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The federal government will, before the
end of this year, establish two software development centres to boost
local capacity in software development, the Director General of
National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA), Cloepas
Angaye, said yesterday while briefing newsmen on the upcoming eNigeria
Summit scheduled to hold next month.

Mr. Angaye said this has become
necessary considering the role ICTs are expected to play in
transforming the Nigeria’s economy, hence the need to boost local
capacity in the sector.

“Nigeria has software companies, most
of them are not regulated, most of them are not well tested or
patronized. So most Nigerian software products are taken out of
Nigeria, made to look foreign and brought back because they are not
recognized,” he said.

He said the federal government was
trying to map out an economic development path similar to what is going
on India, where they have nine software development centres.

“We will recall that India has the
largest knowledge-based economy in which they transport IT to both
developing and developed countries . So this year we will virtually
implement IT development centres,” he said.

The IT boss also said that the first
phase of the project will take off this year and that facilities are in
place to make them operational.

“There will be software centres to take
off. Money is ready and people are applying for the project in response
to our advertisement,” he said, adding that the centre is open to all
interested Nigerians to participate as long as they have successfully
undergone the screening and selection exercise to be conducted by NITDA.

Insecure cyberspace

A lot of IT-based activities will take
place at the centre, all geared towards teaching the participants how
to develop software.

“These software centres will consist of
Software Testing,” he said. “We have to test them, make sure they are
of international standard. Today software testing is not done in
Nigeria. Another component will be software research and development.
We will physically produce soft wares. There is also component for
trainings. That is the only we can provide the IT to drive our
economy,” Mr Angaye said.

He further explained that insecure
cyberspace discourage investors in the IT sector in Nigeria but
explained that cybercrime and eTransaction bills currently at the
National Assembly, when approved will address the security question.

Mr. Angaye also revealed that the eNigeria summit was an annual
event sponsored by NITDA, in collaboration with the stakeholders. This
year’s event has its theme, ‘ICT for Development.’