Agu, Adegbola to Speak at Cyber Nigeria Forum 2009

Anayo Agu, the senior business specialist at the US Embassy Nigeria, and Dr. Tunde Adegbola executive director of African Languages Technology Initiative, and lecturer at the University of Ibadan have confirmed participation as speakers at the Cyber Nigeria 2009 Forum, and Africa Information Society Merit Award, organised by AIT Infotech Network which comes up at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Lagos, on November 22, 2009.
Also confirmed for the event are Senator Sylvester Anyanwu, chairman of the Senate Committee on Communication,  Engr. Umar B. Bindir, the director general, National Office of Technology Acquisition and Promotion (Notap), and Cleopas Angaye, director general national information technology development agency (Nitda).
The interactive forum will be discussing the future of Nigeria and the potentials of the internet as the nation marches towards 20:2020. It will also throw light on internet content, technology trend, regulation in an IT-based world and internet products and services.
The award, tagged, Africa Information Society Merit Award, is the first Pan African merit award for ICT for development. It is designed to reward and encourage those individuals, initiatives and organisations that have helped or shaped the ICT industry on the continent in the past ten years.
The chief host of the two-in-one event is High Chief Aleogho Raymond Dokpesi; host is the Deputy Governor of Lagose State, Her Excellency, Princess Adebisi Sarah Sosan.
According to the coodinator of the event, Bayero Agabi, several industry associations and organisations have also confirmed their participation. These include the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (Atcon), Association of Licensed Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (Alton), Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Computer Professionals of Nigeria (CPN), the industry regulator, Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) and the Lagos State Government.
Also confirmed for the event are the Minister of Science and Technology, Minister of Information and Communications, National e - government strategies NEGST, United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), Nigeria Association of Computer Science Students (NACOSS), Telecoms companies and IT companies.
Agabi added that the programme is catching in on the experience, credibility, network and knowledge built in the past ten years to institute a long lasting Pan African award for excellence, in recognition of initiatives, individuals and companies that have impacted positively on the Nigerian ICT space in the past ten years. It is the first annual Pan African ICT4D merit award. He said major Nigerian music stars will also feature at the event.
The theme of the Cyber Nigeria Forum 2009 Conference is tagged: Internet as a catalyst for configuring a new Nigeria. Sub-themes will focus on: Innovations and Initiatives; Internet-based Products and Services; Role of Legislation in Meeting the Challenges of Cyber Laws and Applications; Attitude Refocus and IT-based Products and Services.