Nigerian ICT companies to attend Dubai exhibition

The Information Technology Association of Nigeria is partnering the United States-based Pinnacle International Consulting LLC to organise the first Nigerian Pavilion at GITEX Technology Week holding inside the Dubai World Trade Centre in the United Arab Emirates.
GITEX Technology is the premier technology event in the Middle East and south-east Asia, which now occupies over 78,000 square mile of space. More than 150, 000 trade visitors and exhibitors from 144 countries attended Gitex 2012, which recorded over 25,000 visitors from Africa, a statement from the organisers on Monday indicated.
Over 20,000 C-Level executive visited the event last year, with $1.2m averaging value per order placed during the event, the statement explained, adding that 92 per cent of the exhibitors met their returns on investment expectations.
The Nigerian Pavilion at the GITEX Technology Week, 2013 has been conceived with the aim of further promoting Nigerian ICT companies to explore mutually beneficial partnerships that will advance the cause of the country’s ICT sector with prospects of boosting the foreign direct investment inflow into the country.
The Nigerian Pavilion will be drawing high level participation from among federal and state governments, private companies and other stakeholders geared at further promoting ‘Brand Nigeria’ to the international investing community, it explained. The event is slated for October 20 to 24 this year.
“We at ITAN are proud to promote Nigerian creativity and entrepreneurship to the outside world. We believe this platform will further join government’s efforts at showcasing our local content and also help the industry to position itself for offshore investment more so that Gitex is one of the biggest ICT tradeshows on the globe. To have a Nigerian Pavilion showcasing Nigeria’s own ICT efforts is an opportunity all stakeholders must be committed to,” the President, ITAN, Mrs. Florence Seriki, was quoted as saying.
Seriki is also the Group Managing Director of Omatek Computer Ventures Plc.
ITAN is an association of over 350 information technology-driven companies in Nigeria. It was founded in 1991 to promote IT literacy and penetration in Nigeria, and to promote members’ interest in the area of trade, public policy formulation and negotiations with government on IT policy matters.
“Nigeria has got the potential to lead the African region in the area of ICT. Every window to showcase its drive and in-country opportunity must be used to invite investment and partnerships that will improve its local capacity,” the Chief Executive Officer, Pinnacle International, Mr. Akande Ojo, said.
Pinnacle, which is based in Iowa, USA, with presence in Nigeria and Dubai, specialises in promoting investment in Nigeria as well as aligning financial and International business opportunity linkages for Nigeria-based companies with the aim of creating FDI and increasing the Gross Domestic Product of Nigeria.