Pantami leads NITDA delegation to 2019 DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet Governance

The Director-General (DG) of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami would on Thursday this week in Lagos give a keynote to the 2019 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D) and Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable.

Disclosing this development, the Executive Director, DigitalSENSE Africa Media, Mrs Nkem Nweke, and convener of Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum series, said at the weekend that the over-arching theme for this year is on “Internet Governance for Development (IG4D) & Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable.”

Pantami’s participation has been confirmed by his office and would centre on his much expected keynote on “Security & Connecting Nigerians for Enhanced Internet Governance” during the technical sessions on Thursday, June 20, 2019.

She also said that the forum holding at the Welcome Center Hotels, International Airport Road, Lagos, under the chairmanship of Executive Chairman, Connect Technologies, Chief Chris Uwaje, who is a former president, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON) would equally have the President of Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) and Chief Executive of Nigeria Internet Exchange Point (IXPN), Mr. Mohammed Rudman in attendance.

Just as the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta would also be featuring at the forum marking the 10th edition of the Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet Governance for Development.

Pantami’s keynote, she said, is anticipated to offer some insights on the security readiness of the country with regards to connecting Nigerians for enhanced Internet Governance and on IPv6 networks, especially at this time the United Nations (UN) is emphasising digital cooperation and interdependence in a digital age.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NITDA, Pantami, she noted, was appointed as DG of the development agency since 2016 and before then he has worked as an Academic in various capacities.

Pantami, she said, obtained first degree of BTech in Computer Science in 2002/2003 session from the Federal University of Technology Bauchi (popularly known as Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University) and later MSc in Computer Science as well as MBA in Technology Management from the same University.

Additionally, Pantami obtained his PhD in Computer Information Systems and Post Graduate Certificate in Research Methods from the prestigious Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen, Scotland, and United Kingdom. He is a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CSNA) professional, to name a few.

Further, she said, Pantami would be joining the Chief Technology Officer of Medallion Communications, Dr. Krishnan Ranganath, and the Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative, Mr. Gbenga Sesan, to respond to a number of industry issues affecting connectivity in the Internet Governance space in Nigeria, including IPv6 efficacy.

She recollects that the Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum series on Internet Governance for Development and Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable is organised by the DigitalSENSE Africa (DSA) Media, a certified At-Large Structure (ALS) of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) and internationally reputed as award-winning Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry analysts and perception managers; professionally affiliated to African Regional At-Large Organisation (AFRALO) for shaping the future of the Internet among others.