By Emeka Aginam
Minister of Information and   Communications, Dr.  Dora Akunyiri and the Governor of Anambra State, Mr Peter Obi have thrown their weight behind the  maiden edition of Information and Communication Technology Exhibition Conference, tagged ITEC Abuja 2010.

While the organizers, the Medalion Marketing Limited, is riding on its track records in the management of both domestic and international trade fairs across the country to host its forthcoming ICT trade exhibition and conference, other speakers lining up for the event will also include the acting EVC at NCC, as well as Chairman Senate Committee on Communications, Senator Sylvester Anyanwu, among other top personalities

“As Nigeria’s No.1 exhibition and events company offering first-class seamless services in the organization and management of trade fairs, we have successfully organised more than 25 international trade fairs in Abuja, Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt including 15 local fairs in Warri, Owerri, Jos, Onitsha, Markurdi, etc,”  said Mr. Fidel Ikenna Ndubisi, Managing Director/CEO told IT journalists in a press conference last week in Lagos ahead of the event.
According to him,  the company was  poised to successfully host ITEC Abuja 2010, come August. He said that the Technology Exhibition Conference has been designed to unfold what’s new in the IT and telecom industry.

 “We are targeting more than 150 companies from the ICT sector and 300 professionals are expected at the events. The conference with the theme: ‘The Role of ICT in improving competitiveness is one event that will not only tackle the way we do business but also the way we live, learn and play.

 “ITEC 2010 is the ideal platform for local entrepreneurs in ICT sector of economy to launch their new products to visitors and exhibitors who are coming from all the sectors of the converging information and communication technology environment.” He said.

The five –day event, he further noted, would serve as a forum for  mobile  phone operators, computer hardware resellers, software developers, etc, to network with manufacturers, development partners and distributors and discuss the latest developments in internet, telecom and computing sectors, IT security, business systems satellite industry, broadcasting and many other IT and telecom related operators. 

The event is designed to facilitate the establishment and sustenance of highly rewarding commercial partnerships between foreign investors and technology providers and local representatives including dealers and distributors as well as resellers in Nigeria.

On the choice of Abuja, he declared that it was because of their track records having done international exhibitions in the North for eight consecutive years.  Based on this, he said they are using the conference and exhibition to reach out to digital mobile operators, fixed wireless access operators including long distance operators, internet service providers in the North in order to stimulate the market.

Managing Director, Lohi Consulting, Annie Eimiakhena, the event consultant, pointed out the learning aspect to the conference, saying: “The conference is going to be knowledge –based because of the different papers that will be presented at the forum by leading experts in the ICT sector.