Nigeria to Showcase SMEs at ITU Telecom World 2016

Emma Okonji

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) innovators, industry players and stakeholders are among the large number of delegates to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Telecom World 2016.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will feature prominently at the 2016 ITU Telecoms conference, where it plans to showcase SMEs as part of the Nigerian community that is key to digital transformation.

The event, which is due to hold in Bangkok, Thailand from November 14 – 17, 2016, will provide participants, including SMEs, the opportunity to network, showcase their innovations and tap new business models in the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) space.

Director, Public Affairs at NCC, Mr. Tony Ojobo, who confirmed Nigeria’s participation, said participants would explore importance of collaboration in the digital economy through best approaches, business models and technologies to forge flourishing inclusive ecosystem.

According to Ojobo, Nigeria has adopted a theme: “Smart Communities: the key to a Digital Nigeria”, and that the theme underscores the importance that Nigeria attaches to the ITU Telecom World 2016.

The general theme for ITU Telecom World 2016 is “ Collaboration in the Digital Economy” and this will signpost collaborative regulation, the connected car, smart sustainable cities, fostering SME innovation, new roles for the satellite industry and digital financial services.

This year’s theme theme according to Ojobo would feature compelling formats ranging from top-level CEO/Ministerial round tables to open dialogues between governments and small and medium business leaders and interactive panel debates.

Ojobo explained that Nigerian industry players, regulator, NCC, satellite player, the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT), e-government service provider, Galaxy Backbone, the postal sector led by NIPOST and Nigerian Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), will have the opportunity to participate in sessions that will bring together speakers and an influential global audience drawn from governments, key ICT players, international organisations, high growth SMEs, consultants, academia, the media among others.

A leadership summit of global leaders from public and private sectors will open the forum with an exploration of why working together is critical for growth in the digital economy and how it can best be achieved, Ojobo said.