Mr Pratap Hegde, Managing Director of Telematic4u Services Ltd, an Indian Telecommunication outfit, on Monday said that Nigeria was a ready market for ICT products and Services from India.
Hegde, who led a 13-man delegation of India Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council to Nigeria, said in Lagos that the team was in Nigeria to tie up business transactions with would-be Nigerian partners.
He said under the “Indo-Africa ICT Partnership”, the Indian government and the Council were interested in harnessing the “huge Nigeria market” for their made in India ICT products and services.
“The world today looks forward to India’s ICT products and Nigeria being our strategic partner, cannot afford to be left out.
“Our Council is in Nigeria to interact with Nigerian buyers of ICT products and services, as well as explore the possibilities of business cooperation and strategic alliances with them,’’ he said.
The delegation leader said they would enter into partnership with Nigerian dealers in providing electronics hardware, Information Technology services and IT enabled services to Nigerians.
“As a catalyst for the India ICT industry, our council is here to develop a new mechanism of making our products accessible and affordable to Nigerians.
“With the huge market in Nigeria, more and more Indian ICT? companies are willing to extend their high technology solutions to Nigeria,’’ he said.
Mr Kurma Sharma, First Commercial Secretary, High Commission of India in Lagos, said that the delegation was in Nigeria to promote trade and investment opportunities between India and Nigeria
Sharma urged the Nigerian business community to avail themselves of the opportunity of interacting with the Indian ICT providers.
?“ICT development is one new area where India’s government and its Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council are seriously looking at promoting trade relations with Nigeria,’’ he said.
Sharma said that there was a lot for Nigerians to benefit from the use of ICT and advised ICT dealers in the country to take advantage of the council’s visit.
Bomb scare at ANC headquarters, workers evacuated.
South Africa's ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC) Headquarters “Luthuli House'', was evacuated on Monday following a bomb scare.
Mr Keith Khoza, ANC spokesman told newsmen in Johannesburg that members of staff at the Luthuli House were told to evacuate the building immediately.
“Yes, we had to evacuate our memebers of staff because of a bomb scare at the Star Newspapers building, and that of the ANC,'' Khoza said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that all meetings scheduled for Monday morning at the ANC headquarter were postponed.
Khoza said Sauer Street was closed for about an hour while police combed the Star newspapers building.
The nearby housing department and library were also evacuated.
Col. Lungelo Dlamini, Gauteng Police spokesperson, said he had no immediate information and could only provide details when they become available.
Unconfirmed reports had it that Independent Newspaper buildings in Durban and Cape Town were also evacuated.