Five Nigerians have been appointed to the United Nations Group on the Information Society’s Multistakeholder Consultation Group (UNGIS-MCG), a 92-member physique established to strengthen stakeholder participation in global digital policy discussions.
The appointments, introduced on the official UNGIS web site, span the non-public sector, technical group and civil society, giving Nigerian representatives a task in discussions on data and communication expertise (ICT) priorities on the global degree.
The appointees are anticipated to serve for no less than two years, bringing views from Nigeria’s expertise trade and civil society to global discussions.
Appointees span non-public sector, technical group, civil society
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 different 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 function an advisory and consultative platform for normal data sharing on UNGIS priorities and for gathering views and suggestions from numerous stakeholder communities.
Olufuye says appointees will convey native realities to global discussions
Olufuye, one of many appointees, mentioned that their appointment would assist signify data expertise realities throughout completely different sectors and guarantee inclusion in global discussions.
He mentioned the telecommunications sector was largely operated by non-public firms, making it essential for trade contributors to contribute to selections affecting thousands and thousands of individuals.
- “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 mentioned, in accordance 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.
Group to construct on WSIS+20 overview outcomes
The group will construct on the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 Review, together with UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/80/173. It can even draw on stakeholder inputs from the twenty ninth annual session of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development, the annual WSIS Forum and different UNGIS occasions.
The initiative is meant to promote inclusive dialogue and strengthen cooperation amongst stakeholders in shaping global data society insurance policies and priorities.
The WSIS course of is a UN-led initiative aimed toward constructing an inclusive, people-centred and development-oriented data society, with an emphasis on utilizing data and communication applied sciences to advance sustainable improvement.
Nigeria’s digital inclusion gaps stay important
The appointments come amid ongoing efforts to develop digital entry and inclusion in Nigeria, the place thousands and thousands of individuals nonetheless face boundaries to digital participation regardless of enhancements in connectivity and smartphone adoption.
Separately, a KPMG examine carried out with Orange Group Nigeria discovered that smartphone ownership rose from 64% in 2023 to 75% in 2025. However, greater than a 3rd of cell subscribers have been nonetheless utilizing 2G networks as of May 2026, highlighting the persevering with hole between system possession and the standard of digital entry.
