I marked mine with a crop of Old and Young Minds, coutesy of the Digital Vilage, Lagos. Under the able moderatorship of Nigeia's First IT Ambassador, Gbenga Sesan, we have began a process of Mentorship in the development of ICT in Nigeria.

It kicked off at about 11.00am and ended with such zeal in the face of a trying Nation. Mentors present were:

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Hajiya Jummai Umar of Action Aid Nigeria,
Tope Fashedemi of Netcomm Africa, and
Micheal Gbadebo of creotec.
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Moreso, i feel so much elated to have celebrated my WSIS Day in the mist of the concerned future of Nigeria. This is a first of many.

Watchout for more update.

World Information Society Day and cluster of events from 9 to 19 May
On 27 March 2006, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted Resolution A/RES/60/252 proclaiming 17 May as annual World Information Society Day. This Day will help raise awareness of the possibilities that Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can bring to societies and economies, as well as of ways to bridge the digital divide.

In conjunction with the World Information Society Day celebrated for the first time on 17 May 2006, a series of events related to the implementation of the WSIS Action lines will take place from 9 to 19 May. Moderators/facilitators of WSIS action lines, such as ITU, UNESCO, UNDP, UNCTAD, ILO and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, will hold multistakeholder meetings to take the WSIS implementation process forward. A second round of informal consultations will also be held on the convening of the Internet Governance Forum as a follow up to the recommendations of the Tunis Summit.

A common badge will be used for all Action Line Facilitation meetings. For more information on the registration and badging procedures as well as on the full program of events, visit the WSIS website.


One of the highlights of this 10-day program will be the presentation of the first ITU World Information Society Award on 17 May 2006 from 10:45 to 12:00 at the Geneva International Conference Center (CICG). This Ceremony is open to all WSIS stakeholders with an UNOG or an Action Line Facilitation badge. More information on the Day is available at the ITU website.

Date: Wednesday, May 17 2006 -- World Information Society Day!
Time: 11:00am prompt (All participants must arrive at least 30 minutes before commencement)
Venue: Heinrich Boll Foundation, 9b Omo Osagie Street, off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi
Theme: "Equipping the Next Generation: The Role of Mentorship in ICT Development in Nigeria"

While government policies and policy instruments may not be lacking for
the Nigerian ICT sector, there is the concern that majority of policy
instruments (regardless of sector) are often high-sounding but may lack
visible expression if care is not taken. From the robust Information
Technology policy to the policy that describes the need for ICT
education, it is gradually becoming clear that it is necessary to build bridges
between policy and action. Fortunately, the WSIS process has revealed
that young people stand as one of such bridges: capacity building for
youth is a sure way of securing the future of any enterprise. This then
highlights the need to introduce aspiring ICT professionals to
mentorship opportunities within the sector — which is what the Bridges
Roundtable seeks to address.
“In Nigeria’s Information and Communications Technology sector, role
models abound. From the CEO of Lagos based corporations to lecturers in
the Diaspora, young Nigerians have a lot of people to look up to. There
are Nigerians whose names cause positive stirs in international fora,
and there are those whom young only see on the television or read about
in the dailies. This roundtable seeks to build bridges between these
aspiring professionals and the existing role models, in order to build
staying power for the industry. The roundtable will bring together
seasoned ICT professionals (spanning government, private sector and civil
society) and aspiring professionals (who will be selected based on
interest and previous participation) to discuss how the next generation can
stand on the shoulders of elders in order to see farther ahead. With the
theme, “Equipping the Next Generation: The Role of Mentorship in ICT
Development in Nigeria”, we hope to create continuous
communication that can reduce the learning curve for intending ICT
professionals in Nigeria, and thus bridge the gap between policy and
sustainable action.

“Lagos Digital Village is proud to announce that applications are
open for the Bridges Roundtable. Twenty young people with passionate
interest in ICTs are expected to meet with identified mentors whose
experiences include government, private sector and civil society. The Bridges
Roundtable will hold at the Heinrich Boll Foundation office on the 17th
of May, 2006, and additional details will be made available to
successful applicants. To apply, please send your detailed resume and a cover
letter (upper limit of 500 words) — detailing your area of interest in
the ICT sector and what your future plans are — to
bridges@lagosdigitalvillage.org.ng.
Applications must be received by 11:59pm, April 27, 2006.”

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MUTIU A. OKEDIRAN
08028185974; 01-8940988
mutiuokediran@yahoo.com
http://www.mutiuokediran.com