Local software developers to benefit 40% fee from foreign supplier ―NOTAP

The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) says local software developers will benefit up to 40 per cent from annual maintenance fee payable to foreign software suppliers.

Dr DanAzumi Ibrahim, the Director-General, NOTAP, said this in a press statement issued by Mr Raymond Ogbu of the Public Relations and Protocol Unit on Wednesday in Abuja.

Ibrahim made this known during a presentation of a Security Device and Engine Contactless Over Speed Alert Device invented by Mr Agada Ojonimi to NOTAP Management Staff and other stakeholders.

He said that NOTAP came up with the policy of giving 40 per cent to local software developers when it organised a workshop for indigenous software companies to brainstorm on the possible ways of developing indigenous software to develop the economy and curtail foreign dependency.

“Through the workshop, NOTAP developed a local vendor policy to ensure that local software developers benefit from every annual maintenance fee payable to the foreign software supplier.”

“The policy stipulates that since software agreement lasts only for one year, 40 per cent of the annual maintenance fee must go to local software vendors.”

“The idea behind the policy was to give the local software developers the financial leverage to engage in further research in order to upgrade their inventions to meet global standard.”

Ibrahim frowned at the fact that over 90 per cent of the Nigerian economy be it in the ICT sector, banking and communication technology were supported by foreign software.

“NOTAP is sad as a regulatory agency saddled with the responsibly of regulating the inflow of foreign technology into the country and seeing the huge amount of money paid to foreign software companies.”

Ibrahim said based on the policy, some indigenous software companies like Computer Warehouse and other indigenous software developers had started making huge profits as well as improving their capacities and spread.

He said that both NOTAP and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) is were collaborating to encourage the local software developer to maximise their potential.

He said that as a result, a joint committee had been formed by the two agencies to have a comprehensive data of indigenous software companies.

The committee would also ascertain their capability to feed the Nigerian market before considering the ban on imported software.

He therefore challenged the indigenous software companies to step up their inventions not just to satisfy the Nigerian market but to meet global acceptability.

“NOTAP’s policy on ownership of 40 per cent of the annual maintenance fee by local vendors is beneficial to the local vendors; they should therefore strive to take over the market and create more jobs.”

NOTAP in furtherance of its support to the Nigerian knowledge institutions has established about 40 Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Offices (IPTTOs) to assist the institutions in engaging in market and demand-driven research.

Source: NAN