Two-nation affiliate for LPI in Africa

Announcing this, LPI Area Operations Manager for Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), John Meaney, said the development has shown the importance of Linux and Open Source Software in those countries.

"These two new affiliates are indicative of the growing importance of Linux and Open Source Software both in the field of education and Information Technology (IT) capacity development in Africa," said Meaney.

He also said that there was significant interest in the region in Linux professionalism, which has resulted in ongoing discussions with other potential affiliates in the Middle East and Africa.

Meaney said LPI will be represented in Nigeria by Lifeforte, a member of the Association of International Schools in Africa based in Ibadan, Oyo State in western Nigeria. While the East African Centre for Open Source Software (EACOSS) will be located in Uganda to cater for Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and the Great Lakes region.

He pointed out that Lifeforte is recognised as one of Africa's foremost private, junior and high school establishments.

The chairperson of Lifeforte International Schools, Johnson Olubi, said the LPI's vendor neutral Linux training and certification was a solid foundation for competence and relevance in both general computer literacy and the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) profession.

He also said that by introducing the LPI programme into the high schoosl and university curricula will boost, educate and empower the whole younger generation about Open Source Software and accelerate the shift from compulsory, expensive, proprietary software to having the choice of Open Source.

"This, in turn, will make the acquisition and application of computers much more affordable and widespread; leading to tremendous intellectual and economic development in developing countries, like Nigeria, and others in the West African sub-region," he said.

Meanwhile, the managing director of EACOSS, George W. Lule, pointed out that the adoption of Linux in East Africa as well as migration from proprietary platforms to Open Source Software (OSS) platforms has always been hampered by the absence of skilled and qualified personnel within the region.

"EACOSS trusts that in promoting the internationally-recognised vendor neutral LPI certification we will see a substantial increase in qualified IT personnel and assure employers, clients and other stakeholders that they are entrusting their OSS based IT infrastructure to professionals who meet an international skills standard," Lule said

LPI's certification programme is delivered worldwide in multiple languages at over 7,000 testing locations and is supported by an affiliate network spanning five continents.

Since the program's inception, LPI has delivered over 155,000 exams and over 47,000 graduates.

Published courtesy of