By Sodiq Yusuf
The RLG Adulawo Technology City, Ilesa, has again received the backing of the Federal Government in the manufacturing of Information Communication Technology ICT gadgets locally.
The operational licence of the factory was renewed about three weeks ago, a development which attracted the visit of officials of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) on Wednesday to assess the company’s compliance level on the set standards for investors in the industry.
The Deputy Director, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Engr Salisu Kaka, stated that the company will complement efforts in the retention of jobs, wealth creation and proffering solutions to the unemployment conundrum in the nation.
Kaka who led the visitors to the assemblage plant, laboratories, warehouse and other areas in the facility observed that RLG has met the standard required to produce the local content needed as pivotal tools to engender sustainable economic growth and further unveil the great potentials of the country in ICT.
“Part of the responsibilities of NITDA is to promote development of local content through manufacturing and development of computing and other related IT devices and in the process, we identify companies that are indigenous, put them into process, evaluate their capacities and register them to be original equipment manufacturer in the country.
“RLG is one of such that we have in the country. As a routine exercise to go round all these OEMs on annual basis to reassess and evaluate the activities of the companies to ensure they are operating within the approved standard so that quality of service, end user satisfaction, job creation and other indices that are expected out of their activities is really maintained and promoted further. We are satisfied to a great extent to what we have seen here in Ilesa.
“They have maintained the standard and we discussed thoroughly on the areas for improvement. Local content is a product that we believe is indigenous, the originality is from the country and Nigerian citizens are expected to patronise only what we produce. That is the only way we can improve our own economy, create jobs, make use of our local ingenuity for production and look at how we can ensure quality of our own services. Most importantly, we have to patronise what we produce if at all we want to move to the level we envisage.
“All those we are looking at started from somewhere. They supported their own and pushed it to grow further. We should also do this to own through support from the consumers, citizens and government. This will make it scale up gradually.”
In his remarks, the Managing Director, RLG Adulawo Technology City, Ilesa, Mr Tosin Ilesanmi said the company has been a channel of job and wealth creation which needs government’s continued support to thrive.
Ilesanmi added that the company’s engagement of manpower from the 10,000 it trained on Information and Communication Technology has assisted government’s Youth engagement drive which is important for the development of the society.
The RLG MD who enumerated some of the challenges facing private investors in the country wants the relevant government authorities to embrace the model of international best practices by encouraging local producers in a bid to grow the economy.
“We are in between government policies as well as complying with the NITDA regulations. We also need government’s support to encourage us the more. We need more of industry funding to grow. We are experienced in this business and we have what it takes to be the technology hub of the country If we are patronised.
“We also want those at the helms of affairs to encourage consumption of locally produced goods. Doing so will improve quality and the retention of jobs locally. If our brands are backed so well, we will do well and be agents of improved economic prosperity of the country. RLG also wants NITDA to optimise local production brands and the facilities we have to enable us train more people.”
Corroborating him, a Director on the board of the technology company, Dr Tunde Faleye said the State Government of Osun will not hesitate to provide the needed backing for investments in the state.
Faleye who is the Chief Executive Officer of Omoluabi Holdings expressed the determination of the present administration to leverage the huge economic potentials of Osun to attract investments and engender the growth of the local economy.
At the inspection were the Chairman, Board of Directors, RLG Adulawo Technology, City, Ilesa, Alhaji Rasaq Animashaun, Engr Yakubu Musa Yakubu, Ecosystem Development Manager (Software), Office for Nigerian Content Development in ICT, NITDA, Mr Kabiru Abdullahi, Ecosystem Development Manager (Hardware and Infrastructure), NITDA, Daniel Maimagani, Scientific Officer, IT (Infrastructure and Solutions), NITDA among others.
