NITRA Seeks Regulator, Operators Collaboration in ICT Development

Nigerian Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) has called on the industry regulators and players in the Information and Communication Technology industry to partner with the association with a view to strengthening industry and engendering better industry development.

In a statement issued by the association in Lagos by Mr. Emma Okonji, NITRA’s president, said, though the telecoms has witnessed tremendous growth in the past 12 years of its liberalsation, such development would not have been possible without having an informed body of journalists accurately presenting the developments in the industry in a way that has continued to attract investors into the sector.

According to him, telecoms industry has recorded over $25 billion as at the middle of 2012, saying the development witnessed in the telecoms industry is also possible in other segments of the ICT industry such as hardware, software and outsourcing as well as in the electronic business space, with robust partnership NITRA as a critical stakeholder in the industry.

Okonji said NITRA, which is the umbrella body of ICT journalists affiliated with the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), expects collaborations from industry regulators such as the Ministry of Communications Technology, the Nigerian Communications Commission, the National Information Technology Development Agency, the Nigerian Satellite Communications Limited (NIGCOMSAT), Galaxy Backbone, among others.

“We also expect telecoms operators as well as other players in the ICT industry to be more responsive in collaborating with us towards building a more virile and thriving ICT industry from now,” he said.

Okonji averred that through better collaboration, journalists can be more informed on industry challenges and opportunities and report same with a view to highlighting proactive steps needed by each stakeholder towards addressing identified threats in the operating environment.

“By reporting accuracies, we would also able to help existing and potential local ad foreign investors identify investment opportunities and communicating to them the enabling environment being provided by the regulators to make investments secure,” he added.

Speaking on the raison d’être of NITRA, Okonji said: “We believe that collaboration between the regulators, the operators and the media is very key to future success of the ICT industry and this has informed the coming together of reporters in the industry under NITRA to ensure a more co-ordinated industry-media partnership for effective reporting. So, at NITRA, our goal is to promote Information Technology (IT) development in our country, and at the same time remain relevant in the scheme of development, through focused collaboration with government agencies and industry stakeholders.”

According to him, “Following the birth of NITRA on October 25, 2013 and the elections of interim executives held on Thursday, November 21, 2013, NITRA executives have begun awareness exercise for the association.”

Aside Okonji as President, other executives members of NTRA include Stan Okenwa of The Champion as Vice President; Kunle Azeez of National Mirror as Secretary General; Florence Onuegbu of News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) as Financial Secretary/Treasurer; Naimah Ajikanle-Nurudeen of Daily Trust as Welfare Officer and Justus Adejumoh of Business Hallmark as Public Relations Officer.