By Technology Times Reporter

May 2, 2008, Technology Times today announced plans to support CTO2008 that hopes to leverage technology for healthcare services in Nigeria, in one of the major highlights at West Africa's largest trade show.

Three years ago, the news provider on the Nigerian ICT sector started a strategic alliance with the U.S. Commercial Service resulting in daily coverage of events at the CTO exhibitions and seminars. CTO2008 is the 18th edition of this annual trade event organized by the U.S. Commercial Service at the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos.

CTO 2008, West Africa's largest technology trade event that is billed to hold May 12-16, 2008 on the theme, "A World Without Borders" at The MUSON Centre, Onikan, Lagos attracts US and local technology companies to showcase leading edge technologies.

Under the alliance, Technology Times, which has been the Official Daily Newspaper of CTO since 2005 will publish a daily newspaper that keeps track of news and developments at the event and is given away free to attendees at show and beyond.

According to Senior Commercial Specialist, US, Commercial Service, Anayo Agu, "The CTO exhibitions and seminars are market development tools of the U.S. Commercial Service in Nigeria. It is the largest exhibition of its kind in West Africa where local companies representing or working with U.S. suppliers and manufacturers of computers, telecommunications and office equipment showcase the very best of American technology, equipment and services available in Nigeria for the sub-region. The exhibition features an all-day, special-event seminar on the first day and a four-day exhibition with private seminars, workshops, product/service launching and demonstrations."

According to him, "we are pleased to forge ahead with our partnership with Technology Times which has conceived the CTO 2008 Live initiative to keep extend its promotional support for the event by updating local and international audience on developments at CTO 2008 through its print, online and digital publications."

Under CTO 2008 Live, Technology Times will in addition to the free daily newspaper provide periodic daily updates on its opt-in electronic news services delivered into the inbox of over 50,000 subscribers of Technology Times eNews.

Managing Editor, Technology Times, Toyin Ogunseinde, says the organisation's partnership with the US Commercial Service on CTO, "is quite significant for us as we launched the print edition of Technology Times at CTO 2005 when we also set a major landmark in the Nigerian media industry where the traditional growth path has often been from print to the Web."

According to him, "in line with our vision to be the leading provider of news and information on the Nigerian ICT sector, we have maintained a reputation of credible news and are also pleased to report that subscriber base of Technology Times eNews crossed the 50,000 mark in December 2007 and we anticipate that it will grow beyond 100,000 by mid-year."

Ogunseinde also confirmed that another new offering from the company's stable, Technology Times Annual, a yearbook of the Nigerian ICT sector chronicling developments that shaped the industry in 2007 will also be presented at CTO 2008.

CTO 2008 will also focus on telemedicine, distance learning, and on-line transactions. Other sub-themes include cyber-crime, e-governance, electronic tracking systems, e-ticketing, and e-banking. Specifically, it is about trade and investment opportunities offered by the triple-play of voice, data and video technologies, products and services. CTO 2008 seminars will feature local and international experts, particularly those with professional experience in electronics transaction and infrastructure development. The exhibition and seminars are open to the public, but attendees younger than 18 years old are not permitted on the exhibit floor, except on May 14, 2008, reserved for youth empowerment programmes.

According to Agu, "CTO seminars help policy makers, industry leaders and professionals see the future first. They provide a unique platform for local and international experts to interact on critical issues, especially those related to technology diffusion, bilateral relations and market dynamics."

He adds that, "on September 27, 2003, Nigeria joined the league of nations with satellites in space. The National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA) began an earth observation satellite project in 2000 following a collaborative agreement with Surrey Satellite Technology Limited of the United Kingdom. The success of the program emboldened the agency to embark on the NIGCOMSAT-1, which was launched on May 14, 2007. A strategic alliance with some U.S. firms has resulted in NASRDA initiating a pilot project on telemedicine, tele-education and video conferencing. These national ICT infrastructure programs are coming on the heels of public-private partnerships to build ICT centers in Nigerian universities and polytechnics."

He adds that, "the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) issued third generation (3G) licenses to four telecommunications companies on May 24, 2007. The expectation was that the license 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. The 3G licenses are generating debate and discussions about the future of electronics transactions in Nigeria. Industry watchers say Nigeria is set for another round of ICT growth, especially given the launching on November 22, 2007, of the first phase of Globacom's 10,000 km fiber optic cable valued at about 83 billion Naira. On December 4, 2007, Technology Times reported that MTN Nigeria and Celtel Nigeria have completed, preliminary network upgrade to deliver 3G services in Lagos and other major commercial cities in Nigeria."

The US Commercial Service says 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 Galaxy 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."