Abuja, Feb. 19, 2019 (NAN) – An Information Communication Technology (ICT) expert, Mr Badmus Ajayi,has urged the Federal Government to decline approval for importation of ICT technologies that can be sourced locally.
Ajayi, who is the Managing Director of Pinnacle Informatics, an ICT company, made the call in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
He said that citizens’ preference for foreign products had become worrisome, adding that « the preference for imported goods among Nigerians is affecting the growth of the country’s economy. »
According to him, the inclination of Nigerians to buy foreign products is too high and there is need to look at whatever is driving it.
He added that Nigeria had the capacity to develop modules that could enable Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to solve their problems technologically.
Ajayi condemned situation where government agencies, companies and individuals resort to local products only after trying foreign options.
He said « whereas we can automate everything happening in these organisations and agencies with our indigenous technologies, we continually spend money on foreign options, making foreign countries richer and our nation impoverished.
« We annually produce science and technology graduates and computer scientists who have no work to do.If we want this country to grow, that is not the way to go; we have these technologies and we need to use them.
« Let us try to make our solutions to be better than what we import. We are not saying we should buy made in Nigeria because we are Nigerians: we are saying patronise made in Nigeria because it is the best. »
He explained that « if the software and hardware so far developed by Nigerians are patronised, companies will have the capacity to engage more people in the sector.
« This will in turn address the technology needs of Nigeria and enable the country to export ICT products. »
Ajayi further advocated the establishment of a central database of technologies that exist in the country, stressing that « we need to have a database of technologies in the country. I assure you, as we begin to do this, local capacity will improve and companies that presently act as sales agents will go into local production and the country will be better for it. »
