Come Thursday, October 15, 2020 at the NAF Conference Centre Abuja, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON),would now hold its conference, a national dialogue on Telecommunications and ICT Sector in Nigeria.
Themed, “Harnessing the Digital Resources for the building of our National Economy”.
According to the umbrella body of telecoms organisations, several personalities would be in attendance including Dr Isa Pantami, Minister, Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy; Rt. Hon. (Dr.) Simon Bako Lalong, Executive Governor, Plateau State; Prof Umar Danbatta, EVC/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); Mr Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General/CEO, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA); Mr Shubham Chaudhuri, Country Director (Nigeria), World Bank; Mr Segun Ogunsanya, Managing Director/CEO, Airtel Networks; Mr Alan Sinfield, Managing Director/CEO, 9mobile and Mr Trevor Liuyan, CEO, Huawei Nigeria.
“One of the overriding deliverables of this national dialogue on telecoms and ICT sector is that the adoption of digital resources by all aforementioned sectors would lead to development which would eventually make Nigeria to join the league of the top 20 global economies”.
It maintained that the national dialogue on Telecoms and ICT is targeted at changing the structure of the country’s development through the maximum utilization of digital resources such that Federal Government, State Government and other key stakeholders in the Agriculture, Education, Oil & Gas, Health, Industry, Trade and Investment, Security and Defence Sector would leverage on the outcome of this event to improve their contributions to the nation’s GDP.
“The preposition above is based on effective collaboration amongst the different sectors of the economy as we all know that collaboration is the new competition.
“The supply side which is comprised of Telecom and ICT Companies and the demand side which is made up of all the Ministries, States, Local Governments, Nigerians and Non-Nigerians are expected to have higher level of productivity on the condition that they adopt and leverage on the opportunities presented by the digital economy to improve their output. This strategic dialogue plans to bring together the Presidency, National Assembly, relevant Federal Ministries, State Governors, ICT State Commissioners, Telecom and ICT Operating Companies, World Bank and other international relevant agencies”.
Attendance, according to ATCON’s president, Olushola Teniola, wouls be strictly by invitation as COVID-19 protocol would be keenly observed.