By Prince Osuagwu

Annual ICT conferences, West Africa Information and Communications Technology Exhibition, W.Afri.Tel, and the West African ICT Congress, WAFICT, last week received the nod of the Association of  Telecom Companies of Nigeria, ATCON as industry’s best in the sub-region.

This is even as the conferences attracted one of the country’s top telecom players, Airtel Nigeria, whic has agreed to sponsor the events in the Platinum category.

ATCON’s endorsement and Airtel’s sponsorship, according to the organisers, testified to the huge impact the conferences have made in the last eleven years in existence.

ATCON President, Engr Titi Omo-Ettu, said that his association would not hesitate to partner organisers of the event in very relevant aspects to ensure its members leverage on the two platforms to drive ICT development in Nigeria.

Omo-Ettu, noted that W.Afri.Tel exhibition, now in its eleventh year, has in the past one decade become the main platform for the celebration of Nigeria’s success in telecommunications, even as.

WAFICT congress, which was first held in 2009, alongside W.Afri.Tel has become a veritable platform for the cross-fertilisation of ideas that continue to contribute to the development of many fruitful policies the country is witnessing today.

In his estimation, every serious ICT company in the West Africa should strive to avail itself of the opportunity to leverage on the conferences to reach a wide market that cuts across the entire ICT ecosystem.

WAFICT Congress, organised by IT&Telecom Digest magazine in conjunction with the UK-based Commonwealth Telecommunications Organisation, CTO, would run alongside the 11th edition of the W.Afri.Tel, organised by EMS of South Africa, from June 14-16 at the Eko Hotels, Victoria Island Lagos. Recently, the Minister of Information and Communications, Honourable Labaran Maku, also endorsed the conferences and urged mobile companies, ISP, government agencies and establishments, telecom operators as well as all other stakeholders, to support the events and join the ministry in giving a voice to Nigeria’s achievements in telecom.

Airtel’s platinum

sponsorship

Meanwhile, Airtel Nigeria has already agreed to sponsor theWAFCIT event as Platinum sponsor even as its Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Rajan Swaroop, has already been confirmed as a lead speaker at the conference.

Editor-In- Chief of IT&Telecom Digest, organisers of the event , Mr Mkpe Abang told ICT reporters that Swaroop was elated to have his company as Platinum sponsor and quoted him as having said that “Airtel would like to use the opportunity that the WAFICT Congress provides to join the government and people of Nigeria in celebrating the 10th anniversary of the telecom revolution in the country, which it pioneered on August 5th, 2001 as the first operator to launch commercial service in Nigeria.

“Over the years, we have maintained the enviable track record of being the best in terms of customer service, which is really a major differentiation in a market that offers virtually the same services. We

see a great need to continue to give to the Nigerian people the best services ever, to put smiles on their faces, to help enhance their lives socially, economically, educationally and in all aspects that will make

them experience life in its best possible ways. Indeed Airtel is committed to giving Nigerians the freedom to live and actualise their dreams.”

Abang also expressed the excitement of the Chief Executive Officer of the CTO, Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, on Airtel’s sponsorship, quoting him as saying that “Airtel has exhibited by this sponsorship, seriousness and commitment to the telecom industry in Nigeria, Africa and indeed the entire world. We know Airtel as a company that not only exhibit readiness to deliver on its promise on quality services, but to also support the telecom industry to grow by supporting activities of government in that direction.”