PRESS CONFERENCE ON CPN 2011 IT PROFESSIONALS&r

SPEECH  OF  THE  REGISTRAR/SECRETARY  TO  COUNCIL   OF  CPN AT  THE  PRESS  CONFERENCE ON  CPN 2011 IT  PROFESSIONALS’ ASSEMBLY/ANNUAL  GENERAL  MEETING  HELD  AT  THE  COUNCIL’S  SECRETARIAT, IKOYI_LAGOS  ON  SATURDAY  11TH  JUNE, 2011

Good Morning
Members of Council Here Present
Principal Officers of the Secretariat
Representatives of Media Houses
Ladies and Gentlemen

I feel honored to address you this morning on our event that is, the CPN IT Professionals Assembly/Annual General Meeting. The event, which is an annual affair, has been duly registered in the consciousness of Nigerians. This year’s assembly is the fifth edition in the series of Information Technology professionals’ assembly.

Ladies and Gentlemen here present, the IT assembly, which is the flagship of all IT programmes in Nigeria, is an exclusive networking event for senior Information Technology (IT) decision makers, IT consultants, upcoming IT entrepreneurs, start–ups, IT practitioners, teachers and IT Systems administrators. The assembly is also a platform for some of the industry’s most innovative technology distribution and service providers to showcase their products and services; and for participants to appreciate the emerging technologies, trends, and risks that are associated with transforming the various industries using IT.

The Year 2011 Information Technology Assembly/Annual general Meeting will be coming up between 29th of June to 1st of July, 2011.  The event will commence with Pre–Assembly Forum/Dinner by 4pm on Wednesday 29th June 2011 at the ballroom of NICON Luxury, Abuja. There will be a formal presentation of the Scale of Professional Charges and the Control & Supervisory Regulations for the Information Technology (IT) profession.

The theme of this year’s assembly is "Information Technology and Democratic Dividends in Nigeria: Issues & Prospects". This year’s theme is an attempt at taking stock of the benefits and gains of Nigerians from Information Technology since the beginning of our democracy in 1999.  It is this kind of stocktaking that will enable us to examine ourselves and draw a roadmap for future development in Information Technology.

There is no gainsaying that IT is the bedrock for national survival and development in a rapidly changing global environment. Thus, we have been challenged to devise bold and courageous initiatives to address a host of vital socio-economic issues such as reliable infrastructure, skilled human resources, open government and other essential issues of capacity building. The Assembly will therefore take a look at how our present democratic experience can benefit from the deployment of Information Technology.  Less explored areas such as agenda setting, dialogue, alternative sources of information, consensus building, openness and transparency, etc would be looked at because they are germane to the realization of people’s aspiration and yearnings in a democracy. Also, they can assist in the design of a national information infrastructure at reasonable cost.

As you are all aware, Computer Professionals (Registration Council of Nigeria), (CPN) was established through Act No 49 of 1993. The Act was passed into law on 10th of June and gazetted on the 9th of August that year. It is a corporate entity that is charged with the regulation, control and supervision of the computing profession and practice in Nigeria in line with Section 1 (2) of the Act. The Council hereinafter referred to as CPN is under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education.
Therefore, its functions and responsibilities include the following:

• To determine the standards of knowledge and skills to be attained by persons seeking to become members of the computing profession and improve those standards from time to time as circumstances may permit.
• To secure, in accordance with the provision of the Act, the establishment and maintenance of a register of persons seeking to be registered under the Act to practice the computing profession and the publication from time to time of the list of such persons. 

Consequently, the Council is responsible for the following among other things:

1. Organization of computing practice in Nigeria
2. Control of the practice of computing in Nigeria
3. Supervision of the practice of computing in Nigeria
4. Screening of individuals seeking to be registered to engage in the sale or use of computational machinery and techniques related thereto as well as provision of professional services in computing in the country.
5. Ensuring high computing professional Ethics and Standards.
6. Creation and sustenance of local and international contacts for our numerous members,
7. Reduced charges for some specific professional services and facilities.
8. Determining academic standards in Computer Science, Computer Engineering and other related disciplines.
9. Accreditation of institutions’ courses and programmes as well as evaluation of certificates in computing.
10. Conducting professional examination in computing in collaboration with the Nigeria Computer Society.
11. Publication of the Register of Computer Professionals and other professional works like journals, books, magazines and newsletters.

The Act 49 of 1993, referred to above, makes it mandatory for all persons and organizations seeking to engage, or engaged in the sale or use of computing facilities and the provision of professional services in computing as well as the use of computational machinery and techniques related thereto to be registered by the Council and licensed to carry out such activities. It is illegal to engage in computing and professional practice without satisfying the above condition- registration and possession of a current valid licence.

Ladies and Gentlemen, we are seizing the opportunity of this press briefing to solicit for your support in giving adequate publicity to the three day event. We want you to partner with us to make Nigerians to be conscious of our events and activities which are geared towards assisting our country to maximize its potentials in Information Technology. 
We thank all of you for coming and GOD bless you all.

Mr.  Sikiru Shehu
Registrar