Media Practitioners Rally Stakeholders for Clean Environment

African Independent Television (AIT), producers of multiple award winning AIT InfoTech network. Tribe Media, owners of Tribe Times, eWorld Magazine, and Know How Media, publishers of IT Edge News.Com; have begun a pioneering role to rally stakeholders who have various roles to play in ensuring that the Nigerian environment is free from pollution from ICT tools and infrastructure to a workshop that will shape developments and policies in various areas.
The media practitioners are collaborating to host the first all-encompassing conference on ICT and the Nigerian environment.
According to a statement jointly signed by Bayero Agabi and Aaron Ukodie, Nigeria ICT companies should be part of the global fight against climate change, by going beyond providing services, to being environmentally responsible.
“The pursuit of greener and healthier environment is a topical issue in the global arena and no effort is too much to ensure the right awareness is created and effective and efficient policies are articulated to achieve the objective.”
The conference, due to hold in Sheraton Lagos on July 30, 2010 will focus on promoting the deployment, usage and management of environmentally friendly technologies and appropriate taxation in the sector.
The conference’s theme is: ICT and the Nigerian Environment 2010: Appropriate Taxation and Promotion of Healthy Environmentally Friendly Technologies.
“The underlining call for the conference is that ICT applications, power and transportation are some of three main areas which contribute to the bulk of environmental emissions. In Nigeria the growth of ICT and its infrastructure are beginning to pose a challenge to the environment as it relates to safety, health and economic growth.
This is evident in the indiscriminate deployment of telecoms masts and antennas - local and foreign manufactured and assembled. This is coupled with the indiscriminate disposal of non-environmentally friendly computers, and other ICT applications.
Nigeria, over the years has become a dumping ground for these various ICT tools and products and Government’s efforts to control these activities so as to ensure a cleaner and healthier environment have been minimal and largely uncoordinated.
In the global arena, various agencies and governments are taking concerted efforts aimed at nipping the situation in the bud and ensuring that structures and policies are put in place to address the issues of greener and friendlier environment.”
It is in this light that AIT InfoTech Network, eWorld Magazine  and Know How Media have articulated this stakeholders workshop involving all the government ministries and agencies and other private operators to address these issues in a more holistic and all-embracing manner.
The Workshop will explore ways Information and communication technologies (ICTs) can improve environmental performance, address climate change across the economy and articulate a holistic approach and all embracing agreeable strategies for addressing the issues of the environment and appropriate taxation.
High-level speakers from government, business, academia and civil society will discuss how the government and ICT companies can bridge these gaps.
Some of the sub-themes of the conference include: Innovations and initiatives, Role of legislature in meeting the challenges ahead, appropriate taxation to ensure fairness growth in the industry, local content and attitude refocus
The event will partner other agencies such as Nitda, Nesrea, FIRS, Lagos infrastructure agency, Lagos tax office, Lagos state government, the NCC and Telecoms Operators
Expected guests at the event are: the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), All State Governors and Deputies, John Odey, minister of environment, Prof. (Mrs.) Dora Akunyili, Hon. minister for Information and Communication, Senate Committee on Science and Technology, House Committee on Science and Technology, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) and Nigeria Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Others are the Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Association of Licensed Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ALTON), Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), Nigeria Association of Computer Science Students (NACOSS), Telecoms companies, ICT companies, the Banking Sector and the National Assembly etc