Sesan takes on youth advantage @ NDSF’11

Nigerian Ambassador to the World Summit Youth Awards and member of the United Nations of eLeaders on Youth, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Mr. Gbenga Sesan has given his backing to the 2011 edition of the Nigeria Digital Sense (NDS) forum.

Sesan, who is the Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) gave his support while confirming participation at the third edition of NDS forum with theme: Internet Governance and Broadband Evolution in Nigeria, scheduled to hold on March 24 and 25 at the Golden Gate Paradise, Ikoyi-Lagos.

Making this disclosure at the weekend, the Executive Director, DigitalSENSE Africa, the organizers of NDS forum series, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke, said that Mr. Sesan would take on the sub-theme ‘Youth Advantage.’

She said that there is need to ensure that Nigerian youth are not left out of the Internet Governance by taking advantage offered by NDS forum on broadband evolution.

Mrs. Nweke equally said that Gbenga Sesan is expected to highlight some of these advantages at the forum to be presided over by former president of the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem.

She expressed delight that the collaboration between PIN and DigitalSENSE Africa have continued to grow and enjoined other key stakeholders to emulate the support from PIN.

Mrs. Nweke also said that Sesan, who until 2009 was member, Coordinating Bureau, African Youth ICT4D Network and chairman, Youth Development Committee, Nigeria Internet Group is known for his role in nurturing of Nigerian youths to embrace ICT for development.

Additionally, she said that Sesan was a member, Presidential Task Force on the restructuring of the Nigerian Information Technology, Telecommunications and Broadcasting sectors till 2008 and Nigerian representative, World Summit Awards Expert Panel between 2005 and 2009.

Mrs. Nweke noted that the PIN boss was a former vice chairman, African Technical Advisory Committee, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa until 2006, and a member, Group of 22 Experts on the Resolution of Nigeria’s Top Level Domain Issues (G22), Team Leader, Nigerian Youth Network on ICTs, including role as Nigeria’s first IT Youth Ambassador.

She recalled that Gbenga Sesan, an Ashoka Fellow has used PIN; a social enterprise to connect underserved people-groups with ICT-enabled opportunities and they have projects including Ajegunle.org, which is a capacity development initiative to connect the community’s youth with training, internship and mentorship opportunities and MISSPIN; a social campaign that is tackling cybercrime issues in Nigeria.

Originally trained as an Electronic & Electrical Engineer at Obafemi Awolowo University, Mr. Sesan completed management training at Lagos Business School, New York Group for Technology Transfer, Oxford University, Harvard University, Stanford University and Santa Clara University.

His consulting experience includes assignments completed for numerous institutions, including Microsoft, Harvard University, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Freedom House, Res Publica, Computer Aid International, Heinrich Boll Foundation and the International Telecommunications Union.

Beyond Nigeria, Mr. Sesan has consulted and made presentations in various countries, including Austria, Belgium, Benin Republic, Burkina Faso, Canada, Egypt, Ethiopia, Germany, Ghana, Greece and India.

Further, Sesan has made industry presentations at Italy, Kenya, Lithuania, Malaysia, Mali, Morocco, Qatar, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, United Kingdom and United States, to name a few.

An author of a number of books, ‘Gbenga Sesan is an experienced technology researcher.

Remmy Nweke:
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