Develop Software Solution to Tackle Corruption, NCS Urged

In line with the anti-corruption crusade of President Muhammadu Buhari, the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) has been urged to as a matter of urgency, develop indigenous software packages that will help address the issue of corruption in Nigeria.

The call was made in Lagos recently, during the investiture of the 13th National President of the computer society.

According to the experts who spoke at the forum, as a body of computer professionals, NCS must rise to the challenges of the country and be quick to develop software solutions that will tame corruption and corrupt practices instead of the federal government looking for solutions from other countries.

Specifically, Justice Bunmi Oyewole who delivered the keynote address at the forum, said technology had helped in enhancing the performance of the judiciary, because of the use of computer and computational devices for research in judgement delivery.

He noted that corruption had eaten deep into the fabrics of the nation, cutting across nearly all sectors of the country's economy, insisting that except there is an indigenous software solution that understands the culture and style of Nigerians, the country would continue to suffer from corruption.

"NCS has contributed so much to the law profession. It is therefore important that NCS, as a leader and advocacy group in technology development, should raise its bar and come up with solutions that will address Nigeria's greatest challenge called corruption," Oyewole said.
He commended Buhari for his doggedness in fighting corruption, but advised that the necessary laws that would help fight corruption, be put in place and enforced to the latter.

Also speaking at the event, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications Technology, Mr. Tunji Olaopa, said "technology is changing the world and it is equally helping to fight corruption, so the case of Nigeria should not be different.” He said software developers in foreign countries were already making good efforts in introducing new solutions that address immediate needs, and that NCS should be able to follow suite and come up with software solutions that would address the immediate needs of Nigerians.

Olaopa said Oil and Gas alone cannot sustain Nigeria, insisting that NCS should begin to think of Information Technology (IT) solutions that would generate activities that could serve as alternative to Oil and Gas.
Permanent Secretary, Political Affairs, Office of the Secretary of the Government of the Federation (SGF), Mrs. Ibukun Odushote, on her part, said the new era of President Buhari has brought about new era of change for the country, and called on NCS to do everything possible to key into the change that would boost technology development in the country. She said: "Government is willing to fight corruption in the country, but will rely so much on NCS for the much technology solutions that would help government succeed in its ongoing anti-corruption crusade."

Government will develop the structure and provide the channel to address the country's challenges, but NCS, as a computer body, must provide the needed technology contents, Odushote said.