UN appoints five Nigerians to global digital policy consultation group

Five Nigerians have been appointed to the United Nations Group on the Information Society’s Multistakeholder Consultation Group (UNGIS-MCG).

UNGIS-MCG i a 92-member body established to strengthen stakeholder participation in global digital policy discussions.

The appointments, announced on the official UNGIS website, span the private sector, technical community and civil society, giving Nigerian representatives a role in discussions on information and communication technology (ICT) priorities at the global level.

The appointees are expected to serve for a minimum of two years, bringing perspectives from Nigeria’s technology industry and civil society to global discussions.

The Nigerian appointees are Dr Jimson Olufuye, Principal Consultant at Kontemporary Konsulting and Chair of the Advisory Council of the Africa ICT Alliance (AfICTA); Ebenezer Dare, Chief Executive Officer of Hostlag Ltd.; and Atule Christian, President of the National Union of Telecommunication Engineering Students of Nigeria.

The other appointees are Martha Alade, Executive Director of Women in Technology in Nigeria and Rafiu Olaore, Executive Director of Youths Enterprise Development and Innovation Society.

The group will serve as an advisory and consultative platform for regular information sharing on UNGIS priorities and for gathering perspectives and feedback from diverse stakeholder communities.

Olufuye, one of the appointees, said that their appointment would help represent information technology realities across different sectors and ensure inclusion in global discussions.

He said the telecommunications sector was largely operated by private companies, making it important for industry participants to contribute to decisions affecting millions of people.

“My appointment from the private sector in Nigeria to the global community will present a balanced view of the information system situation on ground,” Olufuye said, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

“When we meet at the global level, we can present real situation and not decisions about us from Europe or elsewhere,” Olufuye added.