Pantami, Danbatta lead Nigerian delegation to MWC 2022
Minster of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami and the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (EVC/CEO) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Danbatta, are leading Nigeria’s delegation to the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2022.
The MWC which is taking place in Barcelona, Spain, from February 28 to March 3, is the most influential conference and exhibition of stakeholders in mobile technology, innovation and connectivity.
According to a statement by the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, the Nigerian delegation will engage global players in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sphere to explore areas of strategic collaboration and investment for accelerating the growth of Nigeria’s emergent digital economy.
The Nigerian delegation is scheduled to participate in at least 33 sessions during MWC, organised by Global System for Mobile Communications Association (GSMA). The gathering attracts the participation of biggest manufacturers, GSM operators, mobile brands, regulators and policy makers from across the world, showcasing innovations, new announcements, new products and emergent innovations.
Pantami will also lead other participants Nigerian delegation to meet Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), representatives the World Economic Forum (WEF), and other key actors in the global ICT ecosystem.
On arrival in Barcelona, Pantami, Danbatta and top echelon of the Nigerian delegation, hit the ground running by holding purposive strategic talks with Dynamic Spectrum Alliance (DSA), a global organization advocating for laws and regulations that will lead to more efficient and effective spectrum utilisation.
The discussion focused on spectrum sharing and unlicensed technologies as well as progress of DSA’s work in this regard, with emphasis on how DSA’s processes will benefit Nigeria. The meeting took place on February 28, 2022.
Same day, the Nigerian delegation also had a meeting with Nokia and discussed potential government initiatives and how NCC and Nokia can collaborate more strategically to accomplish some policy objectives and targets of the institutionalised digital digital economy processes in Nigeria.
On March 1, aside participation in other key sessions slated for the day, the Nigerian delegation met SpaceX, a satellite operator to discuss licensing and authorisation issues as the may affect SpaceX.
The Pantami-led delegation equally met with the representatives of the World Economic Forum (WEF) to explore and concretely engage about opportunities within the framework of the EDISON Alliance for Digital Inclusion, and the possibility of Nigeria becoming Lighthouse Country of the Alliance.
EDISON Alliance was launched by WEF to mobilise a global movement to prioritize digital inclusion as foundational to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). This is envisioned to enhance attainment of goals towards fostering affordable and accessible digital opportunities for everyone by 2025.
