Federal Government says it will commence enforcement of local hosting of data generated within the country very soon.
Experts say this is coming at the appropriate time, because indigenous companies in the Information Communications Technology (ICT) industry have failed to dominate the market, as foreign players in their numbers continue to win business and favour even from the Federal Government, and strict implementation of the local content policy is a necessary solution.
Vincent Olatunji, acting director-general, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), said the Nigerian government was committed to making sure that data generated within the country was hosted locally.
According to Olatunji, government agencies such as NITDA “will do everything within our powers to ensure that the Nigerian government policy on local hosting of government data in the country is fully implemented.”
Olatunji, who restated the government’s commitment to enforce local data hosting during his visit to Rack Centre, the Nigerian based Tier lll Data Centre, said that it was necessary that all efforts be made in conjunction with the office of the local content to support viable companies like Rack Centre, “this facility surpasses every other data centre that I have visited inside and outside the country and we need to have all hands on deck to develop the ICT sector considering its impact on all the other sectors of the economy.”
Adebayo Shittu, minister of communications, had previously re-emphasised the need for patronage of locally produced ICT products and services by the Ministries, Departments and Parastatal (MDAs) as a means of promoting local content in the sector.
Shittu said there would be no excuse for MDAs not to patronise indigenous ICT products and services because local content is vital in achieving the overriding mandate of economic diversification and empowerment of the ICT ecosystem in the country.
Giving his thoughts on government’s plans to soon commence local data hosting, Ayotunde Coker, managing director of Rack Centre said: “We are delighted that the Acting DG acknowledges the quality of Rack Centre in comparison to other places he has visited, even in more advanced economies. Rack Centre is the only truly carrier neutral data centre and the best connected in Africa.”
