By Kester Omu
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reiterated its commitment to implement the national policy on local content, which was intended to transfer technology and develop local know-how.
The Director general of NITDA, Dr. Isa Pantami stated this in Lagos during the StartUp Nigeria event, where some startups in the country pitched their tent for investors and buyers. The startup event was organised by the Office of ICT Innovation and Entrepreneurship (OIIE), a department in NITDA. The aim was to identify and promote innovative ideas by youths to develop the IT ecosystem and create job opportunities.
“As part of the executive orders signed by the Federal Government, we want to assure you that we will implement the local content policy to the end,” Pantami told Journalists on the sideline of the event.
The executive order, according to him, mandates all ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government to give preference to locally manufactured goods and services in their procurement of information technology services.
He also dislosed that he has met with all the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in the country with a view to ascertaining capacity and quality required to meet huge population of the country.