ICT experts converge for global meltdown debate

Oluwaseun Ayantokun, Lagos s- updated: Wednesday 28-10-2009

From left, Managing Director and Chief
Executive Officer Strategic Business
School, Dr. Joseph Mba, Managing
Director, Reals Group of Companies,
Mr. Ade Popoola, and Chairman, Strategic
Business School, Apostle Hayford Alile, at
a one-day workshop titled, “Business and
Corporate Champions,” held in Lagos,
recently.Mr. Adedoyin Managing Consultant, Digital Jewels and Engr. Gbenga Adebayo , Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms operators of Nigeria (ALTON), have joined leading experts in the nation’s burgeoning Information Communications Technology (ICT) sector to be part of the first ever ICT debate in Nigeria.

The forum, tagged, “An Evening with Tech Legends” is a platform for leaders in the nation’s ICT sector to debate issues concerning the current economic challenges and how to contain the impact of the global economic crisis on technology firms in the country.

The theme of the epoch making event is “SUSTAINING THE ICT SECTOR GROWTH IN A DOWNTURN WORLD”.

The discussions will take place in a panel/debate format with a moderator to ask the questions and the panelists making comments as required.

Mr. Ibrahim Tasie, President and Chairman of Council of the Computer Professionals Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN) is billed to chair the forum, scheduled to hold this weekend in Lagos.

The list of the guests of honour there includes Engr. Ernest Ndukwe, Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the panelists are Mena Ajakpovi, professor of International Business, Lagos Business School and erudite telecom cum Intellectual Property (IP)lawyer, Bunmi Afolabi, Executive Director, Bitrax Axxent, and Prof. A.O Ayeni, Head Computer Science, University of Lagos.

Also expected at the event is the godfather of IT in Nigeria, Chief Don Etiebet, National president of the Association of Telecoms companies of Nigeria, ATCON, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, Female Technology amazon, Engr. Florence Seriki, Group Managing Director, Omatek Omatek plc, Chima Onyekwere, Chairman Linkserve, pioneer Internet service providers, Dr. Cosmas Maduka, Chairman Coscharis group, Admiral Allison Madueke, Chairman Interconnect Clearing House, Demola Aladekomo Group Managing Director, Chams plc among others

This is in addition to representations from the public sector, regulatory bodies, industry associations, the media and advocacy groups.

Some of the issues to be covered would include: What has exchange rate got to do with the impact of the crisis particularly as touching computer hardware manufacture? There has being talk that Nigeria ICT will not be affected, how much has this prophecy being fulfilled? How has it affected the indigenous software development sub-sector? And the technology industry immuned? How so? among others.