Protocol:
- Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy
- Ably represented by Dr Usman Gambo Abdullahi, Director, Information Technology Infrastructure Solution, NITDA who is also the Deputy Chair of BISC
- Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Executive Governor, Lagos State
- Ably represented by Engr (Mrs) Bisoye Coker Odusote, General Manger, LASIMRA
- Professor Umar Garba Danbata, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC
- Mr. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General of NITDA
- Engr Aliyu Aziz Abubakar, Director-General/CEO, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)
- Dr Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner, Nigeria Data Protection Bureau
- Engr. Ubale Ahmed Maska, Chair, Nigerian National Broadband Plan Implementation Steering Committee
- The Management of Federal Capital Territory Administration
- Distinguished State Government Representatives
- Distinguished ATCON NEC Members
- Distinguished ATCON CEOs,
- Captains of Industry
- Gentlemen of the Press
- Ladies and Gentlemen
It gives me much pleasure to welcome you all to this high-powered flagship events – National Strategic Mobilization for the Actualization of National Broadband Target of 70% Conference & Exhibition with a theme – Realizing the new set target of 70% of Broadband Penetration which is put together to have a conversation between the government and critical stakeholders in the various segments of the Nigerian Telecom and ICT Sector with a view to proffering lasting solutions to issues that are likely to constitute an obstacle to the actualization of National Broadband Target of 70% before the expiration of the National Broadband Plan 2020-2025.
We are very delighted that Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy accepted our invitation to this meeting, this acceptance has shown that our honourable Minister is someone that is working tirelessly to change the narrative of the Nigerian telecoms and ICT sector in general. And this we can see in terms of broadband penetration and various policies that have been initiated, ratified and issued to further encourage the growth of the industry.
As often the case with us at ATCON, the strategic objectives of this very important event are to compliment the various strategic activities already embarked upon by the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and all the agencies under the Ministry to achieve the set target of Broadband penetration in Nigeria with great speed. To leverage on the wide spectrum of ATCON’ sub-groups for effective participation in the new Nigerian National Broadband Plan 2020-2025 by giving them the opportunity to access the plan and suggest various ways to speed up the realization of the established target by the government and also serve as a veritable platform to galvanize the needed input that reflect the thinkings of the telecom and ICT sector. This is an opportunity to review the relevance of the Nigerian policy environment vis-a-vis the telecom operating environment.
Permit me to also commend Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, EVC/CEO, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mr Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director-General/CEO, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Engr Aliyu Aziz Abubakar, Director-General/CEO, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Dr Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner, Nigeria Data Protection Bureau and Engr. Ubale Ahmed Maska, Chair, Nigerian National Broadband Plan Implementation Steering Committee for their show of support to the honourable Minister in moving the industry to an enviable trajectory which can be explained by the huge contribution of the Nigerian telecom and ICT sector to the country’s GDP.
The focus of discussion at this conference would focus on two panel sessions – State of the Broadband Implementation in Nigeria by MNOs, Submarine Cable Operators, InfraCos, Metro Fiber Providers, Long-Distance Providers and Impact of Broadband Infrastructure on OTT Services Providers, FINTECH/e-Commerce Operator, Equipment Vendors, VAS Providers, Satellite Operators, Internet Services Providers, Manufacturer Representatives and Data Centre Operators,
We also welcome specially all the representatives of State Governments, Agencies and Parastatals, particularly the Federal Capital Territory Administration and look forward to gaining useful insight from their various presentations on what their administrations are doing in terms of Right of Way, Ease of Doing Business, National Dig Once Policy and other strategic initiatives for the actualization of digital economy in their respective states. We equally look forward to the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) presentation on the plan to create a special window for foreign exchange for telecom sector on how they can increase the loan disbursement to the sector.
We also wish to use this opportunity to commend very strongly the efforts of our member company CEOs who have been making right decisions to put us on this growth trajectory and also like to appeal to them to continue to support ATCON and not to rest on their oars because the realization of 70% broadband penetration depends considerably on them.
In conclusion, we would like to thank the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy for endorsing the event and also our sponsors; NCC, NITDA, Huawei, MainOne, MTN, Medallion Communications, VDT Communications, Rack Center, ipNX and Pan African Towers Limited. We hope that the report that will come out after this deliberation would contribute positively towards achieving the set targets of the NNBP 2020-2025.
Thank you and God bless.
Engr Ikechukwu Nnamani
President, ATCON