ICT stakeholders lament absence of local content law
Stakeholders in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector have called for a regime of local content compliance to curb capital flight in the sector.
Brainstorming on issues affecting the sector at a conference in Lagos, they agreed that there was the need to review the existing local content policy on ICT drafted in 2013, to fine-tune it for presentation to the National Assembly for speedy passage into law.
Olusola Teniola, president of the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), said the absence of the local content law had created huge imbalance in the sector.
He urged the stakeholders to correct the imbalance and restructure the ICT industry with a view to increasing its participation in the value chain and as well as stimulate growth and development in the manufacture of ICT products and services in the country.
Lanre Ajayi, a former president of ATCON, said it was not a wholesome development that Nigerians were losing ICT jobs and contracts to foreign companies.
Ajayi said to rectify this there was need to put in place right policies and regulations to encourage and protect Nigerians, stressing also that there was need to develop local, institutional and human capacity building.
Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, Chief Executive Officer of Teledom Group, called on telecoms operators to stop importation of basic equipment such as switches, masts, and towers, which can be locally sourced.
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