DRAFT NATIONAL SOFTWARE POLICY READY, SAYS PROF AKINYOKUN

By Emeka Aginam
The National Software Policy Review Committee, (NSPC) will this week submit the draft copy of the National Software Policy to the National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) for review by the governing board of the regulatory authority, Chairman of the National Software Policy Committee, (NSPC) Professor Wole Akinyokun has said.

Professor Akinyokun who disclosed this in an exclusive interview last week during the national software roundtable for capacity building, job creation organized by ISPON said that once the policy has been reviewed by the Governing Board of NITDA, the stakeholders would be reached out.

'We are meeting again this week. The draft copy will be submitted to the NITDA Board for review. Part of the content of the policy will include, physical policy, strategic policy, human capital, software infrastructure, regulatory policy, among others' he said.

Perilous times may be coming to an abrupt end for young and unemployed computer engineers in the country once the software development is implemented, he said.

The National Software Development Policy, when fully implemented will tap into the resources of young, yet inexperienced IT engineers looking for employment in the job market.

'The role of information technology, especially indigenous software, in Nigeria's development cannot be over-emphasized. It is a resource that must be tapped to building our economy and provide jobs for our ever growing unemployment rate,' he said.