By Kingsley I. Ilechukwu, Bureau Chief, South West
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer(EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, will deliver the keynote address at the third edition of the Africa Tech Alliance Forum (AfriTECH 3.0) scheduled for tomorrow, November 8, 2023 at the Providence Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, south west, Nigeria.
Themed: “Technology-as-a-Service (TaaS) in Emerging Economy”, which reminds us that with technology transforming at a record pace, offering strategic and flexible solutions is critical to staying ahead of the competition and growing your business. On the consumers/clients’ side, TaaS is simply a comprehensive, flexible solution that provides more value at less cost – allowing them to adjust to changing economic/business conditions.
Dr. Aminu Maida was recently appointed the EVC/CEO of NCC by President Bola Tinubu.
Dr. Maida holds MEng in Information Systems Engineering from Imperial College, London in 2002, and in 2006, he bagged a PhD in Electrical & Electronic Engineering from the University of Bath, United Kingdom.
Between 2018 and 2019, Maida completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship (FinTech Pathway) programme at the Cambridge Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom.
Until his latest appointment by the President, Dr. Maida was the Executive Director, Technology and operations at Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System Plc (NIBSS), the country’s central switch company owned by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and all licensed Deposit Money Banks (DMBs) in Nigeria.
Similarly, the Chief Executive Officer, Digital Realty Nigeria (formerly Medallion Data Centres), Nigeria’s premier carrier neutral data centre operator, Engineer Ikechukwu Nnamani will deliver a keynote presentation. In 2021 Digital Realty a real estate investment trust acquired majority stake in Medallion in a joint venture with Pembani Remgro.
Prior to being acquired in 2021, Medallion Data center operated two data centres in Lagos and Abuja.
Industry stakeholders listing but not limited to Chairman of Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) Engineer Gbenga Adebayo; President, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) Dr. Muhammad Sirajo Aliyu; President, Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) Tony Izuagbe EMOEKPERE; President, Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) Sola Akinsanya; CEO, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) Muhammad Rudman; President, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) Bimbo Abiyoe; Founder/President, InnovationBed Africa Amos Emmanuel; Chief Operating Officer, Fintech Association of Nigeria (FINTECHNGR) Dr. Babatunde Obrimah, and Founder, Jidaw Systems, Jide Awe are scheduled to grace the Forum.
Speakers lined up for AfriTECH 3.0 include; Managing Director, Inq.Digital Ifeanyi Akosionu; Chief Visionary Officer, Digital Encode Limited Dr. Obadare Peter Adewale; Managing Director, PalmPay Chika Nwosu; Country Manager, Zoho Nigeria Kehinde Ogundare, Country Manager, ESET Nigeria Olufemi Ake; Chief Executive Officer, Comercio Limited Mrs. Aderonke Adeyegbe; Regional Executive, West Africa, Africa Data Centres (ADC) Dr. Krishnan Ranganath, Vice President of Marketing & Communications, Zone Olayiwola Osoba; Founder/Convener – Cyberchain, Jude Ozinegbe.
According to the organisers, key topics to be explored include TaaS-driven last mile solutions, leveraging big data and artificial intelligence, inclusive product innovation, Driving ‘TaaS’ Model through infrastructure deployment, leveraging subscription model to survive tough economic times, cloud computing, omnichannel communications for improved CX, Consumer protection, fraud and data privacy, financial technology and blockchain, etc.
The past editions of AfriTECH were well attended by C-Suite executives, investors, innovators, senior government officials from within and outside the Continent. With over 1,500 participants and feedback on the events overwhelmingly positive, the 2023 edition is much anticipated.
Overall, AfriTECH 3.0 promises to be an insightful and engaging platform for networking with a vibrant and globally diverse community and an eclectic mix of offerings to enrich participants’ in-person and/or virtual experience.
Also, Africa Tech Alliance Forum Excellence Award (ATAEx Award) will recognize institutions, companies and individuals who play pivotal roles in the ecosystem in the development of Africa’s economy.
ATAEx award is merit centric for organisations and individuals that have contributed to the growth and development of the ICT industry in Africa.
