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NCC Chief Aminu Maida to Lead Speakers at AfriTECH 6.0 in Lagos on November 13
Nigeria’s telecom regulator is set to take the main stage at one of the country’s more closely watched technology gatherings next month. Dr. Aminu Maida, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission, will headline the sixth edition of the Africa Tech Alliance Forum, known as AfriTECH 6.0, in Lagos on November 13.
The one-day event will take place at the Oriental Hotel on Lekki Road under the theme “The Next $1 Trillion Opportunity: Building Africa Through Technology.” Organisers say it will bring together policymakers, investors, technology executives and founders to examine the opportunities and obstacles shaping Africa’s digital economy. It is co-convened by the Africa Tech Alliance Forum and the TechCastle Foundation, with media support from the publication Techeconomy.
Maida will not be the only voice from the telecom sector. Announcements published on October 17 also named Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, as a confirmed speaker, along with Engr. Ikechukwu Nnamani and James Agada. Coverage tagged organisations including the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, Ziemozi Solutions and Ixzdore Laboratories Limited, but did not spell out each speaker’s exact title, so attendees should check the final programme. Pairing the regulator with the operators’ association means the same room will hear from the people who write the rules and those who must follow them, which tends to produce more candid discussion about spectrum, tariffs, infrastructure costs and quality of service.
The forum is also the venue for the Africa Tech Alliance Excellence Awards, known as ATAEx, which recognise organisations, founders and leaders whose work has made a demonstrable contribution to technology, telecoms, fintech and the wider digital economy in Africa.
Chike Onwuegbuchi, co-convener of the forum, framed the edition as a step up in ambition. Over five years, he said, AfriTECH has been a room where the real conversations happen, and he described the trillion-dollar question in the theme as a challenge to everyone present to answer with precision and honesty. The $1 trillion figure refers to the size of the economic opportunity organisers believe technology can unlock across the continent, and the programme is expected to deal with the infrastructure, policy and capital questions that stand between Africa and that goal.
For readers new to the event, a look at earlier editions helps. AfriTECH 4.0 was held at the same Lagos venue on November 7, 2024, under the theme “Leapfrogging Digital Transformation for Future of Africa’s Economy,” and Maida was among the special guests alongside the head of the National Information Technology Development Agency and the chief executive of Galaxy Backbone. That edition included panels, workshops and exhibitions on artificial intelligence, blockchain, fintech, smart cities and sustainable innovation, a mix that suggests what attendees can expect again.
Why it matters now: Nigeria’s telecom sector has had a busy year, from tariff changes to mandated compensation for poor network service and rapid growth in data use, and a regulator addressing the industry in public offers a chance to hear where policy is heading. Founders and investors typically use such forums for introductions and to gauge regulatory direction, while operators get a platform to press for supportive conditions on infrastructure and costs, encouraging collaboration, investment, innovation, and sustainable growth across Nigeria’s digital economy.
Practical details beyond the date, venue and theme have not been published in the coverage reviewed, including registration, ticket prices details and the full agenda. Anyone planning to attend should check the organisers’ official channels for updates as the date approaches.
