s Forum organized by the Office in Uyo for the South-South geopolitical zone of the country, the Director General, represented by Mrs. Caroline Anie-Osuagwu, director of Technology Acquisition and Research Coordination (TARC) department,  said that prior to the establishment of the Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Offices (IPTTOs) in Nigerian knowledge establishments, Nigerian researchers had no deep knowledge of the importance of IP protection, hence losing their IP rights.

In a statement signed by Raymond Onyenezi Ogbu for the head, Public Relations and Protocol Unit of NOTAP, the DG advised researchers to always file for a patent each time they anticipate a breakthrough and avoid publishing before patenting, as any research work published in a paper is already in the public domain and can no longer be patented.

“IP rights are rights granted to a researcher or inventor by the government to have a monopoly over the financial exploitation of their inventions for a period of time to recoup the expenditure on their research undertaking”. the DG said.

She challenged patent owners to license or commercialize their inventions, adding that patents that cannot metamorphose into tangible products and services are not worth keeping, as they are liabilities to the owners.

The DG said that researchers with patented inventions can license their invention for royalty purposes or sell them outrightly to venture capitalists if they cannot commercialize.

“Over the years, the nation has depended on the consumption of products from foreign research, while Nigeria is blessed with skilled human resources but only needs to be strategic in their research understanding”.

“The aim of organizing the IPTTO coordinator’s forum was to interact with the coordinators, know their challenges and achievements, and encourage the centers that are not very progressive to strengthen their centers.” She added.

The DG stressed that while a number of centers are performing well, some are struggling to find their fit, occasioned by bureaucratic bottlenecks.

She expressed confidence in the ability of the research communities engaging in demand-driven and market-driven research to fast-track development adding that technology development is a product of research work, and knowledge institutions are duty-bound to engage in critical research to advance the IPR ecosystem in Nigeria.

Participants from the South-South Zone took turns to commend NOTAP for the impactful program and requested the Office to assist them with links to venture capitalists for the commercialization of their research results.

All the IPTTO coordinators presented their scorecards and were advised to get ready for the 2026 IPTTO ranking that would be organized by the Office.

 

 

 

 


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FBI Busts Alleged Cyber Fraud Ring Led by Nigerian ‘Tech Queen’

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A Nigerian tech enthusiast known online as the “tech queen,” Sapphire Egemasi, has been arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in connection with a massive fraud scheme targeting U.S. government agencies.

Egemasi, a programmer with an active Devpost profile, was apprehended around April 10, 2025, in the Bronx, New York, reports The Nation.

She was arrested alongside several alleged co-conspirators, including Ghanaian national Samuel Kwadwo Osei, believed to be the ringleader of the syndicate.

The arrests follow a federal grand jury indictment filed in 2024, which charged the group with multiple counts of internet fraud and money laundering. The crimes allegedly took place between September 2021 and February 2023.

According to prosecutors, the syndicate defrauded the city of Kentucky of millions of dollars by creating spoof websites that mimicked official U.S. government portals. These fraudulent platforms were used to harvest login credentials and redirect funds into accounts under the group’s control.

Investigators say Egemasi served as the technical lead of the operation. She allegedly designed the fake websites and managed the coordination of wire transfers.

Records show that in August 2022 alone, the group rerouted $965,000 into a PNC Bank account and funneled another $330,000 into a Bank of America account.

Before her arrest, Egemasi was reportedly based in Cambridge, United Kingdom, though authorities believe she previously lived in Ghana, where she may have forged ties with other members of the syndicate.

To mask the origin of her wealth, Egemasi claimed on social media and professional platforms to have held internships with multinational corporations such as British Petroleum, H&M, and Zara.

Her LinkedIn profile portrayed a polished image of a successful tech professional, while her social media accounts featured images of lavish vacations to destinations like Greece and Portugal —trips prosecutors allege were funded by illicit gains.

Egemasi and her co-defendants are currently in federal custody, awaiting trial in Lexington, Kentucky. If convicted, each faces up to 20 years in prison, hefty financial penalties, and likely deportation upon completing their sentences.


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Abbas Jega, Ex-AMCON ED, Testifies, Says Arik Never Cooperated With AMCON

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A former Executive Director at Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria (AMCON), Abbas Muhammed Jega, has shed light on the financial dealings between Arik Air and Union Bank, revealing that the airline’s debt to AMCON was over N100 billion as of 2015 and remained unpaid.

Testifying as the third prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Ahmed Kuru, former AMCON MD/CEO, and four others, Jega disclosed that AMCON acquired Arik’s loans from Union Bank and Keystone Bank, but not Zenith Bank, which was purchased after his exit.

According to Jega, AMCON discovered in a London meeting that Union Bank had sold them a guarantee rather than a loan, which was meant to cover foreign lenders in case Arik defaulted.

“We invited Arik to resolve the issue with Union Bank, but the arrangement disclosed by me never existed,” Jega said.

Jega attributed Arik’s inability to repay to over-trading, which led to their inability to service existing debts. He revealed that AMCON attempted to restructure Arik’s debt and even offered additional loan facilities to help the airline with working capital problems.

However, Arik failed to meet repayment obligations, prompting AMCON to propose two solutions: a debt equity swap and management control. Both options were rejected or delayed by Arik.

Under cross-examination, Jega confirmed that Kamilu Omokide and Captain Roy Ilegbodu played no role in the loan purchase or London meeting.

The matter has been adjourned to June 30, July 1, and July 2, 2025, for further cross-examination.

The case involves alleged financial misappropriation amounting to N76 billion and $31.5 million, with Ahmed Kuru, Kamilu Omokide, Captain Roy Ilegbodu, Union Bank Ltd, and Super Bravo Ltd as defendants, presided over by Justice Mojisola Dada.


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