Computer Professionals (Registration Council of Nigeria) (CPN), has unveiled the theme, date and venue for this year’s Information Technology (IT) professionals’ assembly, TechEconomy can report.

Similarly, the Body is advocating for the use of e-Government tools to ensure transparency, accountability and good governance in the country.

Mr. Kola Jagun, President/Chairman-in-Council, Computer Professionals (Registration Council of Nigeria) (CPN), spoke during a media parley on Tuesday May 09, 2023, where he said this year’s gathering is the seventeenth edition in the series of Information Technology Professionals’ Assembly.

CPN IT Assembly is an exclusive networking event for senior Information Technology (IT) decision makers, IT consultants, upcoming IT entrepreneurs, start–ups, IT practitioners, teachers and IT Systems administrators.

The Assembly is also a platform for some of the industry’s most innovative technology distribution and service providers to showcase their products and services; and for participants to appreciate the emerging technologies, trends, and risks that are associated with transforming the various industries using IT.

According to Mr. Jagun;

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Year 2020, the annual Assembly has taken a new structure in line with the dictates of this moment. In Year 2020, for example, it held purely as a virtual event, and in 2021, and last year, the event held as a hybrid (virtual and physical). The Year 2023 edition of the Assembly will also be a hybrid event as it is the practice with programmes of its kind all over the world.

Theme, Date and Venue of CPN IT Assembly

The Year 2023 IT Professionals’ Assembly with the theme, “e-Government for Transparency, Accountability and Good Governance” will hold at NICON Luxury Hotel, Abuja from Tuesday 16^th – Wednesday 17^th May, 2023.

The event, the President/Chairman In-Council said, will commence with an Induction programme and admission of new members into the IT profession.

“There is no gainsaying that the achievement of good governance in these times needs a functional e-governance.

“This is because adequate use of ICT serves as a catalyst to an effective and efficient service delivery, quick response, accountability and transparency. Greater use of information and communications technology and e-government will increase governmental transparency, accountability and good Governance. This, in turn, may invite citizen participation, foster e-governance, and help nurture our nascent democracy.

He said that the realization or actualization of sustainable development cannot be possible without good governance.

“It is for this reason that the 2023 IT Professionals’ Assembly shall be considering   as its theme, ‘e-Government for Transparency, Accountability and Good Governance.’’’

The Keynote, he said, would be delivered by Prof Isa Pantami, the Minister for Communications & Digital Economy.  

“Speakers at the Assembly will speak to the relevance of e-governance to the actualization of good governance by considering the link between them and identifying suitable strategies for an effective application of e-governance for realization of good governance in Nigeria.

Drawing on the global, regional, and national experiences, the 2023 IT Professionals’ Assembly will highlight the opportunities and challenges of building more innovations that can drive the economy of our nation. We envisaged that in the years to come, Nigeria shall be a nation that has fully leveraged on, and harnessed the potential e-Governance for transparency, accountability, and good governance for the benefit of her economy and uplift the people.

Computer Professionals (Registration Council of Nigeria), (CPN) was established through Act No 49 of 1993 which empowers the Body with the regulation, control and supervision of the computing profession and practice in Nigeria in line with Section 1 (2) of the Act.

The Council hereinafter referred to as CPN is under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education.

The theme for this year’s CPN IT Assembly held in Abuja recently was “Leveraging Information Technology for National Security and Economic Stability”.

Dr. Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner and Chief Executive of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB), delivered the keynote address.

In his address to the conference participants, Mr. Kole Jagun, President/Chairman of CPN Council, said the theme was carefully selected “because of the serious role which Information and Communication Technology can play at this critical time when the whole world is facing enormous challenges in the area of cyber security, national security and socio-economic development.

“It has become crystal clear that based on the current global trends, there is need to maintain a high level of national security and economic stability.

“We are faced with enormous and daunting security challenges that require that we come up with new strategies and solutions”, Jagun explained.

He added that such novel solutions can only come with the proper deployment of Information Technology tools.  

“In Nigeria today, we are faced with multifaceted challenges of youth restiveness, non-traditional Military Warfare, Cybercrime, Banditry, Kidnapping and many other crimes.

“Additionally, Covid 19 pandemic further worsened the economic situation of the country because the lockdown period significantly constrained economic activities in the country and lowered the income of individuals as well as that of Government thereby creating an unprecedented depression in the country”, the CPN President/Chairman of Council said.

Here are the eight (8) key (recommendations) takeaways from the CPN IT Professionals Assembly 2022:

1. There is need to advance and improve on digital literacy and Information Technology awareness for all and sundry in order to improve the overall security architecture of the country. 

2. Nigeria has a large percentage of youth population that are being trained in our Universities and other higher institutions.

We need to give them the right training with the right curriculum to enable them come up with innovative digital solutions and discourage them from engaging in social vices like drugs, crime and substance abuse.

3. In order to combat the issues concerning license and patent rights on imported technological equipment and infrastructures used by security agencies to combat crime, there is need for production of those equipment locally in order to save foreign exchange and grow our local Information Technology Industry.

4. There is need for collaboration and synergy among the security agencies in the deployment of IT equipment and tools to combat crime and bring about economic stability in Nigeria.

5. The security agencies also need to strengthen their collaboration with the Education sector and support research in the area of developing locally made digital solutions and equipment that could be used to fight crime in Nigeria.  

6. There is need for collaborative efforts from both Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and Federal Ministry of Education for further research on new innovations in the area on national security that are developed by Nigerians  

7. Governments at various levels should provide an enabling environment for our brilliant and well trained youth to develop local IT solutions to solve our peculiar challenges, this will eventually discourage mass exodus of Nigerian youth to foreign countries and develop our national economy.

8. We need to strengthen local content in combating crime and bring about economic stability.

The conference recommended that this could be accomplished through the strengthening of initiatives and collaboration with relevant bodies with focus on Security and Information Technology like the newly created Nigeria Data Protection Bureau.

“CPN should also be involved in collaborative efforts to ensure meaningful data protection regulation in Nigeria.

“Also, all our local Information Technology service providers should be patronized and given the opportunity to come up with solutions to some of our security challenges”, the conference agreed, according to the communiqué co-signed by Muhammad Bello Aliyu, the Registrar/Secretary to Council. 

Conclusion

At the end of the 2022 hybrid Information Technology Assembly/Annual General Meeting, members of the profession present during the meeting were appreciated for their contribution to the success of the assembly.

This year’s IT Assembly is the sixteenth edition in the series of Information Technology Professionals’ Assembly, TechEconomy.ng can report.

Similarly, the Computer Professionals (Registration Council of Nigeria), (CPN), established through Act No 49 of 1993, has reiterated that it is illegal for individual and organization to practice IT profession in Nigeria without subjecting themselves to the supervision of CPN.

The Act which was passed into law on 10th of June and gazetted on the 9th of August 1993, incorporated the entity to be in charge of the regulation, control and supervision of the computing profession and practice in Nigeria in line with Section 1 (2) of the Act.

Mr. Kola Jagun, the President/Chairman of Council, CPN, stated these during a press conference on Thursday May 13, 2022 as he highlighted that the IT Assembly, which is the flagship of all IT programmes in Nigeria, is an exclusive networking event for senior Information Technology (IT) decision makers, IT consultants, upcoming IT entrepreneurs, start–ups, IT practitioners, teachers and IT Systems administrators.

“The Assembly,” Jagun said, “is also a platform for some of the industry’s most innovative technology distribution and service providers to showcase their products and services; and for participants to appreciate the emerging technologies, trends, and risks that are associated with transforming the various industries using IT.

“Since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in Year 2020, the annual Assembly has taken a new structure in line with the dictates of this moment. In Year 2020, for example, it held purely as a virtual event, and last year, the event held as a hybrid event (virtual and physical). The Year 2022 edition of the Assembly will also be a hybrid event as it is the practice with programmes of its kind all over the world”.

He said that the year 2022 IT Professionals’ Assembly with the theme, “Leveraging IT for National Security and Economic Stability” will hold at NAF Conference Centre, Kado, Abuja from Wednesday 18th – Thursday 19th May 2022.

While stressing the importance of the CPN IT Assembly, the President/Chairman of Council said,

“Information technology plays a significant role in the Security and Economic Stability of any country and Nigeria is not different. Information Technology will continue to strengthen the national security against future upcoming threats and cyber-attacks. Information technology can help countries to identify potential threats, share information easily, and protect mechanisms in them.

“Information Technology (IT) has changed our way of life considerably. IT has shaped substantially the mode of peoples’ interaction, business process, entertainment and learning.

“There is no gainsaying that IT is encouraging globalization and exchange of information. The benefits of using these technologies are immense and they are here to stay. In the context of globalization and further economic integration in recent decades, the relationship between the economy and national security has become increasingly interlinked”.

Speaking specifically on the theme, Jagun said, “National security is important not only to the government, but to the nation as a whole. IT deals with the use of electronic computers and computer software to convert, store, protect process, transmit, and securely retrieve information. Today, the term information has ballooned to encompass many aspects of computing and technology, and the term has become very recognizable.

“Specifically, IT will help enable the nation to identify potential threats, share information more readily”.

Meanwhile, the 2022 CPN IT Professionals’ Assembly shall be considering, among other things, the relationships and the interplays, and how Information Technology (IT) could be leveraged for improved national security and economic stability.

“From the deliberations, the Assembly will come up with findings and recommendations that will be geared towards deploying advanced technologies through effective partnerships that promote economic, technological, and national security competitiveness”.

He also emphasized the need for practitioners to regularize their activities by registering with CPN.

“The Act 49 of 1993, referred to above, makes it mandatory for all persons and organizations seeking to engage, or engaged in the sale or use of computing facilities and the provision of professional services in computing as well as the use of computational machinery and techniques related thereto to be registered by the Council and licensed to carry out such activities. It is illegal to engage in computing and professional practice without satisfying the above condition- registration and possession of a current valid license”, he said.