ATCON to host National Dialogue on Telecommunications & ICT

The National Executive Council of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has disclosed plans to host a National Dialogue on Telecommunications and ICT Sector in the country.

The dialogue which is billed to hold in Abuja later in the year, is themed: “Harnessing the Digital Resources for the building of our National Economy”.

Mr Olusola Teniola, president, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), in a statement released over the weekend, stated that, “the growth across all the sectors of Nigeria’s economy is expected to be exponential as a result of the resolve by the Federal Government of Nigeria under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to drive the entire economy through digital resources.

He noted that the National Dialogue on Telecoms and ICT is targeted at changing the narrative of our country’s development through the optimal utilization of digital resources and to achieve this, State Governors, Ministries, Agencies and Sectors like Agriculture, Education, Oil & Gas, Health, Industry, Trade and Investment, Security and Defence have been invited along with telecom and ICT companies.

He added that the 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.

According to him, “the strategic objectives of the proposed National Dialogue are to channel collaborative efforts toward Nigerian Digital Economy with the sole aim of accelerating our economy’s performance in relation to other leading African countries and to serve as a forum to discuss the recently launched documents on Digital Economy and take stakeholders input for implementation.

“To optimally X-ray the factors that have worked for and against the telecom and ICT sector in Nigeria, as well as discuss regulations and policies around AI, IoT and Blockchain.”

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However, thought leaders have been invited to do justice to the following panel sessions: Digital Economy in Nigeria: Challenges and Opportunities; Private Public Partnership and Development of Mechanism for the seamless Management of Inter-Ministries and Agencies: an imperative for Broadband Infrastructure Development in Nigeria; National Funding and Investment Strategy for Broadband Infrastructure and Digital Economy: The Importance of Education and Awareness and Regulation on Emerging Technologies (AI, IoT, Robotics, Blockchain, etc): Leveraging on Nigerian Young Population’s Innovation and Creativity for National Development.

Also, there shall be a special sectoral discussion tagged “Harnessing Digital Resources for Sectoral Effectiveness and Efficiency for National Development”.

The special session discussants are Mallam Adamu Adamu, Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Education; Dr. Osagie Ehanire, Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Health; Alhaji Mohammed Sabo Nanono, Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Others are Major GeneralBashir Salihi Magashi (Rtd), Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Defence; Chief Timipre Sylva, Honourable Minister of State, Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources and Otunba Richard Adeniyi Adebayo CON, Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment.

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.