Success Damian:
Minister
of Communications and Digital Economy Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has
confirmed his availability at the Sectoral Forum organized by Association of
Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).
In a press
statement by the Executive Secretary, ATCON, Ajibola Olude, Pantami will be presenting
a principal keynote address on theme of the Forum with special focus on the
Ministry’s Policy Directions.
The
statement went further to disclose that the Forum was designed to focus on the
need of Telecom and ICT Consumers in the Era of Covid-19 and Post Covid-19
Pandemic Cum Digital Economy Era with a view to meeting the New Broadband
Target of 70%.
Date of
the meeting is Thursday, August 6, 2020; time 11:30am, while the Venue is Zoom and
will be live on Facebook and other social media platforms.
The Forum
will also witness other eggheads in the Telecommunications and Information
Technology brainstorming on 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”.
Panelists from
the government establishments include Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice
Chairman/CEO of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr Kashifu Inuwa
Abdullahi, Director General, National Information Technology Development
Agency (NITDA), among others and they will be making presentations on the
theme of the event with special focus on what the Commission’s and Agency’s are
doing in respect of consumers.
Other
attendees include representatives of telecoms consumers in Nigeria, Prof. Chiso
Ndukwe-Okafor, Executive Director, Consumer Advocacy and Empowerment Foundation
(CADEF); 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); Prince Igho Majemite,
Chairman, Industry Consumer Advisory Forum (ICAF).
Others
include 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
expected at the Forum are representatives from the angle of those companies
that provide telecoms and ICT Services. They include 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; Mr Toba Obaniyi, Vice President, Nigeria Internet Registration
Association (NiRA).
Others 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.
The
statement read “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.”
According
to the statement, “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,” the
statement further disclosed.
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