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CPN issues warning to unregistered operators

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By Abdulwasiu Usman

Act 49 of 1993 mandated registration and obtaining licenses to operate.

Companies, individuals, and organizations in Nigeria’s computer industry that have not yet registered with the Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN) have been urged to do so in order to avoid sanctions. According to Section 1 (2) of Act No. 49 of 1993, which founded the council and was signed into law on June 10 and gazetted on August 9 of the same year, saddled the council with the responsibility to regulate, govern, and supervise the computing profession and practice in Nigeria.

In his remarks to the press on the 2023 IT Assembly, which will take place on May 16 and 17 in Abuja, CPN Council President, Kole Jagun provided further context for the demand. According to him, the Act 49 of 1993 mandates that any individual or company offering to sell or use computing facilities, provide professional services in computing, or use computational machinery and techniques must first register with the Council and obtain a license to do so. Without meeting the aforementioned requirements (registration and possession of a valid license), Jagun stated, it is illegal to engage in computer and professional practices.

CPN would physically engage those who are not registered.

He claims it has come to light that numerous organizations and even individual citizens are passing themselves off as IT specialists in the country despite not having the proper credentials to do so. He stated that after the IT assembly, CPN would physically engage with those who are not registered as members of CPN in order to crack down on unlawful activity. The organization emphasized that the industry is one of professionalism with guidelines to keep, as well as a key economic factor, and therefore will not tolerate quacks.

With the theme “e-Government for Transparency, Accountability, and Good Governance,” for the upcoming IT Assembly, he noted that Prof. Isa Pantami, the Minister for Communications and the Digital Economy, would give the keynote lecture. Also at the event he said that the speakers at the Assembly would address the significant importance of e-governance in bringing about good government in Nigeria by discussing the connection between the two and outlining ways for making e-governance work effectively.

Foreign corporations operating in Nigeria need to be assessed.

It is fitting to say that a robust e-governance is necessary for the attainment of effective governance in the modern day. This is so because prompt responses, accountability, and transparency are all facilitated by the adoption of ICT. He claimed that greater adoption of ICT and e-government will lead to improved government openness, accountability, and governance. As the organization prepares to induct 800 people, Jagun shared that they are collaborating with the Nigerian Ministry of Education to achieve the 2030 goal of universal digital literacy in the country. The CPN is also playing a key role in an ongoing workshops on the subject matter.

The CPN president added that foreign IT companies operating in Nigeria would be urged to register with the organization, noting that the CPN is authorized to assess foreign corporations operating in Nigeria by virtue of their Act. Furthermore, he believes an improvement in the country’s infrastructure will reduce the outflow of talented individuals who are leaving due to the country’s poor economy, high crime rate, and overall sense of insecurity. Eyo Essien, Vice Chairman of Council, stressed that any IT expert must be a CPN member and hinted that the council is trying to evaluate school curricula and bridge the gap between academia and industry.

It’s responsible for setting computing profession entry requirements.

Essien revealed that CPN, under the oversight of the Federal Ministry of Education and the National Assembly, is responsible for setting requirements for entry into the computing profession in terms of both knowledge and skill. The council will also work to raise those standards as often as possible and to ensure that a register of those seeking registration under the Act to practice the computing profession is established, maintained, and published on a periodic basis, all in accordance with the Act’s provisions.


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CPN: Website


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