Experts canvass telecoms infrastructure sharing to grow economy
By Adeyemi Adepetun and Chiemerem Umenne
FOR Nigeria to come out of the doldrums of economic stagnation and under developments, there has been a call by telecommunications guru and stakeholders in the industry for a converged economy through infrastructure sharing among telecoms operators in the country.
Precisely, they agreed that a converged economy would bring together those, who have the finesse in various disciplines in telecoms to foster the way forward for the Nigerian economy that is presently experiencing turbulence.
Delivering the lead speech with the theme: “Realising the potentials of a converged economy,” at the just concluded Information Technology exposition/ lecture organised by Titans of Tech in Lagos, Mr. Titi Omo-Ettu challenged Nigerians and ICT professionals on the need for a converged economy, saying that it is time for Nigerians to set up the stage for an all encompassing economy, if the dream of becoming one of the first 20 economies of the world by the year 2020 must be achieved.
Omo-Ettu described convergence as distinct services that are brought together and provided as a single service to the majority of the people, adding that such an economy will mean the totality of converged industries and services.
He noted that for any successful convergence to take place, there must be convergence of the nation’s policies to reflect what it is all about.
The ICT expert explained that convergence is faced with some challenges that needed urgent solution. Some of the challenges according to him, include governance and lack of broadband internet access.
According to him, government must invest in infrastructure, restructure current markets, review educational sector, manage existing industry among others.
On Information and Communications Technology (ICT) in a converged economy, Chief Executive of Helios Towers, Mr. Fazal Hussain urged all telecom operators to consider investing in infrastructures, if the telecom industry must achieve convergence in its sector.
He charged operators not to be distracted by the burden of constructing and installing masts and towers, but to concentrate on the introduction of new technologies and services that will benefit their subscribers.
Infrastructure sharing, he said, will enable three to four operators share facilities like mast, towers, antennae, and in the process, reduce cost of service to a large extent.
He also noted that government should come up with policies that will allow for easy convergence, while at the same time make internet access available to Nigerians.
Chief Executive Officer of Technology Africa, organisers of Titans of Tech, Mr. Don Pedro Aganbi disclosed that technology convergence offers massive opportunities for the development of value-added services and expansion of consumer choice.
He said if Nigeria is to feel the full benefit of convergence, then the legal and regulatory environment must develop at the same pace, hence, new laws must be drafted in such a way that the laws will be “technology neutral and must take account of international developments.”
Meanwhile, Nigeria is celebrating her technology heroes. This was aptly demonstrated at the Titans of Tech National ICT Merit Award, which held in Lagos over the weekend that it is impossible to judge the impact of technology in the growth and development of a country without reference to people. Evidently, it is people, who make change possible and engineer revolutions.
To Aganbi, the award is designed to celebrate hi-tech revolutionaries, trail-blazers, pioneers, men and women of entrepreneurial integrity, who are at the forefront of technology deployment and adoption in the country.
“Thankfully, Nigeria is not in short supply of men and women helping to change the way we live, talk and sleep, particularly in the area of computer hardware and software segments, Internet, IT education, IT security and telecom among others,” said Aganbi
The awards were in three categories of Legends of Technology, IT Technoprenuers and ICT Merit Awardees.
Among the Legends of Technology presented with medals of honour were Otunba Mike Adenuga, chairman and chief executive of Globacom, leading telecommunications services provider, Demola Aladekomo, CEO, Chams Plc, premier ICT solutions provider, Jim Ovia, chairman Visafone, fastest growing CDMA mobile services provider and Mrs Florence Seriki, managing director, Omatek Ventures Plc, foremost indigenous computer manufacturer.
The citations indicated the pioneering role the Legends of Technology have played in shaping the Nigeria ICT plane. On Adenuga, it read in part, “Nigerians remember Adenuga fondly for his timely intervention in the telecommunications arena, where he appears to hold the aces that determine the pace of play.
It would be recalled that Globacom’s historic introduction of Per Second Billing and subsequent crashing of SIM price did not only skew the GSM equation in its favour but has continued to hold a lot of implications for the burgeoning Nigerian telecommunications sector.
“Today, Globacom, under his leadership, has been adjudged the fastest-growing telecoms operations in Africa and the third fastest in the world, with an active subscriber base currently in excess of 20 million. The company also has operations in Benin Republic and Ghana and is known to be exploring other opportunities across the continent and beyond.”
It also said, “Demola Aladekomo is a highly experienced IT practitioner with some of the landmark achievements in the industry associated to him, arising from his visionary capacity in IT. Aladekomo was responsible for the establishment of the first wide area networking on PC in Nigeria. Chams, at present is Nigeria’s leading smart cards solutions company.”
” Mrs. Florence Seriki, who started out in 1986 as a youth corper with the NNPC, by teaching the Who-is-Who in the financial and oil industry how to type with the computer when it was only the big companies that could acquire it, is today the only female among the managing directors of the four companies making Nigeria proud in the area of locally made PCs.
“Omatek, which she manages, is the first computer factory in Africa to locally produce completely knocked down casings, completely knocked down speakers and to locally produce home entertainment speakers, ranging from two-in-one speakers to five-in-one. With a very large factory at Ojota, Lagos from where she manufactures her products, she has touched every sector for the economy in addition to sharpening the skills of students of tertiary institutions who come for industrial attachments,” it said of Mrs. Seriki.
Jim Ovia, co-founder and pioneer managing director/CEO of Zenith Bank Plc was hailed has being in the vanguard of promotion and propagation of Information and Communication Technology in Nigeria. He is the chairman of the Nigeria Software Development Initiative (NSDI) and also chairman, National Information Technology Advisory Committee (NITAC).
“Jim Ovia is also the founder of the ICT Foundation for Youth Empowerment, which focuses on improving the socio-economic welfare of Nigerian youths by inspiring and motivating them to embrace Information and Communication Technology. Lately, he has emerged as the chairman of Visafone, the CMDA operator that has revolutionise the face mobile telephony in Nigeria, connecting 2.5 million subscribers in its first year of operation.”
Others recorgnised as IT Technoprenuer were Annie Okonkwo, a philanthropist, businessman and chairman of Reltelwireless, promoters of the ZOOMMobile Brand, Chief Leo Stan Ekeh, chairman, Zinox Technologies, leading indigenous PC manufacturer, Cosmos Maduka, chairman/CEO Coscharis Company Limited and Admiral Alison Madueke, chairman, Interconnect Clearing House Limited, primer-clearing house for the nation’s telecommunications industry.
The ICT Training Academy of the year went to New Horizons, ICT Company of the year to Chams Plc, ICT Driven Bank of the year, FinBank; ICT product of the year, Good Job Portal from Wadof Software Consulting; Nigeria’s Global ICT Company had two winners, Omatek Ventures Plc and Globacom and the ICT Driven Microfinance Bank of the year went to Integrated Microfinance Bank.
The Software Company of the year was clinched by Programos Software; ICT Driven University of the year, Covenant University; ICT driven secondary School of the year, Christ the King Int’l School; Best ICT Company with Indigenous content, Wadof; ICT Personality of the year, Mr. Tim Akano, CDMA Company of the year, Visafone; Mobile Operator Company of the year, MTN Nigeria; ICT Driven Airline of the year, Dana Air and Telecom Brand of the year, ZOOMMobile.
Others winners included IT Brand of the year, Zinox; ICT Driven State of the year, Lagos State; Best ICT Infrastructure Company of the year, Helious Tower; Best ISP of the year, Emperion; Best ICT Support Bank, GTBank; and the Bank with Best e-Channel
Zenith Bank.
According to Aganbi, the recipients of the Titans of Tech National ICT Merit Award were chosen on the basis of value of solution in solving recognised technology problems, meeting network requirements, optimising service and performance, and enhancing customer service.
The originality of the vision, overall quality of innovation and contribution to technology advancement, potential contribution towards positive industry growth and service were other criteria used.
