W.Afri.Tel 2006
One Event, Many Windows of Opportunities

With choruses in unanimity, special guests, visitors and exhibitors applaud W.Afri.Tel 2006 declaring it the biggest and best show yet in the West African sub-region. The special W.Afri.Tel 2006 reports and interviews were compiled and written by our crew of FIDELIS OKOROEGBE, LEKAN OLADEINDE and SEUN IGBALODE:

On June 20, 2006 at exactly 6.30am local time in Lagos, Nigeria, the heavens opened, letting down celestial blessings; the rain poured mercilessly as if it would not give way all day long. But as invited dignitaries made their way to the Expo Centre of the Eko Hotel and Suites, Victoria Island, venue of the sixth West African International Telecommunications and Information Communications Technology Exhibition (W.Afri.Tel 2006), the elements began to show the reason for the rain: showers of blessing to usher in the event.

And, not even the resultant heavy traffic jam, occasioned by the rain, could deter them, as the guests and visitors converged on the exhibition venue for what would be the largest and most successful event since its six years of existence.

It was 10.20am, just 20 minutes later than officially announced scheduled time, when Dr. Henry Nkemadu, Lagos zonal controller of the Nigerian Communications Commission, representing the executive vice chairman of the commission, Engr. Ernest Ndukwe, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, president of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria and Mr. Lanre Ajayi, president of the Nigeria Internet Group, filed out into what had now reduced to a droplets of shower, defying the rain, to perform the brief but unique formal opening of W.Afri.Tel 2006.

As they joined hands and cut the tape, soaked in the joy of the occasion and a bit of the raindrops, an exultant crowd almost immediately gathered and in minutes, the hall had become a beehive of activities. Dr. Chris Nwannenna, president of the Nigeria Computer Society, not one to be left behind no matter the hurdles, made it to the venue just in time to join the dignitaries who were conducted round the exhibition stands by Mr. Mkpe Abang, editor-in-chief of IT & Telecom Digest, Sole Nigeria Agents of Exhibition Management Services (Pty), organisers of the event.

One could tell by the satisfied looks on their faces, by the new products they were wowed by, and the elation in their gait, that indeed, these officials were more than happy with the event.

Besides, it was literally a gathering of the tribes. Human traffic at the venue, which grew as the hours grew into days, was unusually heavy throughout the duration of the exhibition. A slew of excited faces descended on the Expo Centre, as they came, saw new technologies and reviewed new services from the exhibitors from far and near.

Having established itself as one of Africa’s foremost ICT exhibitions, the three-day display of innovative cutting-edge IT solutions was unanimously appraised as an event worth the time and resources by a cross-section of exhibitors and visitors alike.

Declaring the exhibition opened, Dr. Nkemadu extolled the organisers for their consistency and doggedness in ensuring that the dream remained alive despite the logistics often encountered in organising an expo of such international magnitude. He assured the exhibitors that the administration of President Olusegun Obasanjo has decided to pursue vigorously the development of its ICT policies and programmes to such a level that is obtainable in advanced countries.

To this end, he noted that the enabling environment, legislation and infrastructure needed by telecommunications companies to operate smoothly and efficiently remain a top priority of government, pointing out that opportunities abound in Nigeria for telcos to recoup their investments within record time.

His remarks: “Because of the singular importance of ICT as the driver of modern economies, the federal government has placed a high premium on its growth and development in the country. We have watched with keen interest the progression in the adoption, acquisition and use of ICT in virtually every aspect of our national life and the government is not resting on its oars until the digital divide between us and the developed world is bridged.”

The recent introduction of the Unified Licensing Regime, with four initial licences already awarded and others in tow, is a pointer to the fact that the government is very committed to levelling the playing field, thereby giving the consumer choice and helping to drive prices, Nkemadu pointed out.

The ATCON president, Dr. Ekuwem and Mr. Lanre Ajayi both praised the organisers for raising the stakes for, and the status of the exhibition to an all time high, thereby becoming the largest and best professional expo in the West African sub-region, to the excitement and admiration of governments, telecom operators, international equipment manufacturers and vendors as well as exhibitors and visitors.

This year’s event, which recorded 200 per cent growth over the 2005 show, saw such landmarks as the entry of the world’s leading mobile telecommunications company, Nokia, which took the largest stand, measuring a total of 96 square metres. Also worthy of note as first timers in the keenly contested limited space for the show are Nigeria’s second national operator, Globacom, which took 54 square metres, and Dubai-based ICell Trading Company, reputed for being the largest single distributor of mobile handsets in Africa and the Middle East. ICell distributes Nokia, Motorola, Samsung and Ericsson handsets, the latter of which it used the W.Afri.Tel event to formally declare its relationship with the Swedish company.

Parading an impressive turnout of both foreign and local companies, W.Afri.Tel 2006 has lived up to its billing as the biggest information and communications technology fair in West Africa. Interestingly, over 80 per cent of the participants have been regular exhibitors since the debut of the telecom Expo in 2001. This goes to show its genuine acceptance by industry players as the one-stop telecommunications fair in the sub-region.

A breakdown of the exhibiting companies shows that one came from Denmark (Emperion); one from the United Arab Emirate (I-Cell); one from the USA (Transtector); one from Luxembourg (Satlynk.S.A); two from Israel (Gilat Satcom and SkyVision Global Networks); four from South Africa (Battery Technologies, Emerson Network Power, Motorola, and Psitek) seven from the United Kingdom (802 Global, Communications Afrique, Fonebak, Redwood Technologies Ltd, SES Americom, Sky2Net, and Skylinks Satellite Communications Ltd); and Nigeria leading the pack with over 21 exhibitors.

The Nigerian companies include ACCAT, Accellon, Cyberspace Network, DCC Satellite & Networks, Dizengoff, ECAS Telecom, EMC Communication, Glo Mobile, Huawei, Integrated Power Tech, LG, MapIT, MTN, Multimesh, MWEB, Netcom Africa, Nokia, Pacific Solution, Starcomms, Unicorndivine Technologies and Vmobile.

Ahead of the 2007 edition, Gillian Pope exhibition manager of EMS hopes the company can find a venue to be able to accommodate the very many companies that have already lined up for the show. This year for instance, over a dozen companies who wanted to exhibit could not find space. To get a space for next year’s show, many companies that exhibited this year have already filled out and submitted their contract forms to retain their space, which the organisers say would be offer on a first come first served basis.

They Said It!
From visiting dignitaries to exhibitors, from visitors to experts, IT & Telecom Digest team sampled the opinions of a cross section of those at W.Afri.Tel 2006 on the show. Some of their views are presented here:

W.Afri.Tel is Marvellous! But add a conference

The executive vice chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Engr. Ernest Ndukwe, who was at W.Afri.Tel 2005 was billed to declare the 2006 event open. A last minute state assignment however, made him to assign the commission’s Lagos zonal controller, Dr. Henry Nkemadu, to represent him. Dr. Nkemadu spoke briefly on the event shortly after cutting the tape to declare the event open and after taking a tour of the exhibition stands. His words:

How would you rate the exhibition from what you’ve seen so far?
One can say this being the sixth edition of W.Afri.Tel that a lot more companies, have now shown their presence and showcased what they’ve come to Nigeria to do. It’s been quite marvellous.

Are you impressed with the quality of organisation?
I’m particularly impressed about the layout of the companies and the way everybody has been received. The companies have also laid out their services and their products very well, and I think I would thank the exhibitors and the organisers for a job well done.

If you were to advise what areas do you think the organisers should improve upon next time?
This is an exhibition, but I would have advised that they also add a conference, which will also enable people who attend such exhibitions have a lecture and a discussion on what is being exhibited because it’s not enough to have just the pamphlets and the brochures of the companies. The actions and what the equipment and products are supposed to do could also be discussed at the conference.

W.Afri.Tel¬¬ has a uniqueness of its own - ATCON President

President of Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem was one of the high ranking industry operators who declared the event open, among the many dignitaries who thronged the New Expo Centre, venue of W.Afri.Tel 2006. In a brief chat with IT & Telecom Digest, he expressed great satisfaction on the large turnout and enthusiasm shown by both exhibitors and visitors:

Question: Sir you’ve just taken a walk around the various stands. What is your impression?
Well I’m quite impressed with the large number of exhibitors participating in this year’s show. More especially, the number of foreign exhibitors is much higher this year and this goes to show that W.Afri.Tel has indeed anchored itself as an international information and communications technology event to reckon with. I think it has a uniqueness of its own.

As you went round the various stands what would you say about the range of products and services on display?
Yes, I have noticed a lot of high quality range of ICT products at the various stands. You know quite well that there is a lot of competition in the industry so companies are always coming up with new pieces of telecommunication devices continuously. Also, the dynamic nature of the telecom sector makes it imperative that innovation in products and service delivery will determine to a large extent the market share a particular company will be able to amass. Very importantly, as I went round the stands of the exhibitors, one question I keep asking them was the level of local content in their products because that is the concern and interest of my association. But the response they give is that the products are manufactured overseas. For now, about 90 per cent of telecom accessories are imported and that is not good for us. Yet I believe our plastic industries could produce high quality phone casings, in addition to other accessories. So the issue of local content should always be emphasised in the growth and sustenance of the gains so far made in the telecom sector; from software to hardware, etc.

What are the visitors likely to get in terms of value added in this year’s W.Afri.Tel?
Yes, this year we can see navigational systems, we can see some companies offering digital maps of Nigeria which can help corporate organisations or individuals having fleet of cars to track them. From this technology, you can track through your GSM handset, PC or through direct tracking based on satellite. So one can say that some of those added value services we have been yearning for are being showcased in this exhibition.

In what areas would you like to see improvement in subsequent editions of W.Afri.Tel?
W.Afri.Tel has grown to an international event and needs to widen its scope to include seminar or workshop sessions. What I mean is that besides the exhibition of telecom solutions, there should be an intellectual touch to the event. Participants should be able to brainstorm and hold business talks which will go a long way in addressing some of the knotty issues pertaining to the industry. There should be cross-fertilisation of ideas in addition to the exhibition. Again, the banks and financial institutions are not yet taking full advantage of the opportunities an exhibition of this calibre offers to reach out to their customers. I expect to see them maximise this great opportunity in subsequent events to their own advantage.

How would you react to the issue of multiple taxations in the industry?
If we are not careful with respect to the issue of multiple taxations in the industry, a time will come when local government officials will mount road blocks and want to charge you and me for holding a GSM phone. There are some states that are on the verge of taxing operators. So we are working towards it. The emphasis now is how to increase teledensity; we are talking about universal access, the need to roll out telecom services in the rural areas. If we have multiple taxations it will cut into the revenue stream of the operators. Thus, no fund will be left for the operators for investment and for rolling out services in the rural areas. Again, there are already existing statutes, existing clauses that take care of structures, that’s why we are working with those states concerned to address the issue. Some of them we know are public-spirited and would like to be on the side of the people, because whatever you take from the operators, at the end of the day they will take back from the consumers. There will be an increase in either airtime cost or on one tariff or the other and the eventual loser will be the consumer and we don’t want that to happen.

It is very, very impressive
Dr. Chris Nwannenna, president of the Nigeria Computer Society, one of the special guests, bared his mind on the event:

We understand this is your first time at W.Afri.Tel. How would you describe the atmosphere?
Well, I’ve not attended before, and I can’t easily compare the past with the present, but what I’m seeing is very exciting, I think this is very successful. My first experience is that this is a very successful exhibition, as successful as IT & Telecom Digest.

What opportunities can the NCS avail itself of from W.Afri.Tel?
From time to time we talk about IT and communications because these days you have to leverage on both to be able do substantial work, so this is quite impressive, and of course when we talk about IT in communications, you look at JAVA. Most of the cell phone operators, and especially most of these providers here use JAVA in most of their products, and that is where IT comes in. We can leverage on that to promote both sectors.

Is the NCS thinking of something similar?
Well, we do software exhibitions, for now, that’s the exhibition we hold. We’ll probably go into this area later on. But it’s not on our cards right now, but we’ll continue to ensure that Nigerian software exhibitions are the biggest in Africa. The one that is going to hold in September in Abuja is going to be fantastic. We can leverage later on, maybe, a joint effort between some other organisations; we can host an exhibition of this nature.

How would you rate the turnout?
I think the turnout is very, very impressive, even in spite of the rain. Rain is a terrible thing in Lagos. Whenever it rains, all events are messed up, but apparently this one has not been messed up. So, if there wasn’t rain, there would have been a larger crowd here than this.

How were you able to make it through the rain?
Because it’s IT & Telecom Digest, I had to swim through the flood to come here.

So we look forward to seeing you next year?
Oh sure, why not, and every other year.

‘Most Aggressive, Most Comprehensive, Most Powerful Show’
His company has just been awarded the Unified Licence; it is Nigeria’s largest private telephone operator and the only one that has been consistently exhibiting at W.Afri.Tel. This year, however, he was at the event as chief executive officer. Maher Qubain, CEO of Starcomms, responded to some questions:

Starcomms has been quite consistent at this exhibition over the years…
In my years here, this is the fourth time I’m personally participating. I think your question may be leading to how have I seen the change and the progression, correct? I have seen our stand grow four times in two years.

This is the first time you are at exhibition as CEO?
Every time I’ve attended, I’ve been the Chief Technology Officer (CTO); this is my first time as CEO, and the first time with a national licence (Unified Licence). So I am very humbled and very honoured and very pleased and very excited to have that honour bestowed upon our company.

How would you describe W.Afri.Tel 2006?
W.Afri.Tel in my own opinion is a wonderful window of opportunity to allow foreign companies and Nigerian companies to come together to offer value services to Nigerians. Secondly, to introduce Nigerian workforce to possibilities and opportunities and thirdly, but not least is the fact that it allows the telecom industry to have a view of all the latest and greatest technologies. Most people think oh, there’s only CTIA, World GSM, but W.Afri.Tel is in reality the most aggressive, most comprehensive, most powerful show, why? Because in a very small space, it allows you to visit many more people without having to have your legs get tired; so you get a lot more done in W.Afri.Tel, plus I mean the beauty of Nigeria sitting by the pool of Eko Hotel when you are done, resting for five minutes and coming back. So you do 10 times more efficiently what you would do in any other country in three days. Because I’ve been to the Barcelona show at the 3GSM conference, it took me three days and I didn’t see 20 per cent. Here, in less than three hours, I can finish all of them and all the companies are wonderful, they’re reputable, they’re smart, they’re intelligent and they bring value and services for Nigeria.

Were you here last year?
Yes I was

How would you compare last year’s with this year’s?
Really, I would say this year among the participants, I see a lot more light, not just from electricity, from the people. There’s a lot of excitement, there’s a lot of buzz on Nigeria, the subscriber base as a whole has almost doubled, the teledensity has almost doubled, and the Nigerian capital reforms of the finance industry have been amazing. The people who are coming are realising that Nigeria is the best place to do business. So the reality of W.Afri.Tel, not only is it a window of business, but it is a window for other people to see that Nigeria is the best place to live, work and do telecom business anywhere in the world.

W.Afri.Tel is the Most Cost Effective Exhibition
Rami Sabag, is the Sales Manager, Gilat Satcom. His views:

Is this your first time exhibiting at W.Afri.Tel?
No! This is fourth time of coming to W.Afri.Tel

How do you find W.Afri.Tel 2006?
I’ve participated in all Nigerian exhibitions, about eight this year alone, in Abuja, in Lagos, all of them. Some of them are cheaper than W.Afri.Tel, but if you’re looking at the total cost effectiveness, this is the most cost effective exhibition. You cannot compare it to any other exhibition. All the others, maybe they can be cheaper, $1000 less, $2000 less, but this one, after you’ve taken the result of the list of what you’ve gained from this exhibition and you’re concluding, it’s the best exhibition, really.

If you want to compare this year’s own with that of last year, what would be your assessment?
This year is much more professional, people are coming, and they know what they are coming for. Last year, it was more like people were coming for the gifts, but this year it’s more professional.

The world’s leading mobile communications company, Nokia, was coming to W.Afri.Tel for the first time. Younes Cherkaoui, Accounts Director, North West Africa, Nokia, speaks on the show:

This is Nokia’s first time of exhibiting in W.Afri.Tel?
Yes.

How has it been?
I think this is the sixth edition, and I think its growing more and more and its one of the important, if not the most important exhibition here in Nigeria. We think that W.Afri.Tel is one of the best in the West African region

When you were signing on for W.Afri.Tel, what was your expectation?
Expectations, there are two levels. The first level is business level, B2B, to contact some managers, CEOs, some old mobile sectors, and another level is with consumers. As you can see, our stand is so interactive that everybody wins as we give them gift items. Of course, you can experience the new N91, music phone. We had some booths for people so they can experience the phone and to present our latest products to Nigerians.

To what extent has your expectation been met?
I think it’s quite good, because we have a lot of people. It’s very interesting and they are aware of what we do, and there is a lot of contact that we have made in W.Afri.Tel.

How do you rate W.Afri.Tel 2006?
I think it’s a success in terms of the exhibitors and in terms of the people that are here. You have Motorola, you have Nokia, you have LG, which have the most important mobile phone accessories and you have the most important operators, GSM and CDMA, Starcomms, Vmobile, Glo, MTN. It’s a success.

Do we look forward to seeing Nokia next year?
Certainly yes. I can say that; yes, we have to be here.

Great Turnout
Willie Van Der Merwe, Technical Support Manager, Psitek:

How would you describe W.Afri.Tel 2006?
We’ve actually been very happy, there’s been a great turnout, people have shown good interest in our products, I actually don’t have any problem.

What were your expectations and to what extent has W.Afri.Tel met them?
I must say that at any exhibition, you don’t really know who’s going to exhibit, but I saw a floor plan, so I saw what sort of companies will be here and you know, they are big companies, so I expected nice stands; and they are here and there are good products.

What have you been gaining here?
I’ve been gaining a good understanding about the Nigerian market growth, especially with our product which is the payphone.

How would you describe the acceptance of your product?
Positive.

So do we hope to see you again next year?
Yes, you’d probably see me again next year.

W.Afri.Tel has played a critical in Nigeria’s telecom revolution
Michael Tolub, Vice President, Sales, SkyVision

How would you describe W.Afri.Tel 2006?
I would describe it as very hot in every sense of the term. Very hot in the number of customers and I would say even in the quality of the customers passing by and coming to our booth, very hot and high quality….

Very hot as in very good?
Hot is good. Very hot and good in the quality of the people and the visitors, very hot this time unfortunately in the temperature of the place, as well.

What has your company gained?
Additional exposure, we are getting to know more and more customers and potential resellers, we are getting to be known by the customers and resellers and getting to know and be known again by potential partners, be it in the Voice over IP or integrators, or different kinds of vendors.
It’s the sixth edition and I was there from the very first. If I look at Nigeria, I think that Nigeria has greatly improved as a country, Lagos as a town that I know very well, and I think that telecom also has improved and maybe Nigeria has been improving because of improvement in telecom. The fact that now we have a wide access to different telecom systems and organisations. I think W.Afri.Tel plays a critical role in this revolution. I think W.Afri.Tel is very good and I praise Nigeria for going in this line.

Could you make a comparison between last year and this year?
I don’t want to make a comparison because last year my sales team of SkyVision, my company was not good, was not experienced. It was not a big success because I was not here with the right people on my team. This year, I have a very good sales manager, many resellers and strong customers. So I feel much better, much stronger, much easier and making more contacts with the potential customers.

This is an improvement on 2005 edition
Mrs Lolade Shonubi, Marketing Manager, Netcom

This is Netcom’s second coming at W.Afri.Tel. How would you describe the experience?
Well, I think overly W.Afri.Tel has grown to be basically the best exhibition; they showcase a lot of new technologies from not just Nigeria, but basically within Africa and even Europe. So for us it’s been very interesting, it has added a lot of value I must say to the business, from an awareness point of view, from a communication point of view it has also given us the opportunity to showcase our premium products and services. So basically, I must say it’s been a successful exhibition, and it’s been worth our while and our money.

Compare 2005 to 2006
I think this year is better, I think the idea about exhibitions is that year after year, the organisers learn, they learn from mistakes and they learn from issues and I think they’ve taken all that knowledge and they’ve given us a better exhibition this year. So I must say this is definitely an improvement over 2005 regardless of the weather. It’s been pouring since Monday, but regardless of that, the visitors are pouring in, people are still coming in to learn more about the various technologies, products and services, so I must say that it’s a much better organised exhibition this year, and has definitely added a lot more value to us.

What has Netcom gained?
The reasons for exhibition are not just sales, they are also for awareness, they are also to develop strategic relationships, partnerships and see old friends in the industry. I would say over these three days we have gained all that, we have not only created more awareness about our premium products, about our premium brands, we have also had the opportunity to develop more partnerships, and basically to meet new people, possible partners.

So we hope to see Netcom next year?
Definitely, I’ve just signed the form for next year, we’re going to be here, and we’re going to be at the same spot A1 and A2.

A Wonderful exhibition!
Ehi Ulinkhifo, Corporate Sales, MWEB
What’s your impression?
W.Afri.Tel 2006 has been wonderful, a lot of products, good brands really, the organisation is excellent, and I think equipment are okay. I want W.Afri.Tel officials to improve on extension of invitation to all nooks and crannies. Compared to last year, in terms of turnout, there might appear to be a larger turnout last year, but in terms of organisation, innovation, this year is quite better. But the organisers need to work on the air conditioning system; MWEB’s stand is very hot. Aside that, it’s been a wonderful experience, wonderful exhibition!

We will always be at W.Afri.Tel
Charles Odiase, Glo- Gateway

This is the first time Glo is participating at W.Afri.Tel. How has it been?
Well, for us, it’s been a good experience actually, because naturally, we’ve always expected our subscribers to experience us wherever they can because we always go wherever they are, and our participating this year is to add an additional life to W.Afri.Tel and we believe that subsequently, we will be attending all the exhibitions. The idea really being that Nigerians who are the number one people we like to always delight with our services would always find their way in places like this, they want to participate in a place where the telecoms companies are doing one thing or the other. They want to know about what the latest is in telecom generally, so it’s a good place to be. W.Afri.Tel is the place for them to find a lot of answers to the kind of questions they have about telecoms and we are making a promise that we will make it next year and subsequently we’ll be part of this, a lot more innovations we are going to bring by the time we come here again next year, so subscribers can rest assured that this event will grow bigger by virtue of our own participation too.

What were your expectations for W.Afri.Tel 2006, and to what extent has your expectations been met?
Well reasonably, the kind of expectations we had was for people attending, people coming to know a bit more about what we do, who have enquiries of any sort to be able to get responses to them. To that extent, we are not dissatisfied with what we’ve seen. We are happy with the level of response that people have brought here, a lot of people have made enquiries, some of our special value added services that we’ve brought here, we’ve been able to showcase. Many people have asked questions and they’ve been enlightened about it, and so to a good extent I can say that we’re happy with the turnout and the way it has gone.

We achieved our objective
Miran Ellahee, Sales and Marketing Director, I-Cell

This is your first time at W.Afri.Tel?
Yes it is indeed.

How would you describe it?
W.Afri.Tel’ is a fantastic occasion. As you can see from our presence here, I think it’s important for us to be at this event, and we are already talking about coming back next year and we look forward to being here again.

What have you gained from being here?
We are mainly here from a brand presence perspective, we are a very new company here in Nigeria, and for us it’s all about building up our brand awareness, that was our major objective, and as you can see, from the coverage we’ve received, thanks to the wonderful press here, we’ve certainly achieved that objective, and we’re very grateful to the Nigerian press.

From what I can see, you have four booths in this event?
Four booths yes, but I think next year, we’re going to take six booths. I want it to be placed on record right now that I wish to be at the very front of the event next year, and if we’re placed at the very front, we’ll ensure that we have a special offer for the visitors to W.Afri.Tel.

Organisers have been consistent
Engr. Gbenga Adebayo is the General Manager, VGC Communications Limited. Though his company did not exhibit, as a leading private telephone operator he visited the exhibition and gave his comments:

How would you describe W.Afri.Tel 2006?
Very good, I’ve seen that the attendance this year is a lot better than previous years and I’ve seen also that we have new entrants into the exhibition; therefore it tells you that we have many more participants this year, and I’m hopeful that more than the years before, the objective of an exhibition like this will be fully realised. It’s good to see the consistency of the organisers and I just will ask them to continue in that light because it’s good.

What is a busy executive like you doing here?
I must see what is happening.

Why is VGC not exhibiting?
You see, we are a network operator, you must remember and you have more of people who are network providers on display here. Maybe when we have a similar exhibition for network operators, we certainly will be there. Part of the reasons I have come is to see again what is new, to see who is new, who are the new players joining the industry and we take it from there.

What do you hope to see?
Certainly I expect a lot more new innovations and I do hope that by this time next year we will have more made in Nigeria products on display. I hope that the various companies who are here represented will start having local content in their products and I do expect that I will see a phone made in Nigeria or assembled in Lagos, assembled in Kaduna and all that, this is what I look forward to because I think that this is the next direction that the industry should go.

Visitors besiege our stand!
Ifran Habib, Buniness Manager, Redwood Technologies:

Turnout was very good. It has been busy for us like it had always been in previous editions we have attended. This show has been very successful and very good for us. Since it started yesterday, we have not had the chance of taking a break, because visitors have continued to besiege our stand to know what we have on display. The turnout has been very good. People have been excited about what they see and they look forward to when the new technology would be on ground. We are definitely going to be here in subsequent editions

Include a forum
Ayo Adegboye, DCC Satellite & Network Limited

The exhibition has further helped us to re-enforce our company’s name as a major player in the industry. We have been able to attract some would-be clients to our stand. The air conditioning has been poor, I am suggesting the organisers look for a bigger venue, and it might not necessarily be in Lagos. Who says we cannot host the exhibition in Abuja. I also want the organisers to look at the possibility of including in the programme, seminars and forum, where all the exhibitors would come together. This will provide us with the chance of meeting ourselves and look at ways of benefiting from one another through networking.

Fantastic!
Haydar Budullah, Senior Account Manager, Emerson Network Power

Your impression of W.Afri.Tel?
Absolutely fantastic! I have seen a lot of interests from visitors here. You know all the main players are here - Glo, Vmobile, MTN, and Starcomms, etc.

Is this your first time at W.Afri.Tel?
Yes, this is my first time of coming to W.Afri.Tel, but my company, Emerson has been a regular exhibitor in all the past exhibitions.

Do you hope to be back next year?
Yes, we hope to be back next year as the event gives us the opportunity to showcase our products and services.

Tremendous improvement

David Ajulo, Sales Manager ACCAT Nig. Ltd

I can see a lot of improvements in this year’s event. A lot of visitors are coming and making enquiries. At the end of the show we shall be able to make sense out of some of them. The awareness is okay. You know the exhibition is designed for certain segment of the market —telecoms operators. So it is those who understand what ICT is all about that are coming.

Compared to previous years, I will say there has been tremendous improvement. But I will like the organisers to look into the problem of the air-conditioning system seriously. The venue is extremely hot. In terms of coordination, you can see that right from the entrance everyone is made to register, and the access is well-manned. As you can see it is very easy to identify an exhibitor and a visitor. So generally, there is order.

And Visitors also speak:

I’m impressed and I’ll recommend it
Abboud Zaoui, Commercial Counsellor, French Embassy, Lagos:

What I saw at the exhibition venue really impressed me. I am impressed with the number of exhibitors and visitors at the event. Though this is my first time at the exhibition, I am really impressed. I am disappointed that no France based company was at the exhibition. I will definitely recommend this event to companies in France and I can assure you of their participation next year.

I don’t regret coming
Major A. Adegbesan (Rtd), Ijebu- Ode, Ogun State, Nigeria

I am satisfied with what I have seen today. The stand arrangements, the quality of exhibitors and the products and services on display at the event have been marvellous. Though, this is my first time of coming, I must say I have not regretted the visit. The organisers have to look at the cooling system. The place is hot and dirty because of the large number of people that are trooping in. Except for these two minor problems, I think the organisers deserve commendation for a job well done.

I feel privileged and honoured
Kunle Soetan, Department of Computer Science, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye

What I have seen since the event started yesterday has further confirmed that I was right in my choice of career. I was here yesterday and today and it has been a wonderful experience for me. I feel privileged and honoured to have attended. I now have a little bit of edge over my other colleagues, who are not chanced to be here. I would recommend that the organisers of W.Afri.Tel in subsequent editions embark on public enlightenments in our tertiary institutions, because the future belongs to us.

And the winners are….
Besides its being an avenue for information technology companies to showcase their products, W.Afri.Tel was also a platform for companies to reward visitors and clients for their patronage.

In its usual tradition at exhibitions, Nokia gave out three Nokia 3250 model, one for each day of the event. The mode employed to pick the winner was the popular lucky dip. Every visitor to W.Afri.Tel had an equal opportunity to cart away a prize in addition to winning the phone. The simple criterion was to approach any Nokia attendant and get a scratch card.

Georgina Obaje, administrative secretary at the Lagos Representative office of Huawei Technologies Co. Nigeria Ltd. was at the office when her slip was picked amongst many, as the winner of the 3250 Nokia phone on the second day of W.Afri.Tel. Stating that she had never won anything in her life, she showed her excitement thus: “I feel very good.” That was all she could muster as she was overcome with excitement.

I-Cell also chose W.Afri.Tel 2006 as the right place to announce Alhaja Shoyemi Kafiat Olubunmi as the winner of the company’s phone sales promotion which ended shortly before the event and for which N1 million was at stake. According to Alhaja Olubunmi – who turns 40 years this July - a business woman trading in mobile phones and recharge cards, she bought the phone early in June and found a press-and-win card, which she pressed and forgot about.

“When I first received the call, I thought it was a fraudster, I told people around me that see all these fraudsters; but then, I started seeing more calls coming in, and I talked to someone, maybe their MD and he said he’s from I-Cell. He said I should come there now; they are waiting for me. It was when I got there that I believed it’s real,” she said when asked to describe her reaction after getting to know that she had won N1m. She said she intends to invest the money in the stock market.

At the Glo Mobile Stand, visitors also had the opportunity of winning mobile phones, recharge cards and, SIM packs and handsets. Francis Kolawole, who bought a new SIM at the venue of the exhibition, was lucky as his entry won him a recharge card instantly. On why he chooses to be on the Glo network, he said it was because Glo was the first network to reach his village.