Nigeria ICT sector under fire

LAGOS. – Experts in the information and communication technology sector in Nigeria expressed concern at the growing rate of abandoned ICT projects in the country. The experts, who participated at the Nigeria Computer Society 11th International Conference at Osun State cautioned that Nigeria was gaining notoriety as a country with most failed IT projects.

Speaking on the issue, Rogba Adeoye, chairman of Nigeria Computer Society, Lagos Chapter, said government treated IT projects with laxity while experts were relegated.

“Nigeria is a place where most IT projects fail globally, not for the lack of professionals rather the right people are not involved during contracts appropriation. And the business people who get these projects are driven by the spirit of get rich quick. We have seen instances where biometric project is contracted out to a bricklayer because he is well connected to the authorities (people in government) to the detriment of our national security.

“When the bricklayer gets the project, he starts looking for a third party who is an expert. Because the bricklayer is a quack and out just for gain and no more, he would not even want to spend more on the project. The next thing is either the project is delayed, done shoddily or completely abandoned,” he said.

Adeoye pointed at the moribund national identity card project as an instance where government wasted tax payers money without remorse.
“Because somebody could not get the data capturing right, the project was laid to rest. We have started another one. In what ways have the government contacted the stakeholders to ensure it will not go the ways of similar projects,” he lamented.

Also speaking on the issue,  Dr Adedayo Adetoye, a research fellow, Cyber Security Centre, University Oxford, United Kingdom, said the Nigeria government was “playing politics with information communication technology related matters.”

According to him, Nigeria is notable for outsourcing her national security projects to foreign companies.
Adetoye warned: “National security cannot be outsourced.  We have a culture of awarding national projects to companies.” – CAJ News.