Diaspora and International investors, Communications and Technology experts and other business leaders are to participate in a two-day summit in central London between May 10 and 11 as part of an ambitious drive to attract investments into Nigeria and to get Diasporans involved in the Communications and IT industry.
Organised by the Nigerian Diaspora Direct Investment Summit (NDDIS), the event is designed to expose Diasporans and other international investors to the opportunities available within Nigeria’s communications and IT sector. At the event, communications Minister Dr. Adebayo Shittu along with the heads of several parastatals under his ministry will outline areas of potential investment opportunities including mobile phones, Internet penetration and satellite television. The summit will focus on ICT on Education, Agriculture, Health and Business sectors.
Expected to attract a lot of potential investors, the summit will also include IT professionals giving submissions on how to drive the sector forward. During an NDDIS press conference in Abuja, earlier this year, Mr Shittu announced plans to tap into Nigerians living in the Diaspora in a bid to surpass the 30% penetration target set in the National Broadband Plan by the end of the year.
According to the minister, because of poor electricity supply in the country, newer technologies were required for Broadband connectivity in the rural communities where the customer base might not justify investment in multi-layer power generation by existing telecommunications operators. He added that the London summit was being packaged to facilitate new investment commitments in the country by Diasporans, with the aim of increasing Broadband connectivity, creating jobs and enhancing the economy.
Chief Bimbo Roberts Folayan, the NDDIS chief executive, said: “At the summit, we will have the Honourable Minister of Communications, the Nigerian High Commissioner, Governors, Director-Generals of agencies and the chief executives of IT and communication companies speaking on how to invest into the vast opportunities in the telecoms and IT sectors in Nigeria.
Our theme for the day shall be Investing into the Nigerian Communications and Technology Sector and the role of ICT and Communications on Education, Health, Agriculture and Business Development.’
Doyin Owoeye, the NDDIS Media manager, added that the summit is being organised in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Communications, the Office of the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs, the British African Business Alliance (BABA) and the Nigerian High Commission in London. She urged anyone interested in obtaining tickets to visit: www.nddis.co.uk or Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nigerian-communications-and-technology-summit-london-tickets
