BY TAIBAT UMMI YAKUBU

Five Nigerians have secured appointments to a United Nations-backed global consultation body tasked with strengthening stakeholder participation in shaping the future of digital development and information society policies.

The appointments place the five Nigerians among 92 members of the Multistakeholder Consultation Group of the United Nations Group on the Information Society (UNGIS-MCG), a platform established to bring diverse perspectives into international discussions on information and communication technologies.

The United Nations announced the appointments on the official UNGIS website, with representatives drawn from different sectors, including private enterprise, technical communities, youth organisations and 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.; Atule Christian, President of the National Union of Telecommunication Engineering Students of Nigeria; Martha Alade, Executive Director of Women in Technology in Nigeria; and Rafiu Olaore, Executive Director of the Youths Enterprise Development and Innovation Society.

The members are expected to serve for a minimum of two years, contributing their professional experience and perspectives to discussions on global digital priorities.

The consultation group is designed to strengthen engagement between UNGIS and stakeholders whose work, expertise and communities are directly affected by developments in the digital sector. It will provide an avenue for sharing information, offering feedback and advising on the group's priorities.

Its work will build on the outcomes of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS)+20 Review, including United Nations General Assembly Resolution A/RES/80/173. It will also draw on stakeholder contributions from the 29th annual session of the Commission on Science and Technology for Development, the annual WSIS Forum and other UNGIS activities.

The initiative seeks to promote broader participation in international technology discussions, ensuring that decisions on digital development reflect the experiences and interests of different regions and stakeholder groups.

Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Olufuye said his appointment would provide an opportunity to bring the realities of Nigeria's information technology sector to the international stage.

He argued that the telecommunications industry is largely driven by private-sector operators, making it important for businesses and other non-governmental stakeholders to have a meaningful voice in decisions affecting the millions of people who depend on digital services.

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“My appointment from the private sector in Nigeria to the global community will present a balanced view of the information system situation on ground,” he said.

Olufuye added that Nigerian representatives needed to contribute directly to global policy discussions rather than have decisions about their environment shaped primarily by perspectives from Europe and other parts of the world.

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

He also disclosed that he had participated in the Informal Multistakeholder Sounding Board during the WSIS+20 review, where his experience in the private sector contributed to discussions on the future of the global information society.

Olufuye said he intended to draw on his knowledge of the information technology industry to ensure that the perspectives of Nigerian stakeholders receive greater consideration in international deliberations.

“Operating in the private sector, I will bring in my knowledge and experience of the information technology industry to ensure our voices are heard at the global stage,” he said.

The WSIS process is a United Nations-led initiative focused on building an inclusive, people-centred and development-oriented information society through the use of information and communication technologies to advance sustainable development.

The appointment of the five Nigerians provides an opportunity for professionals and organisations from the country to contribute to wider conversations about digital inclusion, technology policy and the role of information and communication technologies in global development.