The Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN) has threatened to declare all unregistered professionals as quacks.

The council’s president, Prof. Charles Uwadia, made this known, Tuesday, at the CPN’s media forum held in Lagos. He disclosed that the council has an up-to-date register of all members, saying that in due time it will be made public.

He said that any professional’s name that could not be found in the register would be regarded as a quack.

“Getting many practitioners on board is a challenge for us and so we need the media assistance for these practitioners to understand the CPN’s mandate and its benefits for members.

“One of the functions of the CPN is 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.

“CPN also secures, in accordance with the provisions 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 its publication from time to time.

“So, it is on this premise that CPN will regard those professionals not registered with them and are practising the computing profession as quacks,” he said.

Uwadia who revealed that, at present, the registered members with the council were above 5,000, added that the council had the capacity to register 20,000 persons.

Also speaking, the former President of the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), Mr James Emadoye, said that the IT sector required deep control.

“There is the need to bring everyone that is doing something that is computer related into the fold so that there can be control and monitoring,” he said.

He added that a problem the country is facing was that it did not value local content, adding that if we wanted to develop, we needed to do it locally and by ourselves.

The Chairman, Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), Mr Emma Okonji, said that unregistered professionals had led to many failed projects in the country.

According to him, CPN should stand its ground in checkmating these people so that there will be a change in the industry.

Earlier, the Registrar of the Council, Mr Allwell Achumba, said that the media was critical to improving the visibility of CPN and highlighting the importance of professionalism in the Information Technology industry in the country.

He said that the Act 49 of 1993 that established CPN gave it the mandate for all persons and organisations seeking to engage in IT in whatever form to be registered with the council.

He said that the CPN was seeking the assistance of the media to ensure that its forthcoming IT Assembly of the council would be given adequate coverage.

He said that during the assembly, IT-related issues which would be discussed with the theme,” Digital Infrastructure: Defining the Next Step” would be given prominence.

According to him, the nation needs to create wealth and sustain its prosperity through digital infrastructure.

He said this would give more people the knowledge and skills to compete, collaborate and connect in a way that would drive the country forward.

“Digital knowledge and skills have become the global currency of the 21st century’s economies.

“Since IT is the fulcrum of any thriving economy, the council has chosen to focus on this invaluable tool that will propel our economy and prepare our industry for global competitiveness,’’ he said.

The Vice-President of CPN, Mr Kole Jagun, said that the IT Professional Assembly was a medium for the discussion of emerging issues in IT.

Jagun added that it would also generate recommendations and decisions that would impart positively on the industry and the nation.

According to him, the assembly which would hold between June 26 and June 27 in Abuja would involve all stakeholders.