2011: ITAN, ATCON to host presidential candidates’ dialogue

Information Technology Industry Association of Nigeria (ITAN) and the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) may have advanced plans to host some 43 presidential candidates of political parties to an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry dialogue.

ITAN was established in 1991 as Microcomputer Vendors Association of Nigeria (MiVAN) and transmuted into Computer Vendors Association of Nigeria (CoVAN). By year 2000 it transformed into Information Technology (Industry) Association of Nigeria (ITAN) and is a professional member of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS).

ATCON) is a professional, non-profit umbrella organisation of all telecommunication companies in Nigeria, inaugurated on December 10, 1993 as a national trade organisation, with membership drawn from Nigeria and multi-national companies which provide telecommunications and information technology products and services in the country.

The presidents of ITAN and ATCON Messrs Jimson Olufuye and Titi Omo-Ettu respectively, confirmed this in a press statement made available to ITRealms Online at the weekend.

They said that by a joint action of the two associations, initial contact and a first follow-up action has been made to all political parties in respect of the proposed dialogue with their Presidential candidates.

The response, they said, has been positive and few follow-up steps will fine-tune the plans.

According to the leaders of both organisation, its objective of engaging the contestants for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in a non-partisan, ICT industry-related discussion with their members is to decipher what could be realistically expected should they win the 2011 election.

“We will like to impress that the meeting is not a debate among Presidential candidates and anticipate it will take place sometime in March in Lagos, with further details of when and where to be announced when all plans are more definite,” part of the statement read.

Remmy Nweke:
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