The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is set to open the latest edition of its flagship ITU Telecom World conference and exhibition series with a new series of online discussions and events starting on Wednesday, 1 September.

ITU Digital World 2021 spans an insightful three-month programme of high-level debates, networking, and a virtual exhibition, culminating in the event’s annual ITU Digital World 2021 SME Awards.

It also marks the 50th anniversary of the first ITU Telecom event in 1971.

Co-hosted with the Government of Viet Nam, this latest edition brings together leaders of government and industry under a timely theme: “Building the digital world. Together.”

Highlights include:

Forum Sessions

The ITU Digital World Forum will convene experts from industry, governments and organizations from around the world, all focused on digital technologies, for online sessions between 01 September and 01 December.

September webinars focus on​​

• Infrastructure, the building block of connectivity
• What the next generation of n​etworks looks like
• What 5G enables and how its ecosystem can be equitably developed
• The unique vision and value proposition of the satellite industry
• Best practices to promote greater spectrum harmonization.​
• Partner sessions will explore the expectations and challenges of future networks and standardization beyond the 5G era.

Subsequent webinars consider the emerging technologies and new skills driving the transformation; key challenges of the digital world; addressing our sector’s environmental footprint; and protecting privacy.

Expert Insights

• Speakers from across government and industry include:
• Christopher Calabrese, Senior Director, Privacy and Data Policy, Microsoft Corporation
• Erik Ekudden, Chief Technology Officer, Ericsson
• Fábio Faría, Minister of Communication, Brazil
• Dorothy Gordon, Chair, Information for All Programme, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
• Jocelyn Karakula, Chief Technology Innovation Officer, Orange Middle East and Africa
• Christopher Patnoe, Head of Accessibility and Disability Inclusion, Google
• Ruy Pinto, Chief Technology Officer, SES
• Jessica Rosenworcel, Acting Chairwoman, U.S. Federal Communications Commission
• Mikael Rylander, Technology Leadership Officer, Nokia Networks
• Irene Kaggwa Sewankambo, Acting Executive Director, Uganda Communications Commission
• Victor D. Sparrow, Director, Spectrum Policy and Planning, U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
• ​Ministerial Roundtables

Ministers from around the world, regulators, and top-level industry representatives between 12 and 15 October will explore how digital transformation can be facilitated and funded, the services and content that will drive it, and what roles governments themselves can play.

Virtual Exhibition

 Organised by event co-host the Government of Viet Nam and due to open from 12 October, the exhibition will showcase companies, countries, projects and products through a virtual exhibition hall, business booths and a conference space, all accessible online.

SME Awards

The ITU Digital World Awards recognize the best and most innovative tech solutions changing the world for the better. See shortlisted small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) pitching throughout November, with the Awards Ceremony marking the close of this year’s conference and exhibition on 01 December.

​When it happens: 01 September – 01 December 2021.

Where: Virtually. After registering on the event web page, participants receive links to sessions by e-mail.

Why: ITU Digital World 2021 off​ers a unique opportunity to connect with industry and government leaders, explore the latest trends in technology and policy, understand what’s driving digital transformation, network, share knowledge, best practice and ideas.

Expert speakers include information and communication technology (ICT) industry leaders and influencers, ICT ministers, regulators and tech experts. The virtual exhibition showcases innovations from key players and world regions, as well as high-growth Vietnamese SMEs.​

Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will launch a compendium of his landmark speeches, presentations and  unveiling of two other strategic initiatives of the Commission on September 7, 2021 in Abuja.

Titled: “Catalysing Nigeria’s Socio-Economic Transformation through Broadband Infrastructure,” the book is a compilation of carefully-selected, seminal speeches and presentations of Prof. Danbatta, touching on all strategic areas of the nation’s telecoms industry development and the entire digital economy ecosystem, since his assumption of office as the EVC/CEO of NCC in August, 2015.

Danbatta, a Professor of telecommunications engineering, accomplished academic, and seasoned administrator has made extensive speeches and presentations on a wide-range of subjects in telecoms and ICT at important national, regional and international events  since leaving the ivory tower to become the EVC of NCC in 2015.

His landmark speeches and presentations from 2015 till date have, thus, been codified in a concise collection, as a compendium, providing useful information that will significantly add value to the existing body of knowledge in the telecoms sector, and by extension, the entire Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry.

The foreword to the book has been painstakingly written by the late former Chairman, Board of Commissioners of NCC, Alhaji Ahmed Joda of blessed memory. The book will serve as a useful reference material not only for existing and prospective investors in the sector but also for researchers in the academia as well as policy analysts and others interested in any aspects of the telecom industry and regulation. The book which also chronicles important milestones attained by the Commission under Danbatta’s leadership is a compelling read.

Other strategic projects to be unveiled by the Commission alongside the compendium are the NCC’s new five year Strategic Vision Plan (SVP) 2021-2025 and the Commission’s new social media channel, the NCC’s Global Connect Podcast.

The new SVP will enable cross-functional infrastructure, ubiquitous services and deepen consumer engagement to consolidate the growth of the telecoms sector and expand the possibilities of the digital economy.

The need to develop another SVP, as a five-year implementation roadmap for the Commission, followed the expiration, in 2020, of the first SVP unveiled by Danbatta in 2016.

It has been widely acknowledged that the diligent execution of the first SVP initiative, under Danbatta, has helped to consistently lift broadband penetration, increase telephone access, boost the sector’s contribution to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP), enhance healthy competition in the industry, improve quality of service (QoS), as well as put the sector’s overall investment profile on an impressive growth trajectory, among others.

The ‘NCC Global Connect,” podcast is the third initiative enlisted for unveiling during the launch. The latest addition to the NCC social media spectrum will help in enhancing the Commission’s corporate communication activities within the online space. The podcast initiative was conceived in keeping with NCC’s core values of innovation and excellence;. It adds to the existing media channels, providing an inclusive medium to broaden our media platforms to educate external stakeholders on its regulatory activities irrespective of their circumstances, through audio contents.

A statement by Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, the Director, Public Affairs at NCC stated that the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, will be the Special Guest of Honour at the occasion.

Senior government officials, industry leaders and stakeholders as well as dignitaries from across the country are billed to attend the landmark event.

Mr. Bitrus Bako Nabasu, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy  recently received in audience the Ambassador-designate of Japan, His Excellency, Mr. Sadanabu Kusaote Umer and his entourage in his office in Abuja on a courtesy call.

The Permanent Secretary said it was a pleasure to have the Ambassador to interact with the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy at a time it is working assiduously towards digitising the country’s economy. He noted that the economy of Japan is being driven by modern technology and that it will be of immense benefit for Nigeria to collaborate with the Government of Japan to develop her digital economy sector which will in turn increase her Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

He said that the Digital Economy added to the Communications Ministry is to enable it to digitise the economy thereby enhance economic growth, create employment especially for its teaming youths and bring about better life for the people generally.

He reiterated that to partner with Japanese Companies on Technology Development particularly in digitalisation of Nigeria’s economy is a very welcome development.

According to Mr. Nabasu, Nigeria is a mono economy of which its main source of revenue is oil and that the price of crude oil is no longer attractive in the global market, therefore Nigeria can no longer depend on oil alone to advance as a nation. He stated that the time has come to “think out of the box” by diversifying our economy in digitalisation of the nation’s economy.

He said the Ministry is looking forward to a stronger partnership with Japan’s technology companies for employment generation for its people who are unemployed, especially its youths. He noted that Nigeria is very passionate about the digitalisation of the Nigerian economy and has been working assiduously to actualise that.

Speaking earlier, the Ambassador-designate said that the purposes of Japan’s co-operation with Nigeria are numerous; first; for the realisation of a digital Society in the country; introducing digital technology for more effective and efficient development cooperation in various areas; through infrastructure development for building a digital society; supporting spontaneous development through the spread of digitalisation; and developing a secure, free and open cyber environment to ensure Nigeria’s ownership of data.

He added that other areas of co-operation include existing projects and plans for the future.

L-R: Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) and Nnanna Ude, Leader, National Assembly Business Environment RoundTable (NASSBER), Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG), during the courtesy visit

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigeria Economic Summit Group (NESG) are considering possible areas of increasing collaboration to enhance the impact and contribution of telecommunications sector on Nigeria’s socio-economic development.

This was the crux of deliberations during a courtesy visit by a delegation of the National Assembly Business Environment Round Table (NASSBER), a policy unit at NESG led by Nnanna Ude and a member of the Technical Committee of NASSBER, Yemi Keri.

The need for stakeholder collaboration and engagement between the Commission and other stakeholders in order to conduct an impact assessment and gap analysis of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, which will lead to improvement of the legal instrument and reflect new trends, especially in a post-pandemic world, was the primary focus of the visit.

The two entities also considered synergy in the area of Research and Development (R&D); while NESG has expressed its desire to have the Commission feature prominently in the forthcoming Nigeria Economic Summit (NES), an annual summit organised by the NESG, scheduled to hold in October this year.

While receiving the delegation on behalf the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, the Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, stated that the meeting was a welcome development, as it aligns with the telecom regulator’s strategic partnership and collaboration objectives.

Adinde stated that the NCA 2003 is a robust regulatory instrument, which has given the NCC the mandate to regulate the telecom sector effectively, as seen in the contribution to the overall economic development of the country.

He stated further that, by virtue of Section 70 of the NCA 2003, the Commission has developed various regulations and issued guidelines that have helped in addressing critical issues pertaining to its regulatory activities.

Other senior management staff of the Commission, including the Director, Licensing & Authorisation, Muhammed Babajika; Director, Technical Standards & Network Integrity, Bako Wakil and representatives of the departments of Legal & Regulatory Services; Policy Competition & Economic Analysis; and Financial Services of the Commission, took turns to talk about the activities of the Commission in implementing its regulatory mandate for the benefit of the country.

Mr Babajika spoke on the licensing regime of the Commission and its impact on innovation in the economy, while Engr Wakil spoke about NCC’s regulatory efforts and collaborations with various stakeholders, such as the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) towards addressing challenges to quality of service (QoS) in telecom industry.

The impact of these challenges such as multiple taxation and regulations, fibre cuts, vandalism, high cost of Right of Way (RoW), theft of telecoms facilities and the need for the passage of the Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) Bill into law.

Speaking earlier on behalf of the Chief Executive Officer of NESG, Laoye Jaiyeola; Ude acknowledged the critical role NCC is playing in the provision of essential digital support for the Nigerian economy.

He noted that, in 20 years of telecoms liberalisation, the Commission has been contributing significantly to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Ude explained that the visit was part of the efforts of the NESG to strengthen collaboration with key institutions of government such as the NCC. He extolled the role of the Commission in driving telecommunications sector growth through efficient and result-oriented regulations, noting that the impact of the regulations are evident in industry performance indicators which have shown upward trajectory over the recent years.

“The NCC is key to the digital transformation agenda of the government and we can see the footprints of the readiness of the country on that journey, in terms of the level of broadband penetration, internet subscription, teledensity and other critical indicators,” he said.

Meanwhile, Adinde, stated that the Commission was excited by the prospects of partnering with NESG and NASSBER, noting that such partnership will further enhance telecoms contribution to Nigeria’s socio-economic growth. He added that “all the issues discussed will be articulated in a memorandum, which will be submitted to Management for consideration.”