The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has developed a web-based portal – Database of Nigerian Professionals (DNP) platform – to aid the implementation of the Executive Order 005 of the Federal Government.
Speaking during the public presentation of the platform which also doubled as a media interaction session today (April 13, 2022) at the agency’s headquarters in Abuja, the director-general of NOTAP, Dr. DanAzumi Ibrahim said the over N32 million software developed by an indigenous information technology (IT) firm Cagewox.net Ltd., which will soon be officially launched, will assist NOTAP and other ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) to access the database in search of indigenous experts in carrying out construction contracts for the development of the country.
Recall that Executive Order 005 For Planning and Execution of Projects, Promotion of Nigerian Content In Contracts on Science, Engineering and Technology was signed into law by President Muhammadu Buhari on February 2, 2018. The order aims to ensure that all procuring authorities shall give preference to Nigerian companies and firms in the award of contracts, in line with the Public Procurement Act 2007. Executive Order No 5 also prohibits the Ministry of Interior from issuing visas to foreign nationals whose skills are readily available in Nigeria.
In addition, President Buhari directed MDAs to engage indigenous professionals in the planning, design and execution of national security projects. He, however, noted that where expertise is lacking, procuring entities will give preference to foreign companies and firms with a demonstratable and verifiable plan for indigenous skills development before the award of such contracts.
Executive Order 005, as gazetted, mandates NOTAP to develop, maintain and regularly update a database of Nigerians with expertise in science, engineering, technology and other fields of expertise.
Ibrahim posited that to achieve the mandate, NOTAP conceived the development of the database project, saying the platform is designed in line with the definition or stipulations of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) classifications of fields of science and technology (FOS) with five top-level categories of natural sciences, engineering, medical and health sciences, agricultural science and information technology.
“It provides a self-service platform for professionals both at home and in the diaspora to create profile accounts on the portal at any time from anywhere, using any device. The portal also provides an interface that allows professionals to activate their accounts. This applies to professionals who were created from the backend via upload as well as legacy professionals’ data migrated into the system.
“To this effect, NOTAP requests all Nigerian science, engineering and technology (SET) experts to register their profiles with the office through these websites www.notap.gov.ng or Home – NOTAP DNP Portal for proper documentation. This will assist NOTAP and other MDAs and ministries to access the database in search of indigenous experts in carrying out construction contracts for the development of the country,” he said.
According to him, presently, NOTAP has more than 7000 manual entries of COREN registered engineering personnel and with the development of the software app by Cagewox.net Limited, the database will be seamlessly and constantly updated, adding that this app will soon be officially launched to kick-start its official usage by ministries and MDAs in line with the provisions of the act.
