NCS and NIBSS to collaborate on IT Development
The Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) and the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) are exploring partnership opportunities to accelerate IT development in Nigeria. This is the outcome of the courtesy visit of NCS paid to NIBSS on Tuesday, September 4, 2012.
The NCS team was led by Sir Demola Aladekomo, President of the NCS who was received by the NIBSS MD, Mr. Ade Shonubi and other members of the management team that included Executive Director, Business Development, Mrs Christabel Onyejekwe and Deputy General Manager, Nigeria Automated Clearing System (NACS) Operations, J. O. Obiekwe. Aladekomo stated that the purpose of the visit was to appreciate the efforts of the NIBSS team in establishing world class inter-bank payments and settlement mechanisms, and promoting electronic payments in Nigeria, and to build a mutually beneficial relationship with NIBSS.
Aladekomo, noted, “We commend NIBSS on its effective deployment of technology to enhance the efficiency of payment systems in Nigeria. This is already bearing fruit. Increasing e-payment transactions and the successes of the Cashless Lagos project and the implementation of the cheque truncation policy are testimonies to this fact.
We wish you the very best, continued success in playing its role as a dependable ally of the Nigeria payments system stakeholders in driving the Cash-Less Nigeria Project and other related initiatives to improve payment system operational efficiency, reduction in crime and corruption and accelerate Nigeria’s economic development”.
NIBSS invited to play leadership role in IT community
The NCS recognized the contributions of Ade Shonubi in his previous technology related engagements and encouraged him and the NIBSS team to play a more prominent role in the larger IT community. NCS President specifically invited NIBSS to be part of upcoming NCS programs and initiatives geared towards deploying technology to improve economic growth and address developmental challenges in the country.
NCS is the leading body of all IT professionals, organizations and stakeholders in Nigeria. It has more than 17,000 members with three major interest groups (ISPON, ITAN, NiWIT and ISPAN). During the visit, Aladekomo highlighted the achievements of NCS, the country’s major platform for accelerated IT development.
NCS areas of strategic focus include: Employment Creation, ICT Funding, Youth Empowerment, Research and Development, Local Content Development and Technology Innovation. He noted that “Cashless 2012” was the theme of this year’s Annual Conference, Nigeria’s largest gathering of high-level stakeholders in IT which held in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state. NCS thanked NIBSS for attending and supporting the conference. As the leading advocacy body promoting technology innovation in Nigeria, NCS organized to highlight technology solutions and issues that are pertinent to the cashless program and initiatives of the Federal Government of Nigeria.
NIBSS welcomes Visit
In response, Shonubi expressed confidence in the ability and quality of the NCS national executive represented by Sir Demola Aladekomo, President of NCS and Jide Awe, Chairman, Publicity and Events Committee of NCS. He welcomed the initiatives of NCS as well as the partnering possibilities offered.
According to Shonubi, NCS has a major role to play in today’s technology driven society. In his opinion the assessment and recognition of players and providers through awards and rankings to foster improvements and innovation society should be done under the platform of NCS. He appreciated importance of NCS in terms of advocacy and raising technology standards in society.
He supports the Employment generation initiative of the NCS and noted that security in technology is a serious concern of NIBSS. He called on the NCS to find ways of addressing the problem of unscrupulous individuals providing IT services who may or may not be members of NCS. Shonubi reemphasized the need to take security very seriously in the cashless and IT driven society.
NIBSS ready to work with NCS
He commended NCS for initiating partnership arrangements with government agencies and expressed the readiness of NIBSS to work with NCS to address developmental concerns relating to technology, observing that all initiatives should be value driven. He showed interest in local content development as well as the need to build technical and non technical capacity in young innovators.
In this regard, the Executive Director, Business Development, Mrs Christabel Onyejekwe requested for the event schedule of NCS. According to her NIBSS needs more information on NCS events and initiatives for the purpose of planning and strategic partnering with NCS. She further confirmed that even before the visit, since NIBSS had recognized the value proposition offered by NCS, NIBSS was already in the process of partnering with NCS.
In concluding, Shonubi thanked NCS for taking initiative to visit NIBSS, stating that NIBSS is open to creative ideas and suggestions from NCS on how to move the nation forward through the technology space.
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