Foreign software craze: ISPON members battle NPA, C/Rivers govt

Members of the Institute of Software Practitioners (ISPON), have criticized the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) and Cross Rivers State government over the invitations for the bidding of Oracle solutions including the Database Engine and Pay Roll by the two government institutions.
 
This, software experts said negates the purposes of promoting local software.

ITRealms Online recalls that Nigerian software practitioners have been clamouring for indigenization of software usage in the country and are very well known in Human Resources and Pay Roll applications.

  NPA it was gathered, last two months and precisely August 24, invited expression of interest through advertorial in some of the nation’s newspapers for “Invitation to tender for supply of licensed Oracle 11g RDBMS Database for the Nigerian Ports Authority” and “Invitation to tender for supply, installation and implementation of Oracle human resources application software.”

  Whereas the Cross Rivers State government on September 29, 2009 ran its own advertorial on ‘Specific Procurement Notice Invitation for bids under international competitive bidding (ICB)” for the procurement of software, hardware and accessories for BATMIS with credit number: 4084-UNI.

  However, stakeholders found fault with the both advertorials, especially with the NPA invitation to bid tagged public notice “3718” and “3719” alleging that they did not comply with the so much professed due process of the current Musa Yar’Adua’s government.

  For some who spoke to ITRealms Online on condition of anonymity said that if the Federal Government is implementation an electronic payment system, which is on-going and have due process office, why should NPA summon the encourage to advertise for the implementation of the Human resource aspect of the invitation at this time of stringent spending, especially in the public sector.

  “Thereby throwing the tax payers amount of money to advertise inconsequentiality,” one of our resources declared, arguing that in the first instance, NPA should be aware of the government’s determination to patronize local software developers following a circular by the Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration on giving local developers the first options.

  In addition, our respondent indicated that the call for bidding by NPA implies that the company is biased in its choice of application, especially as it specifically requested for Oracle brand.

  “Which means NPA has made up its mind to buy Oracle without giving opportunities for local software developers,” our source stressed.

  As for the Cross State government, our sources said that it is as guilty like NPA and called for immediate stop of this crazy, mostly by government agencies, decrying that capital flight involve is enough for an upstart to stand and stand firm.

  Reacting to these developments, the Second Vice President, ISPON, Dr. Chris Uwaje, agreed that Oracle has assumed the presence of a global software under “Database Engine,” saying that it is one of the classes of software that Nigerians are yet to master and therefore requires foreign service delivery.

  “Other classes of Software Nigerians may not be capable to deliver in the next few years are: Operating System, and Internet Engines,” he asserted, noting that this does not mean that where Nigerians have competence like the human resource should be kept local as earlier directed by the government through a circular to all its agencies.

  Uwaje also said that the likely implications are of two-fold, namely that all foreign software entering Nigeria are not yet being tested before application and usage, thus he insisted that they must be subjected to Mandatory Testing and import certification approval before usage.

  Emphasizing that undue patronage of foreign software against where the local software exist amounts to compromising of national security and capital flight in foreign exchange.

  He advised that in order to stop this trend Nigeria should institute a national master plan for software development.

  “There is need for a national master plan, policy, standard and legislation for all software in circulation in Nigeria,” he said.

  Further, he explained, Dr. Uwaje said, the policy when in place must empower indigenous software developers through allocation of special Information and Software projects.

  “Nigerians are very good and capable in “Application Software, Engineering and Development. All they need is the enabling environment, which consists of a software development parks, government patronage, development incentives such as tax-free pioneer status holiday and interest free loan.

  ISPON is the umbrella body of all software developers in Nigeria and has been reportedly in comatose for some years; even as industry observers have predicted that this resuscitated war over local versus foreign software dealers could be an opportunity to for ISPON to relaunch itself in nation’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector.

  Efforts made to get contact the Acting General Manager, Corporate Affairs at NPA, Mr. Musa Ilya, for the agencies position was not fruitful as at the time of going to the press, as the agency refused to respond to our email or short message service (SMS).

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Essence of connecting MDAs via Galaxy

Some Information and Communications Technology (ICT) editors were on tour of Galaxy Backbone Plc infrastructure recently. REMMY NWEKE, who was there writes on the essence of connecting ministries, departments and agencies of government to the network.

The essence of harmonizing the connectivity among government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) as far as deployment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is concerned came to the fore recently in Abuja, during a one-day media facility tour of Galaxy Backbone (GBB) Plc.

  GBB, a public enterprise of the federal government established to build and operate a single nationwide Information Technology (IT) infrastructure platform to provide network services to all Federal Ministries Departments and Agencies (MDAs). In addition GBB is to manage all database and transversal services with the goal of integrating people technology and best practices to operate a financially independent company.

  The company also has the mandate to provide connectivity and digital access that will enable relevant solutions for e-governance to rural areas and other underserved communities in the country.

  After the facility tour which covered the Network Operating Centre (NOC), otherwise known as the hub of Galaxy Backbone operations with switches, back-up imaging system and a 24 - hour network management centre for monitoring performance of satellites as well as the utilization system of the network, the Managing Director, GBB Plc, Mr. Gerald Ilukwe was summoned to throw more light in some grey areas.

  During his speech, the bottom line was that Nigeria as a country needs infrastructure standardization so as to strengthen various deployment for the overall benefit of the populace eventually.

  Some of the challenges faced by organizations in the extension of projects into rural communities could be overcome with the adoption of a holistic approach to infrastructure development.

  He recommended a holistic approach which entails that money previously earmarked for continuous building and civil works could be committed to projects with multiple utility advantages.

  Hence, at Galaxy Backbone, he said, the business model is to ensure maximization of facilities already on ground in the deployment of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to rural and underserved communities under the National Information, Communication Education Programme (NICEP).

  He explained, for instance, that NICEP is an ICT policy intervention project for the realization of the objectives of e-government and key objectives of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

  “It is a platform for digital inclusion that provides benefits of ICT to all areas of the country particularly hard - to - reach areas and underserved communities through the deployment of 5,000 Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT) nodes across the country,” he said.

  Mr. Ilukwe also revealed that over 2,300 connectivity points have been achieved by Galaxy Backbone with more underway, noting that in a mono - cultural economy like Nigeria, which is dependent on oil. ICT, he said, as a driver of technology has not been able to sell its value which is to achieve efficiency, stressing that Galaxy Backbone as a government agency has a responsibility to develop the ICT ecosystem in Nigeria and not to kill the private sector. Thus, Galaxy sticks to its core - competences and out-source services to others.

  The Galaxy Backbone boss confirmed that most federal ministries and departments have been connected to Galaxy Backbone common ICT network platform under the standard known as 1-GOV.net. Digital inclusion projects, he said, are ongoing in federal tertiary institutions and unity schools across the country, while five states are currently having active collaboration with Galaxy Backbone. The sites are in Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Kaduna, Rivers and Lagos state. 

  Pointing out that GBB is doing is to provide the internet connectivity, data connectivity. Like in Kaduna State, he said what they did was to connect their board for internal revenue to help increase the revenue base of their internal revenue for the state. Just as Galaxy offers Virtual Private network (VPN) to some state governments.

As matter of fact, Rivers State government has gone ahead of other states in the South-south in terms of ICT, so we are working with them to improve the internally generated revenue and health programmes. He cited for instance that in Delta State, Galaxy helped them to connect to the state teaching hospital on their e-health through video-conferencing facilities. Equally, Galaxy provides services to a number of universities, including the University of Calabar and most of the universities have GBB services through the National Universities Commission (NUC).

  Earlier the editors were conducted round Galaxy Backbone facilities and equipment including the state of the art Data Centre, which has the capacity for 30 TB storage and dedicated carrier broadband connectivity, using wireless, fibre optic, satellite (VSAT), or a mix of the technologies to deliver excellent services to customers.

  As the business grows and the primary customers begin to appreciate the change Galaxy offers, the government policy makers agree with it, but the other government policy maker will need the IT edge and the customers and users on a day-to-day basis.

  In South Africa, a similar organization has 2,400 …. Nigeria has less than 10 per cent of that today but then again South Africa has a unitary system of government, so their job starts from the national government to the municipal and provincial government and still they have a 1,200 people on sub-contract.

  So, how to handle a service or an assignment or project is a function of the nature of that particular project, recalling that one of the responsibilities GBB shoulders is that of developing the ICT eco-system.

  “We are not here to deny the private ICT companies the opportunity to do business with government. In some cases, we are more of a clearing house or an arbitrator or a manager of service providers,” he said.

  He emphasized that ICT service provision is support service and is only useful in as far as the service makes you appreciate the value. If somebody tells that a particular laptop is fantastic and it does not help you then it is meaningless to you. One of the challenges that ICT has had in government and indeed in every part of our country is that ICT, in a way, has not been able to set its value. It has not connected to government that is one.

  He recollected that Nigeria is a mono-cultural economy, where all the talk is about oil, stressing that the unfortunate consequence of that is that irrespective of how inefficient your operations are, in so far as the oil is coming out everybody is carrying on.

  But the primary driver of technology is to achieve efficiency in business and that would mean focusing on performance and efficiency, which have not been critical drivers of government because the funding has always not been there.

  “That is why technology had a hard time penetrating government. Most of the time Nigeria has spoken about technology it has come in disjointed form when people tend to mix up bringing an IT economy for Nigeria with using ICT in government to enhance public sector service delivery. People mix that up. I know for a start that there are a few major initiative in this current administration that are user-led which is where ICT, like I said is disconnected, technology as an end in itself, does not work.

  Yet, that is what Galaxy is here to correct, recalling that hitherto, ministries build their own network, such as the ministry of education, for example, some years back wanted to have their own network for all secondary schools and have a network for all universities. Now, he said, GBB is working with them to say a single network and infrastructure platform could support them. Although peoples are still looking for budget to build their data centres, meanwhile they could bring their servers and put in one location. It is more efficient it allow for interoperability of systems.

  Today, he said, Galaxy is interested in NITEL, because it has a mission and does not believe in reinventing the wheel. “If we can achieve our mission given to us by the Federal Government through access that NITEL has, it will be more efficient for us in terms of time, more efficient for the federal government and more efficient for our eco-system as stakeholders who will benefit from our services.

  The truth is that any MDAs yet unconnected to the Galaxy’s NOC before the end of this 2011, will not only be missing in action, but have a lot to regret because when their contemporaries have gone a step further, it may be playing a catch-up. 

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Four Nigerian SSS students emerge Microsoft professionals

Four students of Christ the Cornerstone International School (CTCIS), Ikeja GRA, Lagos, have emerged as the latest additions of the Microsoft Certified Professionals.
 
They included 15-year old Ahmodu Steven Jnr, 12-year Taylor Olufemi Jnr, 13-year Adaeze Ugwu and Verissimo Isaac – 16.

Their emergence came after they passed the professional online examination in flying colours with three of them scoring 1000 over 1000, while one scored 960 per cent.

Disclosing this, at the weekend, the Managing Director, New Horizon, Mr. Tim Akano said the students took the examination in his school and they are proud to be associated with their school.

  While congratulating CTCIS management, Akano urged them not to relent in nurturing young people to embrace Information and Communications Technology (ICT).

  He stressed that the best way to rebrand a nation like Nigeria at this time, is to start with the pupils, so that when they grow, they would not depart from what they have learnt.

  In her remark, CTCIS principal, Mrs. Bunmi Olusanya, said they appreciate the partnership with New Horizons, which has actually opened a new horizon for the school in ICT sphere.

  “It is high level of efficiency that brought about the news of being Microsoft Professional by our students today. We never regretted the association we have with New Horizons,” she said.

  Also, she said that three out of the four students scored 1000 over 1000, leaving one with just 960 per cent.

  She looks forward to having all students of her school Microsoft Certified before leaving the Senior Secondary School (SSS).

  “I always believed that a child should have a marketable skill by 16 or 18 years,” she declared.

  For the students, they have made a mark in the history of Microsoft and hope to sustain the tempo.

  Speaking to ITRealms Online, Adaeze Ugwu said she was delighted to have passed the professional examination, noting that two years ago, it would have been an impossible dream.

  On his part, the 13-year Taylor Olufemi, “I am happy to have achieved being part of the global Microsoft community.”

  For Isaac, his mum and proprietress encouraged him to go for it and today, he is proud to have heeded to their advice.

  CTCIS was established over 10 years ago, with the objective to provide education that would made a difference in the country. 

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Technology Distribution plans biggest ICT mall in Africa

The management of Technology Distribution (TD) West Africa Limited is planning to build a multi-million Information and Communications Technology (ICT) mall at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja.

  The ICT mall touted to be biggest of its kind on the continent and Middle East has taken off.

  Chairman of Zinox Group, the parent company of Technology Distribution, Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh, made this disclosure last week in Lagos at the official unveiling of TD partnership deal with Dell Corporation.

  Also, he said, a new electronic learning (e-learning) suite would soon hit the market from the stables of TD to further advance education of Nigerians.

  “TD is Number 1 in West Africa and plans to be Number 1 in Africa,” he asserted.
  Equally speaking at the event, the Lagos State commissioner for Science and Technology, Dr. Hamza Kadri, described TD as a good company with integrity and commended Dell for the choice of TD.

  He pointed out that the potential growth expected on the continent is actually in Nigeria, stressing that the challenge for Dell now is to bring down its factory here.

  According to him, it is only those who saw the challenges in this environment as opportunities that it eventually harvest from it.

  In order to better the environment, the commissioner revealed that Lagos State government is working hard to improve the security of its domain.

  For this reason, he said, Lagos has commenced actions towards installing about 5,000 CCTV and is building a data centre to support the activities of the government.

  He therefore, urged Dell to take the advantage of the country and Lagos precisely in taking a reasonable presence apart from coming to market its finished products.

  In his speech, the country manager, Dell Corporation, Mr. Harold Anumihe, said the company has come to stay in Nigeria, as such it now has spare parts depots in five locations nationwide, namely Lagos, Ibadan, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Kaduna.

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Onyekwere to preside @ Digital Sense forum

Executive chairman of the pioneer Internet Service Provider in the country, Linkserve Limited, Chief Chima Onyekwere, would preside over the affairs at the forthcoming Nigeria Digital Sense forum slated to hold in Lagos, on Thursday, November 5 at Golden Gate, Ikoyi-Lagos.

  Affirming this position, Onyekwere applauded the leadership of Digital Sense Africa (DSA), the organizers under the watchful eyes of its Executive Director, Operations, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke.

  Expressing excitement over the proposed forum, Onyekwere said its timely and charged stakeholders to be alert to the issues that could facilitate development of Internet in Nigeria and globe.

  He pointed out that there is need for Nigeria’s voice to be adequately heard at the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), scheduled to hold in Egypt, later in November and urged stakeholders and industry analysts to come up at the forum with propositions that would best mainstream Nigeria’s internet penetration.

  Reacting to this development, DSA boss, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke, said at the weekend that the choice of Onyekwere represents the quality of participants expected at the forum with the theme, Internet Governance: Creating Opportunities for All Nigerians.

  She equally said that the choice apart from giving honour to whom it is due, would elucidate Onyekwere’s position as chieftain of the Nigerian Internet community, which is not in doubt.

  Also, she said that Onyekwere who currently oversees a conglomerate under Linkserve would add value to the forum and share his personal experience with participants with regards to the theme to boost internet access and penetration in the country.

  Reiterating that with the likes of Onyekwere in attendance, Nigeria’s position would be well articulated at the Nigeria Digital Sense forum for onward project at the IGF meeting in Egypt, while offering a position for the government to take its role more fervently.

  She recalled that the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) had equally drummed support for the Nigeria Digital Sense forum; a one-day roundtable in Lagos.

  Confirming this, the Acting Executive Secretary, ATCON, Mr. Ajibola Olude, said in the letter entitled ‘Endorsement for Nigeria Digital Sense forum’ that the ATCON was not biased in its rooting support for the event scheduled for Thursday, November 5 at Golden Gate, Ikoyi-Lagos.

  According to him, ATCON’s National Executive Council has decided to collaborate with Digital Sense Africa on the project in three key areas.

  These, he listed to include by way of endorsement of the initiative, provision of relevant data and information so as to make the project a success as well as creating a sustained awareness among its teeming membership of telecom companies either through the internet or short message service (SMS). 

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

ATCON outlines conditions for sale of NITEL, wants NCA reviewed

Ahead of this year’s international conference and exhibition, ComBIT-09, by the umbrella body of registered telecommunications firms in the country, under the aegis of Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), the group has outlined conditions to facilitate eventual successful disposing of the first national operator, the Nigerian Telecommunications Plc (NITEL) and M-Tel, the subsidiary.

  This is coming as ATCON also called for immediate review of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) of 2003, so as to avoid the kind of controversy recently generated by the 2.3 Gega Hertz sale in the country.

  According to ATCON president, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, the plans to sell NITEL within 60-day time frame as ordered by the Federal Government is welcome, but there is need to also recommend that the Bureau for Public Enterprise (BPE) come up with a time-table for the implementation of any proposal by the potential winner of the NITEL bid.

  ATCON outline included that a time frame must be given to the would-be buyer within which to turn the fortunes of NITEL around.

  The content of this fortunes turn around, he said, must be clearly stated in the purchase agreement to include roll out, number reactivated fixed line telephone exchanges per month, new broadband infrastructure installations per month among other.

  “In other words, there must be a time-table for the fortune turn-around,” he said, stressing that a private monopoly must not be created from NITEL that was a public monopoly.

  “If a public monopoly is insensitive, slow to introduce new technologies, can dictate prices without commensurate high quality of service, can embark on anti-competitive and anti-trust activities, can emasculate, engulfs or edge out smaller companies, a private monopoly will be worse in the same practices,” he noted.

  As said by him, small companies are by their very nature very creative and innovative while the big ones are reluctant to introduce new technologies and innovations; especially when the innovation will entail updating and upgrading of infrastructure.

  “We cannot afford to stifle the continued growth of the industry by acts of institutionalized discouragement of the smaller companies,” he said.

  Additionally, ATCON said that national security must be paramount in the conducting due diligence on the would-be buyers.

  “No non-Nigerian company must have an undue or excessive access to and control of our national knowledge pipes. By Nigerian we mean companies whose ownership, political roots and techno-managerial anchors, research and development to name a few are Nigerians,” the group.

  They further canvassed for the review of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) of 2003.

  “A palpable fallout of the 2.3 GHz controversy was the need for certain provisions of the NCA to be stated much more clearly,” the group said, pointing out that grey areas should be avoided as much as possible.

  “T’s should be crossed and i’s dotted. This is the best time for this review as the current board of NCC will be completing its term sometime next year. The review should be completed before the next board takes office,” he said, noting that in that manner, neither the outgoing board nor the incoming one will feel witch-hunted.

  “We, therefore, call on the relevant committees of the National Assembly to convene the much awaited Public Hearing on the NCA,” he said.

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Fibre Without Borders initiative excites ITU

The Fibre Without Borders (FWB), an initiative of the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, for achieving telecom connectivity for African continent without stress, took the centre stage at the just ended International Telecommunication Union (ITU) organized Telecom World 2009, which held in Geneva, Switzerland.

The idea, muted by the foremost telecom engineer from Nigeria about two months ago, may become a topic for discussion when African heads of states and governments meet in early 2010 to discuss how to improve the economies and lives of the citizens in the African continent.

Speaking during the Nigeria’s Day at the event, which held at the Ramada Park Hotel, Ndukwe emphasized the need for the continent to evolve a solution that would ensure seamless connectivity across the continent, as encapsulated in the FWB initiative.

He enjoined African governments to support the initiative which holds the key for intra-traffic exchange for telecommunications within the continent, and would enable Africa benefit maximally from the existing and future undersea optics fibre cable infrastructure that may otherwise, not be accessible to landlocked African countries.

The EVC also said at the event attended by senior officials of ITU, including the Secretary General of the Union, Dr. Hamadoun Toure, Director, Telecom Standards Bureau, Mr. Malcom Johnson, Director of ITU’s Telecom Development Bureau, Sami Al Basheer Al Morshid, Minister of Communications and Information Technology of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Mr. Mohamed Jamil Mulla, policy makers and regulators across the African continent among others, that FWB is a proposal endorsed by the leaders to achieve the desired African connectivity in the nearest future.

ITU Television, which transmitted live broadcasts of events at the ITU World 2009, also featured Dr. Ndukwe who discussed the import and potentials of the FWB concept.

He pointed out that this idea is to encourage the leaders and decision makers to relax any barriers that will not encourage cross border operators.

This, he said, does not affect or encroach on their sovereignties, but will only allow for information flow which will even make telecommunications delivery even cheaper for the citizens of these countries.

He emphasized that this initiative is receiving a lot of attention at the moment and would be taken up at various regional summits in the continent and the meeting of African leaders in early 2010.

As it concerns the West Africa Telecom Regulators Assembly (WATRA), founded by Ndukwe in early 2000, he said this organization is very important as regional integration is very critical for socio-economic development in the region and what operators will like to see is that as they set up business in different countries within the region that they see some form of commonality in terms of policy and regulation.

“That will enable the operators to see the region as a market and we will therefore enjoy some form of economy of scale,” he said. 

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

ICANN explains commitment

Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) has explained the Affirmation of Commitments.

A press statement made available to ITRealms Online entitled ‘The Affirmation of Commitments – What it means, ICANN said that it entails the completion of a transition that started 11 years ago.

“When ICANN was created in 1998, with the assistance of the United States Government, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) process was started with the objective of achieving a noble goal: the coordination of the Internet’s unique identifiers by the private sector through a not-for-profit organization where policies were developed from the bottom up,” official said, stressing that the signing of the affirmation determines once and for all that this model works.

The Joint Partnership Agreement (JPA) was the seventh amendment of the original MOU.  

Over the years there have been thirteen report cards on performance of responsibilities to the US Department of Commerce alone.  

ICANN also said the Affirmation of Commitments is a further step in progress and internationalization of its models.

“It commits ICANN to remaining a private not for profit organization. It declares ICANN is independent and is not controlled by any one entity. It commits ICANN to reviews performed by the community – a further recognition that the multi-stakeholder model is robust enough to review itself,” part of the press statement read.

The Affirmation, ICANN said, is of long standing and is not limited to the three years for which previous agreements operated.

The Government Advisory Committee’s role is reaffirmed.  And the GAC is a key participant in selecting the membership of the review teams.

There is a certain timetable as to when those reviews will take place, pointing out that in summary, the Affirmation of Commitments places beyond doubt that the ICANN model is best equipped to coordinate this vital resource and places reviews of ICANN’s performance in the hands of the community.

That provides a stable, secure platform into the future that can adapt to changes to the Internet itself.

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D