Following an exceptional outing in 2009, organisers of the conference, IT & Telecom Digest, working in conjunction with the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, have announced a speaker line up that includes ministers, regulators and leading industry experts and operators drawn from within West Africa, Europe, South Africa and the United States of America, aimed at giving the West African market an intellectual boost.
Delegates to the second West African ICT Congress, (Wafict 2010), will get several opportunities to hear from these industry experts, when the conference opens in Lagos on June 1. With the theme “Moving West Africa Forward: policy and technology imperatives – trends, potentials and challenges,” and running along the 10th Wafri.Tel exhibition, the event, touted as the biggest communications in west Africa, promises to present in the speaker line-up, a galaxy of telecom start from across the world.
The speaker line up includes Minister of Communications, Ghana Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, Hon Alhaji Ibrahim Ben Kargbo, Minister of Information & Communications, Sierra Leone, his counterparts in The Ghambia, Hon Ms Fatim Badji, (Minister of Communications and Information Technology), Hon Abdourahim Agne, Minister of Telecommunications, ICT, and Transports, Senegal as well as Hon Issa Tchiroma Bakary, Minister of Communications, Cameroon. The ministers are expected to be led by their Nigerian counterparts, Prof. Dora Akunyili and Mr. Labaran Maku, Minister and Minister of State for Information and Communications respectively.
 Others on the star line up of speakers include Engr. Stephen Bello, acting executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission as well as Engr. Ernest Ndukwe, the former EVC of the NCC. Mr. Mohamed Jameel, group chief operating officer, Globacom, Dr. Ekwo Spio-Garbrah, chief executive officer of the CTO as well as Mr. David Hartshorn, secretary-general of the Global Vsat Forum, will also speak at the three-day conference.
Giving more information on the forthcoming Wafict 2010 and the line up of speakers, the Editor-in-Chief of IT & Telecom Digest, Mr. Mkpe Abang said: “Because of the importance of the regulators’ role in moving the telecom industry forward we are also bringing key regulators from within the region, including Mr. Bernard Adu Forson, Jr. DG, National Communications Authority, Ghana, Mr. Siray A. Timbo, Chairman, National Telecommunications Commission, Sierra Leone, to join their Nigerian counterparts in our quest for providing working solutions for growing the west African telecom industry.”
Speaking further, Abang said CEOs of various operating companies, including Jeffrey Hedberg (Multi-Links Telkom), Steven Evans (Etisalat Nigeria), Ahmad Farroukh (MTN Nigeria) and Anurag Garg (DOPC) will be speaking at the event.
The list also include Mr. Greg Wyler, Founder/CEO of the 03b Networks, Funke Opeke, CEO of Main Street Technologies, Chief Leo Stan-Ekeh, Chairman of Zinox Technologies, Mr. Flavien Bachabi, Vice President, Africa, Intelsat, as well as industry leaders such as Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman, Association of Licensed Telephone Operators of Nigeria (Alton) and Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, President of the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).
“We really want to ensure WAFICT 2010 lives up to its billings as West Africa’s leading communications event. So, on the speaker list is also the CEO of Zain Nigeria, Mr. Alain Sainte-Marie, Chairman of the UK-based Castell Consulting, Dr. Stephen Castell, CEO of Phase 3 Telecom, Mr. Stanley Jegede, as well as the new President of ECOWAS, Ambassador James Victor Gbeho,” Abang further stated.
The organisers, in announcing the event, stated: “With competition from new mobile and allied ICT entrants, a growing market that embraces and shows great potential for broadband, limitless taste for mobile, WiMAX, network solutions, computing and e-business solutions, among others, Africa’s largest market, Nigeria, is also reputed as having the most transparent and best regulatory environment supportive for telecom and IT investment and growth in Africa.
“Little wonder that Nigeria is the perfect setting for West Africa’s most fulfilling conference, the West African ICT Congress (WAFICT), a perfect platform for taking the giant steps the sub-region needs to move from digital exclusion to inclusion.
Running alongside the award-winning West African International Telecommunications and Information Communications Technology exhibition (W.Afri.Tel) now in its 10th year, WAFICT Congress 2010 will gather the industry’s best, experienced, skilled and skilful professionals, operators, experts, regulators and government decision makers – with the sole aim of growing West Africa’s market for the good of all.
“Our speaker list consisting of ministers, regulators, CEOs, experts, professionals, decision makers, operators and service providers for the conference agenda, is therefore tailored to meet the growing trends in the industry in line with the theme, which seeks to deliberate on the socio-political and regulatory challenges facing West Africa as it struggles with keeping pace with the rest of the world,” the organizers stated.