Controversial minister Shittu to attend diasporan communications summit in London from May 10 to 11

CONTROVERSIAL minister Barrister Adebayo Shittu is to storm London next week where he will attend a communications conference organised by the Nigerian Direct Diaspora Investment Summit (NDDIS) designed to attract investment into the sector.

 

At the event taking place in central London between May 10 and 11, diaspora and international investors, communications and technology experts and other business leaders, will brainstorm. Their gathering is part of an ambitious drive to attract investment into Nigeria and to get diasporans involved in the communications and IT industries.

 

Organised by the NDDIS, the event is designed to expose diasporans and other international investors to the opportunities available within Nigeria's communications and IT sector. Fresh from a dramatic radio slugging match with presidential hopeful Omoyele Sowore, the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Minister Shittu will be the star attraction of the show.

 

Mr Shittu along with the heads of several parastatals under his ministry will outline areas of potential investment opportunities including mobile phones, Internet penetration and satellite television. Among other things, the summit will focus on information and communications technology in the education, agriculture, health and business sectors.

 

During an NDDIS press conference in Abuja, earlier this year, Mr Shittu announced plans to tap into Nigerians living in the diaspora in a bid to surpass the 30% penetration target set in the National Broadband Plan by the end of the year. According to the minister, because of poor electricity supply in the country, newer technologies were required for Broadband connectivity in the rural communities where the customer base might not justify investment in multi-layer power generation by existing telecommunications operators.

 

He added that the London summit was being packaged to facilitate new investment commitments in the country by diasporans, with the aim of increasing Broadband connectivity, creating jobs and enhancing the economy. Companies willing to partner Nigeria will also be attending the summit.

 

Chief Bimbo Roberts Folayan, the NDDIS chief executive, said: "At the summit, we will have the Honourable minister of communications, the Nigerian high commissioner, governors, director-generals of agencies and the chief executives of IT and communication companies speaking on how to invest into the vast opportunities in the telecoms and IT sectors in Nigeria.

 

"Our theme for the day shall be Investing into the Nigerian Communications and Technology Sector and the role of ICT and communications on education, health, agriculture and business development."

 

Doyin Owoeye, the NDDIS media manager, added that the summit is being organised in conjunction with the Federal Ministry of Communications, the Office of the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs, the British African Business Alliance and the Nigerian high commission in London. She urged anyone interested in obtaining tickets to visit: www.nddis.co.uk or Eventbrite at https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/nigerian-communications-and-technology-su... or to ring David Smith on 07957 871470 or Wilson Balogun on 07948 241 725.

 

Ms Owoeye urged anyone wanting more information about the summit to visit www.nddis.co.uk/ In his recent spat with the US-based Mr Sowore, Mr Shittu referred to him as inconsequential but at the London summit, he is expected to talk about how important the diaspora is to Nigeria's investment drive.

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