By Tobenna Okoli

Lagos. May 12, 2008. Today witnesses yet another bumper edition of the Computer, Telecommunications and Office equipment seminars and exhibitions, better known as CTO. CTO 2008, this time out with the theme: A World without Borders.

The aptness of this year’s theme will also see decision makers and thought leaders converge to critically examine advancements thus far achieved in the nation’s ICT sector as means of calibrating the success of the CTO meets.

The annual CTO show has being held as a U.S. Commercial Service Nigeria initiative to boost bilateral exchange between U.S. suppliers, manufacturers and professionals and their Nigerian counterparts. The show has thus far grown from its modest beginnings as a 20-exhibitor bazaar to a flagship West African annual ICT technology event.

The event has over the years seen an increased participation by indigenous companies lately with names like Zinox, Linkserve, Omatek, Teledom among others are but a few that are gradually but surely coming to limelight at CTO, to rub shoulders with global players like Microsoft, IBM and HP for popularity and patronage. CTO 2003 was particularly interesting as it witnessed a coming-out party of sorts for companies such as Omatek and GSM operators who took the centre stage of attraction.

Moving forward, the event took two major landmark turns in 2005. First was the partnership forged between CTO and Technology Times in which the latter assumed the stature of the official newspaper of the CTO 2005. Recognizing the need for an effective medium of communication amongst participants and attendees as well as the need to promote the show, the US Commercial Service accorded Technology Times the Official Daily Newspaper status.

In a letter to Technology Times, the Commercial Officer, US Commercial Office, Joanna McInerney at the time says “considering your track record we are confident that your medium will be sufficiently appealing to both registered and potential exhibitors. Finally we welcome any ideas, suggestions and recommendations that may help us organize and manage a better show this year to include a daily publication to report CTO 2005”.

This year, Nigeria’s top bank, Zenith Bank, is supporting CTO 2008 Live, an initiative by Technology Times to keep Nigerian and international audience abreast of developments at the show and encourage deeper understanding of the Nigerian technology market and deepen understanding of ICT issues.

MD/CEO, Zenith Bank Plc, Jim Ovia undertakes the annual motivational sessions at the Zenith Bank Youth Empowerment forum held by the bank for next generation of leaders in the country which underscores his commitment to the promotion and propagation of ICT in Nigeria.

This year’s edition which holds Wednesday is known to witness surprises as Ovia last year gave away scores of laptops to young attendees at the CTO 2007 edition of the youth forum that recorded an impressive turnout of students from various categories of educational institutions across Lagos and beyond.

Zenith says the programmes align with its Philanthropy vision to provide aids to the less privileged and needy members of society, victims of natural and manmade disasters and other charitable causes.

“At Zenith Bank, giving is serious business. Since the inception of the bank, it has aggressively prosecuted a corporate policy geared towards giving back to the communities in which we operate. Zenith philanthropy is the channel through which Zenith Bank gives back to society. One would invariably ask why we have to set up a department just to give money out? At Zenith Bank, we see giving back to society as a serious and passionate cause. Zenith Philanthropy ensures that the philanthropic vision of the bank is carried out efficiently and professionally”, according to the bank.

The second turn of events is summarised in the declaration by the Commercial Counsellor, U.S. Commercial Service Nigeria at the time, Michael McGee in 2005 that “This is the first time that we are giving a very heavy emphasis on the issues that really do affect the technology market in this country”.

“It’s not just about selling hardware, software, equipment or promoting services. It’s about time for people to discuss some of the critical issues that are affecting Nigeria and affecting the rest of the world”, he added.

The CTO 2005 theme, “Using Technology to Foster a Domestic Economic Environment”, tackled pertinent issues pertaining to the nation’s emerging ICT sector. The four broad areas of focus were highlighted and comprised Effective Intellectual Property Rights Protection; eCommerce and the Emerging Markets in West Africa; Securing the Information Highway and Technology-Key to Healthcare, Education and Social Development.

They significance of the 2005 theme and its selected areas of focus brought forth numerous relevant presentations and discussion sessions. Of significance is the paper delivered by Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, (NCC), Ernest Ndukwe titled “Building Technology infrastructure to make Nigeria a gateway to West African Market” Ndukwe enumerated Optical fibre backbone, Satellite backbone, Transit Switching facilities, Internet exchange and telecoms manufacturing and research as the various means of achieving dominance for the nation in ICT in the West African region.

In 2006, the focus shifted to the global phenomenon known as franchising. Under the subject matter, “Leveraging Franchising for Business Growth and National Development”, CTO 2006 critically dissected the franchising concept as a means of jumpstarting business growth and fostering economic development in the country.

Keynote speaker, African Development bank Consultant, Nick Louw, in his presentation on “Franchising – A Transformation Strategy for Business Growth and National Development”, stated that franchising is an essential tool for job creation. According to him, Nigeria can sustain over 69,000 franchise businesses.

He went further to identify eatery, telecommunications, health, automobile, advertising, oil and gas, publishing, banking, aviation and fashion as some of the most viable areas Nigerians could explore for franchising.

Also of note at CTO 2006 was the address by the former Minister for Communications, Cornelius Adebayo. In his address, he predicted that based the impressive growth trend, the nation’s teledensity will reach 41 per cent by 2010, a staggering 27 per cent increase from the 2006 figure of 14 per cent. Adebayo had highlighted the landmark improvement in telecommunication availability from 1999, when teledensity was a mere 0.4 per cent.

Emphasis still remained on the growth of business enterprises as means of national development in 2007. Captioned “Using Technology to Facilitate Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise Development in Nigeria”, CTO 2007 saw the focus shift from franchising to the use of technology as the means of sustaining indigenous companies.

Speaking at a pre-event conference, the Commercial Attaché, US Embassy, Lagos, stated that reform efforts by the Nigerian government should be anchored on “a vibrant SME policy and a replicable business model”.

She further said “The United States has about 16 million businesses, 80 percent of which are small businesses with fewer than nine employees. These small businesses generate about 85 percent of US employment and contribute approximately 53 percent of its GDP. The value that the US places on them is reflected in the quality of the professionals at the US Export Assistance Centres at home and the US Commercial Service in more than 100 US missions around the world”.

Keynote speaker, Leo Stan Eke, Chairman, Zinox Technologies set the tone for CTO 2007 when he gave a resounding testimonial on the role of technological edge to his rise in business and how it plays a pivotal role to the success of small and medium enterprises.

CTO 2007 could also have been described as the CTO of the crème de la crème of stakeholders so far: Four Federal Ministers (Information & Communication, Education, Defence and Labour & Productivity); Heads of Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Poverty Eradication Programme (NAPEP) and Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC); Nigerian Bank Managing Directors (Zentih Bank Plc, UBA Plc, Fidelity bank Plc and Oceanic Bank Plc) and numerous Nigerian ICT professionals and business owners.

Zenith bank MD/CEO, Ovia a long-time supporter of technological revolution and youth empowerment gave an impressive lecture on the third day of CTO to an audience of young Nigerians who attended the Zenith Youth Empowerment for Digital Revolution Forum hosted by the bank. At the end of the forum, 50 laptops and 50 PDA were given out via lucky dip.

The expectation this year 2008, from the CTO is an impressive show better than others before. CTO 2008 will by the application of its “A World Without Borders” theme focus on the on telemedicine, distance learning, and on-line transactions. Other sub-themes include cyber-crime, e-governance, electronic tracking systems, e-ticketing, and e-banking. Attention will be given specifically to trade and investment opportunities offered by the triple-play of voice, data and video technologies, products and services.

This year’s theme seeks to redefine the concept of time and space. These physical dimensions are being shown to be less limiting in their nature. Imaginations are surely running wild as to what to expect from experts and exhibitionists at CTO 2008. Telemedicine has been nothing short of revolutionary in more advanced nations and in Nigeria it offers great potential in changing the means of healthcare delivery. Not a few will wonder if the prospect of a cardio-surgeon located in Lagos performing open-heart surgery on a patient located in Kano is finally here.

The Nigerian Open University as a test-run for the use of ICT in distance learning is proving to be quite successful. It remains to be seen, the suggestions on how this can be inculcated into other educational systems and institutions.

Nigeria’s online transaction market is almost totally untapped, with the existence of a mere handful of businesses operating such services. Of note are a few banks and academic institutions. Concerns over security of online transactions have long been the bane to widespread adoption by Nigerians. Addressing security issues particularly allaying customer scepticism through mass media sensitization campaigns will yield favourable results.

Taking stock of developments in the ICT sector in the past four years indicates a wonder story in the making.

In the area of space technology, The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) in collaboration with its foreign technical partners launched of Nigeria’s first satellite, into space on September 27, 2003. This in effect placed the nation in an elite league of nations with operational space programmes. The earth observation and geological sensing satellite in space brought to a culmination a project that was started by NASDRA, three years earlier in 2000.

Confident from this success led NASDRA to launch yet another satellite, this time for telecommunication, in May 2007. NIGCOMSAT-1 as the satellite was named brought a new vista to the indigenisation of a host of telecommunication infrastructural solutions.

Still on the telecommunications front, the NCC issued 3G licences to four telecommunications companies on May 24, 2007 marking a new era for the nation. The expectation was that the licence beneficiaries would pioneer the laying of the foundation for the high speed voice, data and video transmission networks Nigeria needs to improve its presence in the global marketplace.

Technology Times reported, in December 4, 2007 issue, that MTN Nigeria and Celtel Nigeria have completed, preliminary network upgrade to deliver 3G services in Lagos and other major commercial cities in Nigeria. Globacom is also currently offering its 3G services to its subscribers and on November 22, 2007 kicked off the 83 billion naira first-phase of its 10,000km fibre optic cable that industry watchers say will usher in another round of ICT infrastructural development for Nigeria, says organisers of the event.

In general, CTO 2008 will highlight and feature U.S. technologies, equipment and services that Nigeria needs to leverage the 3G network to empower its citizens and for local area development via telemedicine, distance learning and sundry electronic transactions. With over 45 million installed mobile and fixed telephone lines, Nigerian businesses have the potential to leverage electronic services to improve their operations. It also means more Nigerian citizens and communities have the potential to lift themselves out of poverty. In addition to the existing teledensity, the Galaxi Backbone Plc, Nigeria’s public-private partnership, says it is poised to leverage satellite and other technologies to offer internet connectivity to enable voice, video and data services in every Nigerian community.

On a final note, expectations from exhibitors this year could not be higher. Who will steal the show? Who will be the new kid(s) on the block? What new, revolutionary products and solutions will be on display in 2008?

It remains to be seen what the conclusion will be at the end of CTO 2008 come Friday, May 17. Whatever the case, the US Commercial Service has shown that in the past four years that it is ready to tread the path that its host country, Nigeria is also striving to tread: the path of remaining relevant in the face of new realities and challenges.