The man who liberalised the telecom sector, former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the former Executive Vice-Chairman of the NCC, who auctioned the first set of Global System for Mobile Communications, GSM Networks licences in Nigeria, Engr. Ernest Ndukwe would lead other prominent delegates to the GSM@20 Telecom summit in Lagos next week.
Vice President Yemi Osibanjo is expected to chair the one-day telecommunications summit slated for October 28 at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos.
The one-day summit will commemorate the 20 years of the transformation of telecommunications services, which saw the emergence of Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) Networks in Nigeria in 2001.
The highlights of the summit include a masterclass for most media practitioners to be moderated by Tony Ojobo, President, African ICT Foundation with the Group Managing Director, Zenith Bank Plc, Ebenezer Onyeagwu as the Guest Speaker. There will be a Two-Part Anniversary Lecture under the Chairmanship of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami.
The first part entitled Telecommunications In Nigeria: The Revolution will be delivered by Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, Chairman, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc and former Executive Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). The second part, titled: Telecommunications In Nigeria: The Next Frontier will be delivered by Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta.
Also prominent on the lineup of activities for the summit is the unveiling of a Commemorative Publication entitled: Nigeria’s GSM, The Ultimate Game Changer by former President Olusegun Obasanjo and the formal exposure of the anniversary documentary titled: Nigeria’s Telecommunications Revolution: An NCC Legacy. The Awards segment will be in two broad categories. The first category will be for individual awards and is in four subsets; Evergreen Award, Pathfinders Award, Enablers Award and Honourable Mentions. The second category will be for institutions and include Industry Pioneers Award and Industry Pacesetters Award.
Notable among the 16 individual awardees are former President Obasanjo, under whose tenure the transformation of the telecommunications was consummated, Late Alhaji Ahmed Joda, who led the Board of NCC to midwife the telecommunications revolution, Ndukwe, who as the EVC of NCC was the real architect of the revolution, Prof. Isa Pantami, who as Minister of Communications and Digital Economy has, so far, added fillip to the nation’s telecommunications sector, Prof. Umar Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, who continues to sustain the growth occasioned by the telecoms revolution and Dr. Mike Adenuga Jnr, whose innovative streak continually adds verve to the telecommunications sector in Nigeria.