IT PROFESSIONALS’ ASSEMBLY '09 : BLAST FROM THE PAST

IT Enabled Nigeria: Imperative for Vision 20 2020

The year 2008 edition of the IT Professionals’ Assembly/14th AGM, with the theme, IT Enabled Nigeria: Imperative for Vision 20 2020 was held on Thursday, 9th October 2008 at the NICON Luxury Hotel (formerly Le ‘Meridien), Abuja. The event had as the Chief Host, the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Igwe Aja – Nwachukwu. Senator Caleb Zaggy, Chairman, Senate committee on Science & Technology Stood in for the Special Guest of Honour, the Senate President. Also, Senator Joy Emodi, the Senate Chairperson on Education, was in attendance.

Opening

The Assembly started with the President/Chairman of Council, Prof. (Mrs.) Adenike Osofisan, welcoming everyone to the Assembly. She said the event was a reflection of the collective desire of IT Practitioners to realize the goals of professionalism and sustainable growth for the industry, and by extension, Nigeria. She also reiterated that it was the duty of every IT practitioner to protect the profession from infiltration and damage by non-professionals who were not qualified to practice by virtue of their lack of necessary skills and competences.

While declaring the Assembly open, the Chief Host, Dr. Igwe Aja – Nwachukwu, the then Minister of Education said he was delighted to address the gathering of eminent personalities and experts in the field of Information Technology. He went on to further allude to the presence of the Senate President, and that of several members of the Senate and the National Assembly as evidence that the leadership of Nigeria recognized the potential of IT in achieving sustainable national development.

He lauded Council for coming up with the theme of the assembly, “IT Enabled Nigeria: Imperative for Vision 20 2020,” saying that it aptly addressed the concerns of the leadership of this country towards the attainment of Mr. President’s Vision of making Nigeria one of the 20 top economies of the world by Year 2020 in line with the 7-point Agenda.

Thereafter, Senator Caleb Zaggy, the Senate Chairman on Science & Technology who stood in for the Senate President delivered the Keynote Address. In his own speech, the Senate president challenged practitioners to leverage on Information Technology (IT) structures, processes and people to ensure that Nigerians are empowered with information, through consistent and ever-present delivery of content, to sustainably improve themselves, those around them, their own material circumstances and prepare better for the future of those yet unborn and the environment they live within.

INDUCTION OF NEW MEMBERS

The Honourable Minister of Education witnessed the induction of about Four Hundred (400) new members into the profession. Thereafter, Lunch was served.

PLENARY

Upon resumption for the Plenary at about 2: 30pm, the participants listened with rapt attention to Papers delivered by Resource persons. The first Paper titled Enabling 2020 Through Information Technology was delivered by Professor Cleopas Angaye, (Director–General National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA), while the second Paper titled, Professionalism in an IT Enabled Nigeria was delivered by Dr. G.M.M. Obi.

PRESENTATION OF CERTIFICATES TO APPROVED STUDY CENTRES

Certificates were presented to accredited Study Centers for the Computer Professional Examination (CPE). The approved centers included: Amazing Computers Limited, Bi – Traz AXXENT, CITS, South West resource Centre, Ogun State, HiiT Limited, I.B.T.S., Rockshire Group, Debis Computers, Yobel Integrated Services Ltd and Softnet Inc.