Seventeen years after the 2006 population census, Nigeria wants to conduct its fifth census. For this edition, the country is betting on local tech firms for the supply of its digital equipment.

The Federal Government of Nigeria, through the National Population Commission (NPC), recently signed a groundbreaking US$184 million contract with Zinox Technologies, a local tech company based in Lagos. Under the contract, the local tech firm is to supply technology components and other accessories for the population scheduled for next March-April.

"It is a privilege for the Federal Government to consider us among many other companies in the world. They know we have the capacity. We are deploying all our resources to make sure it is successful," said Kelechi Okonta, CEO of Zinox Technologies.

Last February 4, Zinox supplied the NPC with about 100,000 of the PDAs needed for the census.

Between 2006 and 2010, the same company worked with the government for the voter registration process because the foreign tech companies hired by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were unable to deliver the equipment ordered in time.

At the time, it used its  Z-Pad smart device (which INEC is still relying on) to lay the foundation for Nigeria's digital democracy. The successful execution of the US$200 million-plus INEC contract in 2010 positioned Zinex as a strong and skilled local firm.

Samira Njoya