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From right: Mr. Akande Ojo, President of Pinnacle Consult LLC, Mrs. Hadiza Umar, NITDA’s Head of Corporate Communications Department, Nigeria’s Ambassador to the UAE, His Excellency Ibrahim Auwalu, Director of Finance at NITDA, Mr. Abdulsalam Raheem Olalere, Dr.Olatunji Vincent, NITDA’s acting head of Corporate Strategies and Mr. Segun Oruame, Chief Executive Officer of Knowhow Media International
The Nigeria foreign mission in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has assured of support for the country’s participation in the Gitex Technology Show scheduled to hold in Dubai, November 2014. The Nigeria’s Ambassador to the UAE, His Excellency Ibrahim Auwalu gave this assurance earlier in May when members of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the team of consultants charged with ensuring a successful Nigeria’s participation paid him a courtesy visit at the country’s embassy in Abu Dhabi.
“We will do all within our powers to ensure Nigerians and friends of Nigerians are drawn to actively participate in this event. We believe this is a major boost at attracting positive foreign interest in our country; not only in the ICT sectors but other areas. Nigeria is ready for business and has proven to be the one of the fastest destinations for investment in the last few years. This Gitex event will further prove that point. I assure you of the support of me and my staff,” said Ambassador Auwalu.
The NITDA team consist of Director of Finance at NITDA, Mr. Abdulsalam Raheem Olalere, Dr.Olatunji Vincent, NITDA’s acting head of Corporate Strategies and Mrs. Hadiza Umar, Head of Corporate Communications Department. Others are Mr. Akande Ojo, President of Pinnacle Consult LLC and Mr. Segun Oruame, Chief Executive Officer of Knowhow Media International – both are marketing and media consultants to Nigeria at Gitex 2014.
Earlier the team had paid a courtesy visit to the Head of Consulate of Nigeria in the United Arab Emirates, Ambassador Dr Mike Omotosho in Dubai where the Consul General gave commitments to ensuring a successful outcome for Nigeria at the Gitex Technology Show. Ambassador Omotosho said the Consulate was recently opened to address the teeming needs of thousands of Nigerians actively engaged in the UAE. He assured that the Consulate in Dubai will rally round support for the Nigeria Investment Forum and the Invest-in-Nigeria Dinner, some of the key features of the Nigerian Pavilion at Gitex 2014.
To drive local participation and effective organisation, the Nigeria government through the NITDA has recently inaugurated the Gitex Local Organising Committee (LOC) tasked with managing a successful outcome for the event where Nigeria is the official Country Partner. The LOC was inaugurated by the Director General of the NITDA, Mr. Peter Jack.
Gitex Technology is the premier Technology event in the Middle East Africa and South Asia (MEASA). The technology trade show organized by the Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC), occupies over 78,000 sqm of space, and records over 145,530 trade visitors from 144 countries in 2013. Also, more than 35,000 visitors came from Africa in the 2013 edition of GITEX where Nigeria premiered its presence by setting up the Nigerian Pavilion which was promoted by the Nigerian Government through the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
The LOC members were drawn from different private and public sectors organizations and are currently working on actualising some of the marketing and publicity drive including the roadshows to engage local stakeholders in Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt, Abuja and Enugu where the NCS conference will be holding in July this year.
