This year’s Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership lecture will focus on the role of artificial intelligence in a digital economy with the theme: “Artificial Intelligence (AI): The Good, The Complex and The Anticipated”.
The lecture which will herald Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership Awards hold on May 25, 2024 at Four Points by Sheraton.
The sixteenth edition of the award ceremony, according Ken Nwogbo, editor-in-chief of Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, the organiser of the event, “is a special edition to recognise and celebrate organizations and individuals in the ICT industry that have been distinguished in delivery innovative services in the sector.
“Most of these organizations and individuals have consistently being voted by our readers as leaders in their areas of operations and we have decided to reward them in this especial edition”.
He added that, AI is considered to have the potential to instigate a fourth industrial revolution,1 and is dramatically changing people’s patterns of interaction and economic activities.
“The traditional factors of production and physical capital and labour may no longer promote substantial economic growth. It is generally believed that AI will be one of the most important factors determining future economic growth.
“However, unlike traditional machines, which replaced the use of human and animal labor for simple manual work and heavy or dangerous activities, AI-related inputs may change the type of human work in a comprehensive way.
“In contrast to previous industrial revolutions, AI does not simply involve the invention of a new machine or technology. Instead, AI has similarities to the accumulation of human capital, as it can learn and accumulate knowledge by itself,” he said.
The Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership Distinguished Lecture is designed to explore efforts to put Nigeria on the global Information and Communications Technologies map.
The lecture series however is reserved for distinguished achievers in the ICT sector.
Past lecturers include then executive vice chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Ernest Ndukwe; former Director-General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Engr. Yomi Bolarinwa; CEO at OR System France and a specialist in Counterparty Risk, Dr. Jean Luc Fort; and Chairman, Knowledge Factory International, United Kingdom, Professor Chris Nwagboso.
Others were: Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority (NSIA), Uche Orji; Managing Director/CEO, VDT Communications, Biodu Omoniyi; Managing Director, Rack Centre Limited, Ayotunde Coker; Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Sidmach Technologies Nigeria Limited, Peter Adedayo Arogundade; Chief Visionary Officer, Digital Encode, Dr. Adewale Obadare; CEO and founder of Systemspecs, John Obaro; then Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Prof. Isa Pantanmi, among others.
