Nigeria must take advantage of 58m Internet users - Ajayi

ITRealms

The National President, Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Engr. Lanre Ajayi, has called for the optimization of the 58 million Internet users in the country, reports ITRealms.

He said even though Nigeria has more than 58 million active internet users which is more that the population of many African countries, stressing that with availability of infrastructure little content is being placed in there.

Currently, he said, what is seen online are a few e-commerce and government services,adding that every business should be online, declaring, “it is time to rise up for everybody to benefit from the internet.”

Ajayi, ITRealms gathered,made this known in  a goodwill message at the 2015 Edition of the annual Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) Conference and Exhibition whichhad the theme: “Internet Penetration, the Way Forward” and held at the Golden Gate Restaurant, Ikoyi, Lagos at the weekend.

He revealed that the evolution of NIG began in 1995 when the internet usage was still at its infancy and acknowledged the contributions of Engr. Olawale Ige, the then Minister of Communication for his contributions to the growth and development of NIG. He said that while the internet use in Nigeria has been upbeat, only 50 per cent of the job has just been concluded, calling on Nigerians to support NIG to achieve better internet penetration.

Engr.Ajayi pointed out that even though Nigeria internet awareness began late the coming on board of NIG brought great impetus to the development and promotion of the internet through advocacy, conferences and exhibitions, ITRealms learnt.

The immediate past NIG president, Engr Adebayo George Banjo,had earlier welcomed guests to the occasion stating that the Conference and Exhibition has been with the group since inception and called for support.

ITRealms informs that this year’s conference and exhibition is germane because of the theme which aims to achieve internet penetration and  an improved internet service.

Cyriacus Nnaji/GEE

 ITREALMS ... everything news digitally!
Pix: Lanre Ajayi

ATCON elections: Lanre Ajayi returns as president, NEC members too

The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) ended its Annual General Meeting (AGM) cum its general election in Lagos, Tuesday, with the return of the National Executive Council (NEC) led by Engr. Lanre Ajayi, the chief executive officer of PiNet Informatics Limited, reports ITRealms.

ATCON which prides itself as the umbrella organ for practicing companies in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) will be 20 years by December this year since its establishment.

Speaking on behalf of his team on the outcome of the exercise, the returned National President of ATCON, Mr. Ajayi told ITRealms that aside himself, Mr. Olusola Teniola was returned as the first Vice President, Engr. Tony Nwosu as second Vice President, Mr. David Roberts as national secretary, Mrs. Aderonke Adeyegbe also returned as treasurer and Mr. Adegboyega Ojuri, was elected Coordinator, Internet Service Providers (ISPs).

Ajayi in his AGM report pointed out some of the achievements of ATCON within the year under review, including the migration of ATCON NewsThisWeek administration to the secretariat, submission of position paper to the Senate Committee on Communication on Quality of Service Issue; re-launch of the association’s website to facilitate online registration and even payment.

In addition, he said, ATCON endorsed some industry players whose activities aligned with its goals, even as it has continued to host the Telecoms Executives and Regulartor’s Forum since 2012.

Further, Ajayi emphasised that ATCON alongside partners hosted and international four-day workshop on Internet Protocol version Six (IPv6), mostly with African Network Information Center, Mauritius at Digital Bridge Institute Cappa-Oshodi in Lagos.

ATCON, he said, recognized the appointment of its four members into the National Broadband Council namely President, immediate past president, Engr. Titi Omo-Ettu, Mrs. Funke Opeke of Main One and president of Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) Mr. Adebayo Banjo, even as ATCON second vice president was nominated into the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) inter-agency committee of professionals to assess telecommunications-based innovations from the academia.

The organisation, he reported intervened in several industry subject matters including the resolution of member company’s complain on non-allocation of block of short codes by NCC as well as submission of input on a bill for an Act to facilitate the use o Information in Electronic Form for Conducting Transactions in Nigeria and for connected purposes 2013 to the Senate Committee on Communication.

ATCON, he said, made input on a bill for an Act to provide for the Interception, Development and Protection of Communications Networks and Facilities for Public Interest and other related matters 2013, just as it purchased an official car for the Executive Secretary.

These achieves in the year under review, he said, was capped with several industry awards.

The new officer will be in office for another two years.

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D
Photo: R-l: Mr. Adegboyega Ojuri, was elected Coordinator, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), National President, ATCON, first Vice President, Mr. Ajayi, Mr. Olusola Teniola, national secretary, Mr. David Roberts, immediate past president, ATCON, Mr. Titi Omo-Ettu and Executive Secrtary, ATCON, Ajibola Olude.

Ajayi is sole contender for ATCON presidency

Mr. Lanre Ajayi, CEO, PiNet

Renowned telecommunications engineer, Mr. Lanre Ajayi seems to be the only candidate for the post of president of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON).

ITRealms Online investigations revealed that the incumbent, Mr. Titi Omo-Ettu is not running for the second term as he did not process his nomination form as at the close of that exercise on April 16, 2012.

Ajayi, who is the immediate-past president of the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) is the sole candidate for the high-place position of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) professional companies in the country.

Invariably confirming this to ITRealms Online, ATCON president, Mr. Omo-Ettu said the association has advanced strategies to hold a peaceful election on Friday, this week, April 27.

Those to be elected at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) would serve ATCON’s National Executive Council (NEC) for the next two years.

According to him, a notice to this effect has been sent to all members of ATCON.

“A notice has been posted by the Association in its official bulletin, ATCONNEWS THIS WEEK,” he said, adding that at the close of nomination of candidates on April 16, 2012, front runners among those vying for various positions include, Mr. Lanre Ajayi and seven others.

Also in the race for ATCON NEC include Mr. Olusola Teniola, Engr. Anthony Nwosu, Mr David O. Roberts, Mrs Aderonke Adeyegbe, Mr. Myke Ofili, Mr. Sunday Oyekanmi Gbenjo, and Mr Akinlabi Akin Akinbo.

ITRealms Online recalls that Mr. Lanre Ajayi had his Bachelors and Masters degree in Electrical Engineering at the University of Lagos, Nigeria.  He worked for the Nigeria Telecommunications Ltd (NITEL) for 11 years before establishing PiNet Informatics, which became one of the first Internet Service Providers in Nigeria. 

Ajayi is a co-founder and the immediate-past President of the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG); a non-profit organisation committed to the promotion of the Internet in Nigeria.

He has served as the Vice-President of the Internet Service Providers (ISP) Association of Nigeria (ISPAN) and as the Vice-Chairman of African ISP Association (AfrISPA).

Also, he had served on the council of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) as the Chairman of Research and Statistics committee. He was Chairman of Technical committee on the Nigeria Country Code Top Level Domain Name (.ng) and later chairman of ISPAN committee on the implementation of the Nigeria Internet Exchange Point.

Ajayi has served Nigeria in several capacities. He served as a member of the National Cybercrime Working Group (NCWG). He also served on the Federal Government committee on the National University Network (NUNet), and was later appointed member of the Presidential task force for the restructuring of the Information and Communication Technology sector in Nigeria.

He is a member of the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE), a fellow of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) and a registered member of the Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN).

Mr. Ajayi was listed as one of the icons of Information and Communication Technology in Nigeria in a compendium compiled by ICT publications Limited in the year 2004 and was named the Nigerian ICT personality of the year 2007.

Currently he serves in the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) as an elected council member of the Generic Name Supporting Organisation (GNSO) since 2010.

Remmy Nweke

ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D