BY LINDA JACOBS, Lagos, Nigeria
All is now set for the maiden sectoral forum on meeting the New Broadband Target of 70 per cent being organised by the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).
The forum will hold on Thursday, August 6, 2020 at 11:30am on Zoom (and live on Facebook and other social media platforms). Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Minister for Communications and Digital Economy has confirmed his availability to present a principal keynote address.
Also, headlining the event are Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); and Mr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
They will be making presentations on the theme of the event with special focus on what the NCC and NITDA are doing in respect of the theme: “Meeting the Interests of Government, Consumers and Telecom & ICT Companies in the Era of COVID-19 and Post COVID-19 Pandemic for Digital Economy Development.”
The NCC and NITDA bosses would constitute the panelists from the government establishments and would be joined by other stakeholders. This Sectoral Virtual Forum would address the need of telecom and ICT Consumers in the COVID-19 and Post COVID-19 Pandemic cum Digital Economy era with the principal goal of meeting the new broadband target of 70 per cent.
ATCON’s Executive Secretary, Mr. Jibola Olude, said ATCON is providing a veritable platform for governments, consumers (corporate and personal) and telecommunications and ICT companies to rob minds on how consumers can be better off in terms of effective delivery of telecoms and ICT services and products in Nigeria.
The centrality of consumer to the projected growth of the Nigerian telecoms and ICT Sector cannot be overlooked in the area of the needed investment to accelerate the progress of our sector. With the emergence of digital economy in Nigeria coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, many economic transactions would be done digitally going forward.
He said the strategic objective of this very important sectoral forum is to converge regulator’s Interests -to ensure a competitive telecom market and fast track development of telecom industry; Operator’s Interests – an enabling environment for businesses and protection of investment in the sector; and Consumer’s Interests – to be satisfied in terms of quality of services, affordability and access; for Digital Economy Development.
Let me reiterate it that the interdependence among the government, telecom and ICT Companies and Nigerians are clearly obvious but each of them have limitations and potentials hence the forum would make an attempt to address their limitations and turn them to advantage for the development of Nigerian Telecom and ICT Sector in the era of COVID-19 and Post COVID-19 Pandemic.
Other stakeholders attending the virtual forum include Mrs Sola Salako Ajulo, President/Founder, Consumer Advocacy Foundation of Nigeria (CAFON); Mr. Bayo Olugbemi, FCIB, President/Chairman of Council, Chartered Institute of Bankers of Nigeria (CIBN); and Prince Igho Majemite, Chairman, Industry Consumer Advisory Forum (ICAF).
Others are: Chief Adeolu Ogungbanjo, National President, National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS); Mr Rasak Adekoya, Programme Lead, DFID Inclusion Works, Sightsavers; Comrade Moses O Igbrude, Chairman, Consumer Rights Awareness Advancement And Advocacy Initiative (CRAAAI) and Prince (Amb.) Sina Bilesanmi, National President, Association of Telephone Cable Tv and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCIS) and their role is to give feedback on Telecoms and ICT Service delivery.
Also, attending are Mr. Biodun Omoniyi, MD/CEO, VDT Communications Limited; Mrs Abimbola Alale, Managing Director, NIGCOMSAT; Prof Muhammad Bello Abubakar, MD/CEO, Galaxy Backbone; Mr. Oyaje Idoko, Managing Director, Layer3 Limited; and Mr. Toba Obaniyi, Vice President, Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA).
The rest are: Mr. Mohamad Darwish, Managing Director, IHS Nigeria Limited and Mr. Abayomi Adebanjo, General Counsel, MainOne Cable Company Nigeria Limited. Their role will be to tell us what they are doing to meet the need of consumers as more people come online.
