Roland Iwuchukwu
Nigerian IT expert Chris Uwaje has warned of risk of Nigeria relying on foreign owned software as it poses security risks for the country.
Uwaje, who is the Past President of both the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (IPSON) and the Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN).his compelling piece “Remita: A Fundamental Case for Legislating Indigenous Participation and IP Ownership in the Fintech Ecosystem,” advocates that Nigeria must assert control over its digital destiny.
Using the story of Remita and the Treasury Single Account (TSA) as a shining example of what homegrown technology can achieve, Uwaje warns against continued dependence on foreign software.
He argues that Indigenous IP is a national infrastructure and that homegrown technologies like Remita are not just software but foundational to national operations.
These systems manage critical financial processes, secure vast data assets, and support the daily functions of government and business.
As such, they deserve the same protection, investment, and prioritisation as roads, power grids, and telecommunications networks, he added.
Uwaje, warned that continued reliance on foreign-owned software weakens Nigeria’s control over its data, its policies, and its economic levers, adding, “Sovereignty in the digital era means owning and controlling the tools that power our systems. When key infrastructure is operated through black box solutions developed abroad, Nigeria’s autonomy is compromised.”
He suggested that Nigerian tech innovators need legislative frameworks that protect their intellectual property and reward their contributions to solving national problems.
He noted that without robust legal backing, local creators are left vulnerable, overlooked for procurement, underfunded by investors, and unrecognised in national planning. It’s also important to distinguish between solutions that are merely built in Nigeria and those that are owned by Nigerians.
According to him, when indigenous platforms like Remita succeed, the economic value they generate, including revenues, taxes, jobs, and knowledge transfer, stays within Nigeria, stressing that by contrast, reliance on foreign solutions often means recurring license fees, outsourced talent, and capital flight.