Houlin Zhao Calls on African Leaders to Emulate Nigeria’s Pantami

African leaders have been called upon to emulate Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Professor Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami.

This call was made by the Secretary General of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Mr Haolin Zhao during the recent Public Presentation of two books authored by the Minister.

Delivering his remarks virtually at the event which held at the Sheraton Hotel and Towers, Lagos, Nigeria, Mr Zhao while congratulating Professor Pantami for the laudable achievement, stated that “this is a unique acheivement by a unique individual and I do not know many people who are as dedicated and passionate about their endeavours as he is. I call on other African policy makers to emulate him by documenting their knowledge and experiences so we can all share and benefit from it”.

He further remarked that “Africa should not just be a continent that always requires international aid but should also provide direction to the global community in the field of ICT” adding that “I agree with the Honourable Minister that Africa should not miss out on the fourth Industrial Revolution as it is equipped with the resources to provide direction”.

He also used the opportunity to express the ITU’s gratitude to and satisfaction with the leadership and initiatives the Honourable Minister has brought to bear as the Chairman World Summit on Information Society (WSIS) Forum as its chairman.

Recall that the Honourable Minister is currently the sitting Chairman of the Forum since his appointment in June 2022.