Phase 3, GBB others root for Convergence Forum

Second edition of the IT Edge West Africa Convergence Forum, has started to attract major industry players as technology partners.

The latest list include Phase 3 Telecom, Galaxy Backbone Plc, Nigeria eGovernment Strategies (NeGSt) Limited, and the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) to name a few.

Chief executive of KMI, organizers of the event, scheduled to hold in Lagos, on August 22, 2008, Mr. Segun Oruame, said that the above named entities are joining forces with the major sponsor and partner, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in pushing the frontier of knowledge in Nigeria’s boisterous telecom market of over 50 million subscribers and offshore investment in excess of $15 billion in less than half a decade.

Oruame quoted the Chief executive officer of NeGSt, Dr Olu Agunloye as saying in Abuja, that the Forum’s themes on the goals for which the NeGSt was founded including to enthrone a technology-driven society where ease of transactions will be introduced in every facet of life.

NeGSt, he said, is designed to be Nigeria’s prime eGovernment backbone infrastructure.

“This forum offers ample opportunity for NeGSt to share with the stakeholders its core values on egovernment and its mission to ensure an e-driven country,” said Alhaji Abubakar Ali, one of NeGSt directors also in Abuja while commending the NCC for its foresight in using best practices and right leadership to make the Nigerian regulatory environment one of the best on the globe.

Also speaking, director general, NARSDA, Prof. Ajayi Boroffice, noted that NCC has through rare display of leadership and foresight created the right investment environment backed by a purposeful government.

“We at NARSDA are not only happy to be part of the IT Edge Convergence Forum; we are also pleased to have a great organisation such as the NCC promoting this forum,” Boroffice said.

In his part, chief executive of Phase 3 Telecom, Mr. Stanley Jegede, said his firm was part of the forum on Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) organized by KMI previously and is pleased to join forces with other stakeholders in this year’s forum.

“We have no reason to hesitate to be part of this Forum encouraged by the track record of IT Edge.

Chief, business operations at Galaxy Backbone Plc, Yusuf Kazaure, said, “We would definitely be part of this,” he said.

Additionally, Oruame informed that the Chief Executive Officer of Galaxy Mr. Gerald Ilukwe is on the confirmed list of resource persons on the Infrastructure session and would be joined by his counterpart from Backbone Connectivity Network (BCN), Dr. Kwame Boakye, Mr. Jegede and Prof. Boroffice among others.

The IT Edge West Africa Convergence Forum is organized by Knowledge Media International Limited, publishers of IT Edge and www.itedgenews.com.

The event is geared at promoting the right framework for best practices and results as the technology sector evolved to its ultimate fate of convergence. The second edition follows the trail of the first edition as West Africa’s primal gathering on knowledge advancement on the key issues that affect the industry.


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