The date for the 2024 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D) has been unwrapped for Thursday, June 27, by organisers, ITREALMS Media group.

Disclosing this, the Lead Consulting Strategist, DigitalSENSE Africa and Group Executive Editor, ITREALMS Media, Mr. Remmy Nweke, said that this year’s edition marks the 15^th edition of Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on IG4D series and comes with the theme “IG4D: Innovative Digital Economy & Safer Civic Space in Nigeria” at the prestigious Welcome Center Hotels, International Airport Road, Lagos.

Nweke recalled that in 2009, the Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum (NDSF) series on Internet Governance for Development made a debut and ever since has been steadfast in rallying stakeholders to take discourse on Internet access, openness, affordability, connectivity and ICT infrastructure among others.

This year, he also said, as NDSF marks 15th years of impacting various Nigeria’s economic sector with yet another series on the theme: IG4D: Innovative Digital Economy and Safer Civic Space in Nigeria.

“It will also be a time for recognition of corporates and individuals for their contributions in deepening Internet penetration, improving access and affordability as well as technological adaptation that begets digital sense in our society,” Nweke said.

NDSF series on IG4D, powered by ITREALMS Media group is hosted by DigitalSENSE Africa, an At-Large Structure (ALS) certified by the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), in collaboration with relevant stakeholders including Internet Society (ISOC), Nigeria chapter, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) among others.

Peter Oluka (@peterolukai), the Editor of TechEconomy has joined the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) Executive Board of Directors (EBoD).

Peter, a multi-award winner practicing ICT Journalist was elected at the 15th Annual General Meeting (AGM) cum election held in Lagos on Friday at The Zone, Lagos where Mr. Adesola Akinsanya and Mr. Murtala Abdullahi emerged the new President and the Vice President respectively.

They took over from Mr. Mohammed Rudman and Mr. Toba Obaniyi in that order. Other members elected into NIRA Executive Board of Directors (EBoD) at the meeting are; Mr. Ebenezer Dare of Hostlag Limited, and Seun Kehinde of QServers Networks Limited.

Meanwhile, five members have been elected to the Board of Trustees of NiRA. They are; Mrs Ibukun Odusote; Publisher of ITRealms, Mr. Remmy Nweke; former Financial Secretary of NiRA, Mr. Biyi Oladipo; former NIRA president, Mrs. Mary Uduma and Executive Director Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD) Mr. Yunusa Zakari Ya’u.

Peter Oluka has been a .ng Domain Name Brand Ambassador since 2015). He actually started his mainstream journalism in 2010 working with the Nigerian NewsDirect Newspaper. His penchant for newsworthy events and stunts registered NewsDirect’s presence in the league of Property & Environment and Labour pious media outfits.

He also Co-founded GrassRoots.ng, a news platform rooted in Speaking for the Global Citizen. He also Co-founded Njalo.ng; an online marketplace for ‘Easy sell & Easy Buy’ or new and used products. 

The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Professor Umar Danbatta disclosed this while delivering the Keynote Address at the dinner hosted by the Board of Trustees of the Nigeria Media Merit Award, NMMA, to flag-off the commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of NMMA as Africa’s foremost media excellence recognition institution, at the Lagos Sheraton Hotel on Tuesday night.

“This represents a teledensity of 109.47%. Besides, basic Internet subscriptions have also grown from zero in the pre-liberalisation era to over 152 million. It is also gratifying that the broadband subscriptions now stand at 85 million, representing a 44.49% penetration,” Danbatta said.

Dwelling on the topic, “The NCC New Strategic Vision (Implementation) Plan (SVP) 2021-2025: A Transformation Agenda”,which signposts thedirection of the Nigerian telecom industry in the next five years,Danbatta recalled the trajectory of the evolution of telecoms in Nigeria.

Represented by the Director, Public Affairs of the NCC, Mr. Reuben Muoka, the CEO of NCC, he recalled the nation’s showing of a paltry 18,724 telephone lines at independence in 1960 to serve a population of 40 million people, translating to a teledensity of 0.5 at that time.

Today, “the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector contributed 18.44 per cent to the nation’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the second quarter of 2022. From this figure, telecommunications sector alone contributed 15 per cent,” Danbatta said to place on record the unprecedented contribution of the telecom and ICT industry to GDP.