FEC, NPC AND THE IMPERATIVE OF LOCAL CONTENT

 Adherence to the local content policy is good for the economy, writes

Chike Ogbechie

The upcoming census in Nigeria is scheduled for April, 2023. The last census was held over two decades ago. The importance of accurate census in any country for budget planning, security management, allocation of scare resources as indices of national growth and development, among others, cannot be overemphasized.

Demographic experts and planners have been brandishing figures ranging from 195 million to 230 million as the population of Nigeria in the last couple of years, hence the need for an accurate and reliable figure for national planning and projections. This makes the execution of the 2023 national census very important and crucial in charting a course for national development.

Apart from Nigerians actually knowing how many they are, it is equally imperative to examine how the exercise will affect the economy of Nigerians that will be directly involved in the enumeration duties and those that will produce and provide digital equipment to be deployed, especially the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) components for the exercise.

One of the major areas the 2023 census is envisioned to impact directly is the ICT sub-sector of Nigeria’s economy through the Local content drive of the federal government via Executive Orders 003 and 005.

The National Population Commission (NPC), the agency saddled with the responsibility of executing a very credible, flawless and successful census in Nigeria had indicated its plan to procure and acquire 800,000 digital devices for the exercise. This is quite laudable as well as promising as it will definitely touch the lives of many Nigerians in the sector as enshrined in the executive orders as they affect procurement and adherence to local content policy.

Part of Executive Order three states that “Made in Nigeria products shall be given preference in the procurement of such items as: Engineering, ICT, and at least 40% of the procurement expenditures on the items in all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of the FGN shall be locally manufactured goods or local services.”

Prior to this time, the trend among government agencies had been solely lip service to adherence of the Executive Orders on local content, thereby making Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) in Nigeria living from hand to mouth. It is envisaged that the opportunity presented for the acquisition and deployment of 800,000 digital devices for the 2023 census will afford the Federal Executive Council (FEC) the opportunity to properly look inwards and ensure that OEMs with proven capacity in the ICT sub-sector, are deliberately given a new lease on life and fresh breath of air as against avid patronage of products of foreign companies.

The National Information Technology Agency (NITDA), created in April 2001, is mandated to develop, regulate and advise on ICT policies in the country and serve as a clearing house for all ICT projects and related matters. NITDA, under the leadership of Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, its current Director-General, had been alive to its responsibilities, spearheading the local content drive in federal government agencies with remarkable success. This is commendable.

A couple of months ago, NITDA in its bid to actualize the drive in local content promotion, had invited accredited and capable Local Original Equipment Manufacturers in Nigeria (OEMs) and officials of the National Population Commission (NPC) for a meeting at its headquarters in Abuja to discuss the need for the full implementation of the Local Content Component in the 2023 census digital devices procurement. Thereafter, NITDA forwarded the names of three OEMs whose devices had been tested and cleared by the regulatory agency to NPC.

To certify that the OEMs had functional and operational factories in Nigeria and the prerequisite capacity, NPC delegation led by the Chairman, Alh. Nasir Isa Kwarra visited these OEMs at their various locations for on-the-spot assessment. They were impressed by what they saw.

The OEMs are encouraged by the noble and patriotic zeal expressed so far by NPC and looks forward to ensuring that every recommended OEM by NITDA gets a reasonable and fair share of the 40% Local Content component of the digital devices’ procurement.  We hope this will not be monopolized by one indigenous outfit. This is very important and necessary, and should be examined and confirmed by the Federal Executive Council because the lives and welfare of some Nigerians will be affected as they are tied to their existence and sustainability.

The Federal Executive Council, should as matter urgency and utmost importance support the very good and commendable current efforts of NITDA and NPC to ensure that qualified local OEMs are engaged for national economic gains especially as the Naira is currently taking an agonizing hit. The 2023 census and its attendant value chain should be used to empower Nigerians as devices produced locally and serviced by locals will result in the transfer of knowledge, improve the standard of living of Nigerians involved and equally add value to their lives. The local OEMs being part of the production of 800,000 digital devices, by no means will certainly propel and be enough to catalyze revolution in the ICT manufacturing sector of our emerging economy.  It is therefore up to the Federal Executive Council to do the needful for the greater good of the enterprising ICT professionals. This will in turn generate increased employment, strengthen the Naira and ensure the growth of our local economy.

The local OEMs have the capacity to manufacture enough high-quality devices for all MDAs and projects in Nigeria. Other countries are increasing local capacities and patronage to grow their economies and Nigeria must join the train in global competitiveness and avoid over dependence on foreign computer hardware and software. Hence, the federal government should ensure that its own policies are judiciously implemented to ensure realization of the laudable objectives of both Executive Orders 003 and 005.

Let census 2023 not be another missed opportunity for the OEMs and by extension Nigeria like N-power, Digital Switch Over (DSO), Election Digital Devices, Smart Meters, etc., projects which could have sparked off ICT manufacturing industrialization in Nigeria.

          Ogbechie writes from Abuja