Confusion over new CT ministry

       *We’re confused, NIG president
       *It’s not time yet to clap, NCS chairman
       *Stakeholders fault FG on two grounds

By Prince Osuagwu

President Jonathan

The Information and Communications Technology, ICT ministry became necessary in Nigeria with the speed of development convergence has brought into the world economy. It became more so, with the radical transformation the economy experienced with the introduction of the Global System for Mobile communication, GSM, in the country in 2001.
Many industry stakeholders like the now President of the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria, ATCON, Engr Titi Omo-Ettu, his predecessor, Dr Emmanuel Ekuwen, Chairman of the Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, ALTON, Engr Gbenga Adebayo and the President of Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, ISPON, Dr Chris Uwaje among a host of others, who have envisaged the benefits of convergence in an emerging ICT economy like Nigeria, raised their voices to this call.
Different advocacy groups in the ICT sector like the Joint Action Group for ICT awareness and Development, JACITAD, Nigerian Computer Society, NCS, Nigerian Internet Group, NIG, Information Technology Association of Nigeria, ITAN among others, also joined in the call.

Solving the CDMA Operators’ bail-out quagmire

       *Juwah fingers faulty business model
        *Consolidation seems best option
        *Qubain, Starcomms ex boss agrees


By Prince Osuagwu

The talk in recent times has been whether the CDMA operators deserve a bail out

Dr Juwah, EVC, NCC

fund to help them grow their networks to be able to face competition against their GSM counterparts whose fortunes continue to grow astronomically.
In a recent meeting with the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Eugene Juwah, the operators themselves cried out through their umbrella associations, the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria, ATCON and the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, ALTON, that things are no longer rosy with them.
In fact, they admitted that “we are no longer as vibrant as people perceive us. Our industry is in the throes of death. Many of us have stopped operating and several others are simply limping with one leg. Something must be done urgently to save the industry. We need a government bail out as was the case in the United States, when several companies that were dying got injection of government fund as elixir for their rebound”
However, ICT industry professionals are divided on the issue.