The 2020 IT Assembly and the Annual General Meeting of the Computer Professionals (Registration Council Of Nigeria (CPN) will focus on 5G network adoption in Nigeria, the President/Chairman-in-Council at CPN, Professor Charles O. Uwadia has announced.
Prof. Uwadia made the announcement today via a virtual press conference to intimate the media and the general public about this year’s Assembly, which he said will be virtual as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic that is presently ravaging the world.
“Due to the outbreak and persistence of COVID-19 pandemic presently ravaging the nation and the entire world, and the need to observe the social distancing protocol, the Year 2020 Information Technology Assembly/Annual General Meeting with the theme, “Adoption of 5G in Nigeria: The Technological and Regulatory Challenges” will be held online (virtual) on Thursday 9th July 2020,” he announced.
He said the Council decided to focus on 5G because there is no doubt that the adoption of 5G, which has been touted as the next frontier of investment, has the potentials to drive economic growth and social inclusion in present Nigeria’s Information Communication Technology Sector, which contributes more than fossil Oil and Gas to the nation’s GDP.
“As transformative as the 5G agenda is, its adoption is not without challenges. It is for this reason that the 2020 IT Professionals’ Assembly would be considering the technological and regulatory challenges associated with the adoption of 5G viz-a-viz the future of frequency bands, deployment and coverage, device support, security and privacy, Digital Infrastructure challenges, outdated regulatory policies, removal of impediments to the expansion of digital infrastructures, commitment to actions that promote the long-term growth of the digital economy, misgivings and health concerns against it, among other issues,” he added.
Recall the Federal Government, through the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) midwife the non-commercial trial of the 5G network in November 2019, to demonstrate its seriousness on the migration to 5G in Nigeria.
The CPN IT Assembly is an annual gathering of all IT for senior Information Technology (IT) decision-makers, IT consultants, upcoming IT entrepreneurs, startups, IT practitioners, teachers and IT Systems administrators.
It is a platform for some of the industry’s most innovative technology distribution and service providers to showcase their products and services; and for participants to appreciate the emerging technologies, trends, and risks that are associated with transforming the various industries using IT.
Computer Professionals (Registration Council of Nigeria), (CPN) was established through Act No 49 of 1993. The Act was passed into law on the 10th of June and gazetted on the 9th of August that year. It is a corporate entity that is charged with the regulation, control and supervision of the computing profession and practice in Nigeria in line with Section 1 (2) of the Act. The Council hereinafter referred to as CPN is under the supervision of the Federal Ministry of Education.