Experts to explore key drivers of Nigeria’s telecom in UK

The key drivers for sector development and network expansion through creation of enabling environment for Information and Communication Technology (ICT) growth in Nigeria is top on the agenda of a two-day telecommunications summit to hold in the United Kingdom (UK) in November this year, says Ms Sylvia Ogunka, a member of the organizing team.

In a statement issued in Lagos, Ogunka said the event being put together by BEN Television and Lancaster Investments UK Limited, tagged Nigeria UK Telecommunications Summit is about promoting strategic growth.

She also said that the two day summit would hold in November in London, with top on the agenda focusing on the network expansion on Nigeria’s ICT growth strategy in addition to the government initiatives to stimulate investment and private sector participation - Nigeria’s privatisation programme and the telecommunications sector as well as the future of NITEL.

According to her, the role of government in providing communications infrastructure, viable options for solving the interconnectivity problem and plans for expansion into rural areas – investment and opportunities will form part of the agenda.

Additionally, the fiscal and legal frameworks for investment, enhancing the role of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to achieve the regulatory effectiveness, independence and transparency, and how the Commission plan to manage competition in the best interest of the consumers, have been slated as part of the programme for discussion at the summit.

Ogunka further said that investors’ expectation and perspective of the regulatory environment, independent regulatory and competitive analysis and best practice case study of a successful regulatory model would also be addressed.

She pointed out that the impact of market growth on profitability, growth of the fixed wireless network- realistic targets for broadband access, strategies to enhance operators’ performance, infrastructure sharing a means of construction amongst telecoms operators, just as the liberalization of the Power Holding Company of Nigeria (PHCN) and managing energy supply for the telecommunications sector have not been left out of the summit’s agenda.

Equally, Ogunka informed correspondents that Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) for economical rural telephone and infrastructure development were available inNigeria. How is VoIP advancing in Nigeria; how is it going to affect competition, would be adequately covered at the summit.

Even as seeking to answer which of Wireless Fidelity (Wi-Fi) and Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) that has the capability to increase internet penetration for all more efficiently in a state like Nigeria.

She emphasized that the summit would examine the potential for later generation technology 2.5G and 3G in Nigeria as well as the future of multimedia - digital music and mobile gaming to name a few.

ITRealms Online recalls that BEN Television in partnership with Lancaster Investments (UK) Ltd aims through the summit to provide a forum for learning which allows all established investors and new investors in the Nigerian telecommunications industry to meet with their peers and ultimately, expand their businesses.

They organizers are collaborating closely with the Ministry of Communications, and Nigerian Investment Promotion Corporation (NIPC).

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