Mr. Hamadoun Toure, former secretary general of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), has been named the keynote speaker at Nigeria’s Investment Forum in ITU Telecom World 2016, Bangkok, Thailand.

The forum is the highpoint of Nigeria’s participation in the event that is due to run from November 14 – 17, 2016.

Barrister Adebayo Shittu, minister of Communications, is the Chief host at the forum which is slated for November 15, 2016.

Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, executive governor of Kaduna State, and Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, executive vice chairman (EVC) of Nigerian communications Commission (NCC), have also been listed as panelists at the forum.

A statement by Mr. Tony Ojobo, director, Public Affairs, at NCC also listed Mr. Hakeem Belo-Osagie, Chairman, Etisalat Nigeria and Ms. Funke Opeke, Managing Director, MainOne Cable Company as panelists at the forum.

The forum will be moderated by Dr. Henry Nzekwu a Consummate Multi-sectoral Team Leader and Executive Vice Chairman of MessageWise Limited

The theme for Nigeria’s participation this year is “Smart Communities: the key to a digital Nigeria”, which runs alongside the global theme “Collaborating in the Digital Economy”.

Apart from deliberating on and presenting the vast investment potentials in Nigeria’s fast growing ICT sector, the forum will create opportunity for Industry Stakeholders, Financiers and Entrepreneurs to share experiences and examine key development trends in technology, regulation, policy, business models, services and applications.

Toure, a founding Executive Director of SMART Africa Alliance and immediate past Secretary General of ITU is a longstanding champion of ICTs as a driver of social and economic development.

Prior to his ascension to the post of Secretary General, Toure previously served as Director of ITU’s Telecommunications Development Bureau (BDT) from 1998 – 2006. 

In this role, he placed considerable emphasis on implementing the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), launching projects based on partnerships with International organisations, Governments, the Private Sector and Civil Society.

Toure’s professional career started in his native land, Mali in 1979, building a solid career in the Satellite Industry, serving as Managing Engineer in Mali’s first International Earth Station.

El-Rufai is the Executive Governor of Kaduna State. Prior to his election in 2015, he had built a successful career in Executive Management within the public and private sectors.

He holds a first class degree in Quantity Surveying from Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, a Law Degree from University of London and a Master’s Degree from Harvard University.

He was once the Minister of Federal Capital Territory.

Prior to his appointment on August 4, 2015, as Executive Vice Chairman (EVC), Prof. Umar Danbatta served as a member of the Implementation Committee of the North West University, Kano and Acting Vice Chancellor of the Kano University of Science & Technology, Wudil.

He has previously served as Vice President of Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), International Centre for Advanced Communications Studies, building expertise in key areas of ICT implementation, policy and regulation including strategies for ensuring Universal Access and Service to Telecommunications Services.

Prof. Danbatta started his professional career as a lecturer in the Department of Electrical Engineering, Faculty of Technology, Bayero University, Kano where he taught courses in Telecommunications Engineering and Electronics for 28 years and held academic positions of Dean of the Faculty and Head of Department at different times.

Belo-Osagie is the Chairman of Etisalat Nigeria, Nigeria’s fourth largest telecoms mobile network operator with over 18 million active subscribers. He is a business leader steering various successful corporate brands and investments in different sectors particularly the telecommunications, finance and energy sectors in Nigeria.

Belo-Osagie holds an MBA from the Harvard Business School, a law degree from Cambridge University and M.A in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from Oxford University.

Ms Opeke is an experienced telecommunications executive, the founder of Main Street Technologies and Chief Executive Officer of MainOne – a leading provider of innovative telecom services and network solutions in West Africa.

Born and raised in Nigeria, she obtained her first degree in Electronic & Electrical Engineering from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-ife in 1981 before proceeding to New York for a Master’s degree at Columbia University. 

Following her graduation from Columbia, Ms. Opeke returned to Nigeria in 2005 as the Chief Technical Officer of MTN Nigeria Communications (MTN) – Nigeria’s largest mobile network operator – after a twenty-year career in the United States. Prior to her return, she was the Executive Director of Verizon Communications Wholesale Division.

She joined MTN Nigeria as Chief Technical Officer, and also served as adviser to Transcorp and Chief Operating Officer of NITEL for a brief period before launching Main Street Technologies in 2007.  The company went on to raise $240million to build the pioneer private submarine cable system in West Africa – MainOne Cable.

The 7,000km cable run from Portugal down to Accra, Ghana and Lagos, Nigeria and is delivering wholesale broadband capacity across several countries in West Africa today. 

She is an independent Non-Executive Director of Atlas Mara Limited.