The Federal Government has announced plans to take tough measures to crack down on individuals and organisations practising information technology (IT) without required registration.
Yusuf Sununu, the Minister of State for Education, made the revelation in Abuja, directing the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria to enforce compliance with registration requirements.
The move was aimed at sanitising the IT sector and ensuring that only qualified professionals practice in the field.
The CPN has been tasked with identifying and prosecuting unregistered IT practitioners, including individuals and organisations.
The minister warned that anyone found practising IT without proper registration would face the full weight of the law, emphasising the need for for professionalism and standards in the sector.
The minister showed concern about the widespread presence of quackery in the IT profession, stressing the need for professionalism and standards.
He urged the CPN to “exterminate quacks and undesirable elements” from the profession, citing the example of other regulated professions globally.
Sununu praised the CPN for its efforts in registering individuals and corporate organisations practising IT, stating that the Federal Ministry of Education, was dedicated to support the council’s enforcement of the Act that established it.
He stressed the significance of mandatory registration with CPN for all IT practitioners in Nigeria.
“The global practice is for professionals to regulate their profession properly to exterminate quacks and undesirable elements from making incursions into the profession. That is the practice all over the world, and we are in total support of it.
He said, “Therefore, all individuals and corporate organizations that are into information technology practice should register with the Computer Professionals (Registration Council of Nigeria) to allow for effective regulation of computer education and practice in Nigeria,”.