The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has reiterated its faith in the vision of the AfricaNEXT Conference (AfricaNXT) to “co-create a prosperous future for all Africans” through collaborations, conversations and programming that are oriented in harvesting, harnessing and leveraging innovative technologies.
“The visualisations and concrete actions of the AfricaNXT conference are in congruence with NCC’s faith in the promise of technology to galvanise Nigeria’s, nay Africa’s, development. This explains our continued support and participation at the Conference which is now in its 10th Year, and we will continue to play active roles in this event which takes place in Lagos annually”.
Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of NCC, Prof. Umar Danbatta, stated this during a chat with the Commission’s in-house media team, ahead of preparations by the Commission’s delegation to the Confab which is slated for 27th February to 4th March 2022.
The EVC said he’ll be unavoidable presence at the conference as a result of his key role at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022, the world’s largest and most influential forum and exhibition by stakeholders in the mobile technology ecosystem, takes place in Barcelona.
Formerly known as Social Media Week Lagos, the AfricaNXT Conference is the largest assemblage of innovators from across Africa and Africa’s Diasporan communities.
During the 2020 conference, NCC’s discourse overviewed the Fifth Generation technology and services, where the panelists explained 5G, which at that time, seemed like an abstract idea to many.
The statement said the NCC at the AfricaNXT 2022, will take the discourse on 5G further in a more pragmatic context in view of the progress achieved over the past two years.
The conference is with the theme “Moving Forward Steadily, Timely And With Precision: The Socio-Economic Significance Of Deployment Of 5G Service”. Participants will have the opportunity to glean the benefits of 5G services to individuals, businesses, and the nation, with positive implications for the Continent as Nigeria matches steadily to become the first country in West Africa to deploy 5G technology services.
The journey to the birth of 5G services in Nigeria started in 2019. Between then and now, the Nigerian Communications Commission has been upbeat in rallying stakeholders to forge all necessary partnerships, collaborations and alliances.
Following the approval by the Federal Government, a Proof of Concept trials demonstrating the possibilities of 5G took place in some cities in Nigeria. The NCC, in collaboration with stakeholders, equally developed an Information Memorandum, which was reviewed by all stakeholders, following which a policy on 5G was instituted by the Federal Government. The policy was unveiled to the public by President Muhammadu Buhari on 25 January 2022.
The NCC discourse at the AfricaNXT 2022 is scheduled to take place at the FutureNow Stage, Innovation Pavilion, Landmark Event Centre, Water Corporation Drive, Off Ligali Ayorinde Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.