The body said it had been engaging with the government to provide a legal framework to guide the operation of outsourcing practices in Nigeria.
President, AOPN, Dr. Obiora Madu, who revealed this during this year’s outsourcing expo, said even as the regulator, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reviewed the outsourcing policy of 2007, citing the need for a bill by the National Assembly to enact an outsourcing law for Nigeria.
For instance, he said Service Level Agreements (SLAs) are not being respected by principals, making it a big problem in Nigeria due to poor regulations.
According to him, many organisations engage in contracting, thinking they are engaging in outsourcing business.
“But with proper regulation in place, this will not happen,” he said.
Madu disclosed that plans were underway by AOPN to provide reliable data on the value of outsourcing activities in Nigeria and to also determine the contribution of outsourcing to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
The move, Madu said, would guide policy design, business decisions and nation-building.
Speaking on the theme, ‘Top Post Pandemic Outsourcing Trends For Businesses – Opportunities and Threats’, the AOPN chief, revealed the need for outsourcing agencies to be strategic to remain relevant, through increased remote working efforts, increased utilisation of cloud computing services, increased focus on cybersecurity, the rise of nearshoring destinations and the use of social media for businesses.
To further remain relevant and guarantee business visibility, the speaker and Chief Executive Officer of Xown Solutions Limited, Segun Akande, also raised the need for members to encourage fewer outsourced vendors.
According to Akande, there is a need to encourage industry specialisation and long-term relationships to foster better understanding.
He added that since contracts are now being reviewed, it is expected that Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) vendors will bring innovations, new tools, methods and ideas to improve with agility.
