… As ALTON, NigComSat, Hotspot Group Ltd Bosses, Others Make Speakers List
By Kingsley I. Ilechukwu, Senior Correspondent Lagos
The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria(ALTON) has announced that the US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) in partnership with the Business Council for International Understanding(BCIU), is sponsoring the US-Nigeria 5G and Next Generation Networks Virtual Workshop on April 26-27, 2022.
This is contained in an ALTON communication available to Cyber Era NG and authored by its Head, Operations, Gbolahan Awonuga.
The virtual event, no doubt, will afford critical Nigerian Digital Economy promoters from the operator, policy, regulatory and legal constituencies, led by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer(EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission(NCC), Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, among others, to update the world on the status of the deployment of the fifth generation(5G) technology in the country. From every indication, Pantami and his collaborators will take advantage of the plenary session to offer high-level welcome from the US and Nigerian governments, highlighting the objectives and importance of Open RAN deployment, as well as opportunities for the future and address policy, regulatory and legal aspects impinging on the 5G play.
Nigeria’s ICT sector is one of the fastest growing sectors of the Nigerian economy and the largest ICT market in Africa. In December 2021, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) conducted a spectrum auction to support the delivery of broadband services for the deployment of 5G networks. The Government of Nigeria aims to leverage the newly auctioned spectrum to develop a platform for new and emerging technologies such as IoT, artificial intelligence (AI), and big data. The rapid growth of the Nigerian 5G sector presents a compelling need for infrastructure development, as well as an opportunity for US firms to provide their expertise and solutions.
According to the workshop organizers, attendance at this event is limited to US and Nigerian individuals, firms, or consultants as defined by USTDA’s Nationality Source and Origin Requirements available on USTDA’s website at www.ustda.gov. Those interested in obtaining additional information and expressing interest in attending the workshop, are requested to email : Mr. Gaetan-Nicolas
Bernimolin at gbernimolin@bciu.org.
As part of the US-Nigeria 5G and Next Generation Networks Virtual Workshop, USTDA is organizing a Global Procurement Initiative (GPI) Training and Best Practices session from 12:30pm to 2:00pm WAT on Wednesday, April 27, 2022. This session is by invitation only and will bring together Nigerian public and private sector representatives to discuss procurement topics including best value, life cycle cost analysis and bid specification.
This workshop will convene public and private sector leaders from the United States and Nigeria to identify the technologies and solutions that can accelerate Nigeria’s 5G and Next Generation Networks. Participants will hear about the latest trends and technologies for connectivity, spectrum management, 5G deployment and security, as well as best practices for ICT sector development.
Topics lined up for discussion at the virtual event include:
- 5G and Next Generation Networks rollout and deployment
- Case studies on adopting 5G and Open RAN for public administration and services
- Financing 5G projects and deployments
- Deploying an open 5G ecosystem
Here is why attending the workshop is imperative:
- Form new business partnerships
- Learn about upcoming project opportunities in Nigeria
- Understand the landscape of the ICT sector in Nigeria
- Learn how to participate in Nigeria’s 5G rollout
- Showcase US innovative technologies and solutions
Confirmed event speakers include:
- Chairman, ALTON, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo
- Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, NigComSat, Dr. Abimbola Alale
- Chief Executive Officer, Hotspot Group Ltd, Morenikeji Aniye
- Senior Vice President, Business Development Mavenir, John Baker
- General Partner, Connectivity Capital, Jim Forster
- Director, Project Finance, United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC) Mr. Alexander Hadden
- Vice President, Marketing, Parallel Wireless, Ms. Eugina Jordan
- Vice President International Regulatory Affairs, Qualcomm, Ms. Elizabeth Migwalla
- Regional Connectivity and Digital Advisor, Bureau of Development, Democracy and Innovation United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Olutomi Olutola
- Partner, Searchlight Capital Partners, Ajit Pai
- Vice Chair, Open RAN Policy Coalition, Eric Wenger
- Vice President, China and Transformational Exports Programme (CTEP) Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) Mr. Andrew Rollo
- Director of Cybersecurity Office, Oracle Corporation, Travis Russell
- Head of TIP, Africa, Telecom Infra Project (TIP) Jody van Wyk
- Chief Technology Officer, Governments, Markets, and Trade, Intel Corporation, Dr. Claire Vishik
- Vice President, Global Telecommunications Industry, International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) Craig Wilson
- Associate Administrator, Office of International Affairs, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) Ms. Jaisha Wray
Sessions High-level welcome from the US and Nigerian governments, highlighting the objectives and importance of Open RAN deployment, as well as opportunities for the future
