The Executive Secretary of Nigerian Computer Society (NCS), Mr. Iyiola Ayoola, has opened up on why the nation’s Information and Communications Technology (ICT) space is dominated by uncertified practitioners and all comers’ affairs.
In an interview, he said in the renewed effort to drive new standards for national IT implementation, and certify professionals, “it behooves on the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPRCN), to regulate the industry”.
According to him, CPRCN ought to be the ‘eye’ of the industry in fishing out professionals who can be presented to the government as credible enough to execute IT projects.
“ICT/IT professional is the one who is fully registered by the CPN. By implication, you are a certified professional. Without that, you are not considered a professional. CPN has a template to get you certified. And for you to be certified, you must first be a member of NCS.
“On the primary criteria for registration, membership of NCS is first. Who are the members? There are three categories of membership- Affiliate, studentship and Corporate. We also have the Fellows as highest echelon of the membership.
Ayoola averred that time has come to drag none professionalized IT practitioners and the deal remains the job of the Council.
“It is the CPN that is not doing the job. It is in the CPN Act of 1993 that one cannot practice without being certified by the CPN. If you have not obtained any degree, CPN organizes professional/certification exams.
“Therefore, CPN needs to sit up; NCS has been the one doing the ‘shouting’ for professionalization of this industry. NCS is the brain behind the formation of NCS. We wanted to be chartered which led to CPN’s creation.
