MTN supports WAFICT congeress’11

The largest telecommunications company in the country, MTN Nigeria is backing the 2011 edition of the West Africa Information and Communications Technology (WAFICT) Congress which is on its third year.

The congress scheduled to hold next month in Lagos between October 18 and 20, according to the chief host and Editor-in-Chief, IT & Telecom Digest, Mr. Mkpe Joseph Abang.

He also disclosed that MTN has said supporting the WAFICT Congress is a testimonial to its commitment to helping to ensure the Nigerian, and indeed, African telecommunications industry continues to experience growth.

He noted in a press statement made available to ITRealms Online that MTN Nigeria is the largest subsidiary in the MTN Group.

“The Group has operations in 21 countries in Africa and the Middle East with a combined subscriber base of over 150 million,” he said.

Abang said that top management experts of MTN Nigeria, would join indigenous and foreign information and communications technology experts as well as speakers to West Africa’s leading sub-regional conference on ICT sector organised by Africa’s foremost ICT magazine, IT & Telecom Digest, in conjunction with the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO).

MTN Nigeria, he said, joins Airtel, Visafone and Phase 3 Telecom, as confirmed sponsors of this year’s edition of the West Africa’s largest gathering of ICT regulators, operators, industry players, telecom lawyers, ICT Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), Government agencies and ICT consumers, while many others have been indicating interest to participate in one way or the other.

“The Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation (CTO) would lead ICT ministers from West Africa to the sub-region’s top-of-the-table showpiece,” Abang said.

He further said that this year’s WAFICT Congress and Exhibition is set to open new horizons, introduce new technologies and provide greater insights for governments and regulators in the sub-region to benefit from new trends and potentials in the technological arena.

Abang went on to stated that with the theme “An Emerging New Frontier: Opportunities and Potentials for Deployment of Broadband Services”, WAFICT Congress 2011 has been designed to expose the sub-region to the many challenges that must be surmounted if the sub-region is to enjoy the full benefits of a robust policy direction, firm and transparent regulatory environment and technology acceptability in line with changing global trends, with broadband being at the core of discussions.

He emphasised that WAFICT is already attracting national and international endorsements, interests and a star-studded speaker line up. Speakers and participants from within West Africa and beyond will grace the event, while leading ICT ministers across the sub-region are also on the line-up of lead speakers.

Participants for the conference will be drawn from operating ICT and telecom companies, GSM and CDMA operators, the banking sector, the legal profession, the oil and gas sector, government agencies, regulatory bodies, consumer advocacy groups, the academia, value added service providers and Internet Service Providers, among others.

Remmy Nweke

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