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  • Itan bounces back on stage

    Itan bounces back on stage

    On stage on 26th December, Itan, the story, written and produced by Ayo Jaiyesimi of the Thespian Family Theatre, made the audience relax in an atmosphere full of total theatre entertainment.  Full of musical renditions, dances and dramas, with stories to spice it, Itan, an award-winning stage drama thrilled to no end.  Edozie Udeze reports on the reason the play is still relevant after ten years on stage and more.  The show happened at Muson Centre, Lagos.

    Itan is not just a story.  It is not only a story, any story at all.  It is a total theatre, a compendium of what a stage drama, musical and entertainment is all about.  Itan is scripted to take the world, lovers of theatre, a whole gamut of theatre buffs, indeed all thespians down memory lane.  Written by Ayo Jaiyesimi, an accountant turned theatre buff, the story went on stage throughout the Yuletide season.  It took place at the Muson Centre, Onikan, Lagos where the crowd was eager, keen and mammoth.

    Full of the stories of old, young, ancient and modern, the playwright was deliberate and intentional in the way she wrote the story.  On stage, Itan displayed the meeting together of the life styles of the old where also the young have refused to fit in.  It is an epitome of the crises of a society where moral decadence has swept and permeated through the cadres of the commonality of the people.

    But it is a story where the young in a way to show that their parents are no longer valuable and relevant decide to tow their own way.  On stage, Jaiyesimi invented the approach that is peculiar.  Her style gives room for total entertainment to become the medium to convey the importance of the message embedded in Itan.  And so, it has become a resounding story.

    She uses music, old and new.  She uses dance, ancient and modern to hold the audience spellbound.  She invents drama.  Her approach is what thespians call total theatre.  For many years Itan has been a delight to theatre lovers.  For in it, you sit for over two hours to savour the total beauty of stage musicals where the artistes display the highest level of dexterity on stage.  But with the deep assortments of costumes, designed exclusively to give vent to acting, the playwright has been able to bring her Thespian Family Theatre outfit into an unforgettable reckoning.

    On the 26th of December, the Boxing Day, the hall was packed to the full for the 3pm show.  Up on stage was one of the most fantastic and magnificent stage designs in modern times.  Built with the infusion of village setting in-between, the different dissections and revolving scenes became one of the sharpest selling points of the show.  The different designs rotated between now and then with reminisces.

    The main stage was done in different layers, designed within the background of a local scene from where story –tellers and observers and narrators could have their leeway. Easily so, the stage formation looked like where stones and rocks inhabit, where villagers usually go to watch the moon and the stars converge at night.

    The black background of the stage in rocky formation and layout gave Nissi George the coveted advantage  to act as a sage in the play.  He was the judge, the seer, the narrator, the arbiter.  He was the ubiquitous old man who held the old and the young in the jocular to allow peace reign.

    Itan was brought back this season to mark its 10 years anniversary.  A rare gift, it has won several awards as one of the most researched, stage mesmerizing musicals of all times.  Jaiyesimi insists that the play will never lose its grip or importance to the people.  Its relevance is for all time to come.  It is a reminder of what we were yesterday and what others have turned out to be today.  It is a mix, or a remix, that may not ebb or fizzle out.  Yet it is a mix that has given stage theatre something to talk about.  Itan therefore sounds iconoclastic.

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    In it, tradition has become inevitable.  The youths cannot stop experimenting.  That is what Nissi George tried to abridge or reconcile on stage.  The usage of Boy Alinco, who also showed the extremism of the young, the polluted generation, so-called, shows that theatre is life.  It is an epitome of the zeal to live, to use stage to replicate realities in all facets of social life.  Itan is a replication of life’s many faces and phases.  Nissi George is an enigma, no doubt.  He interprets roles with precision.  His voice projection is resounding and resonates with authority.  Jaiyesimi has the tendency to pick the best to give her script its wonderful impressions on stage.

    Boy Alinco is quintessential. He was able to stand between the two gaps to bring nearer home the whole essence of Itan.  Indeed with the classical dance patterns of the male and female actors on stage, the hall remained calm, only clapping intermittently to show appreciation.  In using songs to tell the story, the impact became instantaneous.  The songs travelled far into the past to unearth the old.  Some of the songs also dwelt in the present refusing to leave the present generation alone.   With the languages in English and Yoruba interspersed with idioms and proverbs, Itan once more reminded the audience about the problem of allowing moral decadence to take over the earth.  And this was why the village stage designs was alluring while the city has all the trappings of deceit, evil over good.  Yet, the two must come to a meeting point to avert disasters.

    When Laraba left home to the city where she entered into the hands of a street boy, it became apparent that the story would not end well.  Laraba lost her mother at birth.  Single-handedly raised by her father, she saw him as too old to instruct her.  Her man in the city however abandoned her with the baby boy.  The boy became a street boy as well.  Then the grandfather went in search of the grandson, the son of Laraba.  The sequences then produced the beautiful scenes that generated into Ian, the story.  They are scenes to teach wonderful lessons to all.  It is a therapy, indeed, the stage musical show is therapeutic.  But lasting for over two hours could make it overstretched and boring.  At a point the story fluctuated, became repetitive.  It became stuck for want of further suspense.

  • My mother was so strict that our house was called Alagbon Close –Ex-top bank executive Ayo Jaiyesimi

    Ayo Jaiyesinmi, an accountant and human resources expert, started off as a banker but she later left as Group Head, Human Capital Development, to plunge fully into the/creative arts, her natural passion. The multi-talented playwright and producer, whose new work, ITAN –The Story, is set to rock the theatre next month, tells her story, in this interview with PAUL UKPABIO. Excerpts:

    YOU once worked in a bank, what was the turning point that made you opt out for the creative world, the world of the theatre?

    I’ve had a very fulfilling career and worked in consulting & audit, public and the financial services sectors. Although I have a background in Accounting, Audit and Human Resource Management, I have always been in the creative world. I’ve been in love with the creative arts since I was young. I was very good at painting and design. I was in the school choir and drama & dance club and our team won many inter-school competitions.

    So, if you discovered your creative skills early in life, why did you opt for a career in the financial sector of the economy?

    My initial venture into accounting and consulting career was a compromise I had with my father who was also a chartered accountant. He would support my creative quests but he felt that I should do a course that was lucrative. The potential of the Creative Arts industry didn’t seem too robust. Then, most people in the field seemed a bit ‘eccentric’, people who were ruled by their passion and very often not able to make ends meet. Luckily, that compromise saw me through my various places of work. So, I kept at my writings and also produced some for stage with the organisations that I worked for giving me tremendously support and room for expression.

    How many productions have you done so far?

    I have done quite a number of productions considering that we started off 15 years ago. Some of the productions include Wole Soyinka’s Lion & the Jewel, Trials of Brother Jero; Femi Osofisan’s Altine’s Wrath; Midnight Hotel; Ahmed Yerima’s Tuti; The Wives Lottery Ticket; Ola Rotimi’s The Gods Are Not To Blame; Grip Am and Zulu Sofola’s Wizard of Law.

    These authors really inspire me. Although, the works have been around for a while, they remain evergreen because of their unique styles of weaving together captivating stories that have lessons woven into them. In choosing productions, I look out for those that align with topical discussions or conversations that should be triggered. These timeless plays are usually visual storyboards that are etched on people’s hearts for a long time. Lion and the Jewel is a classic change management story. How on earth could teacher Lakunle change the village or Sidi’s point of view if he didn’t even understand what he was up against? Some of my plays have also been performed. Some of them are Five Maids of Fadaka; ITAN the Story; The Crystal Slipper; Under the Orombo; Beyond the Garb and Mad King of Ijudiya. My stories are written bearing my aim to subtly convey a message or trigger conversation.

    Apart from Nigeria, do you take your plays on tour outside the country?

    Yes, we do. We’ve had over 500 shows in Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan, Abuja, Ghana and UK. I have also worked with a number of brilliant persons in the Nigerian theatre space- artistic and technical directors, actors, choreographers & dances, singer’s, fesigners. Every stage production is a ‘factory room’ of different skill-sets using their individual and collective creativity to birth what comes to stage. This, for me, is a unique blessing because I’ve not only had good quality productions but also been able to learn from some of the very best in the industry.

    Why theatre? Have you done home movies too?

    I’m in theatre because it’s one of the loudest ‘voices’ if optimised. It’s a powerful tool for storytelling and storytelling is imperative for social reorientation and transformation. People, teams, communities don’t just change because they are mandated to. There has to be a compelling reason that they can align with and buy into a belief or ideology. As a change management professional, I’m aware that people volunteer to change because they have been able to see how it drills down to them. The stage touches the core of the heart and has the ability to paint vivid pictures of what needs to be discarded and the envisioned future. Sometimes a theatre ticket is a ticket to a long-term life-changing experience. I remember that after I watched ‘Wicked’, in the UK, anytime I felt weighed down, I would jump up spontaneously, saying: ‘I defy gravity’. For me, the experience at that point kept that line alive and has been a call to action. In Maya Angelou’s words, ‘I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.’

    Do you hope to do home movies?

    We’ve done a television series but no movies yet. Eventually, we will do movies but theatre is still our first love. I believe the impact of TV and the large screen usually can’t be compared to stage. A well-produced stage play with a compelling storyline speaks directly to the soul.  That’s why a good stage performance comparatively is more expensive to produce than screen productions considering the amount invested in production vis-a-vis the people who get to see it, and the number of times it is shown. It, however, has a more enduring impact on people.

    Do you act as well? If no, do you look forward to acting someday?

    I don’t act professionally, although sometimes I can be quite a drama queen of some sort. I actually did a few minutes appearance in one of my shows and decided to stick to my traditional ‘Curtain -Call -on -Stage -Roll (laugh). I acted as a young girl and those memories will tide me through.

    What was growing up like for you and where was that?

    Growing up was good. God blessed me with a really lovely family and I couldn’t have wished for anything else. I didn’t just have a father but a dad.

    What is the difference?

    The difference is that, a father merely refers to a biological relationship. There are so many fathers around with little or no emotional investment in their children. I had a dad dedicated and committed to his lifelong duty of bringing up his children. He gave me confidence to be what I desired and not to stay within the confines of stereotypes. My mother was and still a great support system. She was a bit too strict when we were growing up, so our houses was called ‘Alagbon Close’ and when you crossed the threshold, you got the better of her tongue. But today and all my life, I’m very grateful for her tutelage. Many women find it hard to strike the balance between love and discipline and I believe my mom is the world’s best role model when it comes to that. However, my passion for storytelling will be incomplete without mentioning her; even when we were living abroad, she told us stories; stories that made us aware of our identity and heritage; stories that we learnt from. I think I know all the Ijapa (Tortoise) stories and choruses, many proverbs and games. My siblings and I, though away from Nigeria, had Africa etched on our hearts.

    Who influenced you most, mom or dad?

    They both influenced me tremendously.

    Do you miss banking?

    Truthfully, not really. I believe I brought my profession into banking. So, I remain a human practitioner and accountant in or out of the bank. It’s, however, great to have retired after years of active service. I’m able to pursue my dream and my day starts using my own clock. Which do you consider your best creative work?

    With respect to my plays, they are in different stages of perfection and each with a unique trigger and target audience. I think I’m attached, however, to ITAN the Story. ITAN the Story is a masterful showcase of Nigerian dance, drama, music and culture enmeshed in an epic story that cuts across generations.

    What is ITAN all about? Tell us about the cast and some of the memories you have cherished while putting it together on stage.

    ÌTÀN was first staged at the British Council’s Lagos Theatre Festival and was a hit. It has been shown in Lagos, Abeokuta, Abuja and Ghana and is back in the theatre in Lagos in April.

    The stage play, ITAN, is inspired by the need to resolve generational tensions. Generational diversity and the emerging culture and future has its impact on work and communities and this should be appropriately managed. It provokes thoughts around the emerging digital space and how life, work, spaces and communities would change over the coming years. The play will be showing at AGIP Hall MUSON. ITAN is an intriguing stage play performed in English, laced with cultural and contemporary dance and music.

    It is based on cross-generational conflicts prevalent in our modern day world. An old and lonely recluse and village elder, Pa Latinwo, is shocked to find out that he has a grandson somewhere in the city. He sets off with high hopes to connect with the one person he can call family. He finds his grandson, Dee-Kay, but rather than acceptance, this city gangster dares to challenge Pa Latinwo’s beliefs and motives. Both rooted strongly in their generational beliefs, get into a bitter scuffle. Asiko, TIME personified, intervenes and takes them on a journey into the past and the future. They both discover dark secrets that have been shrouded by the veil of time. Does this mediation save the day or tear both worlds further apart? It is an exciting 90- minute performance featuring a 70- man cast and crew by THESPIAN Family Theatre & Productions.

    Apart from theatre, what occupies your time mostly these days because we hear you are into human resources too? How do you combine that?

    Apart from theatre training, writing and my new recreation space, The KÖNÀ, Lekki, occupies my time.

    How about your husband, how does he cope with your hectic work schedule? How have you been able to combine marriage with different aspect of your career life? I’m married to a man who has supported me through my career and my aspirations; without his understanding and support, I won’t have been able to manage the different aspects of my career life. I give hugs to my children who also have not only encouraged me but been a great source of inspiration.

    Who are your role models?

    I’ve always admired my Aunt Taiwo Ajai- Lycet and I’m certain she doesn’t realise how much her gait, confidence and self-determination were much admired. I also have my ‘adopted father,’ Professor Oduneye, who I ever do often call when I need reassurance. ‘Hello darling, don’t worry, you’re doing well,’ he says, but that works magic when I need a pep.

    If you are to advise young ladies about career and marriage, what will you say?

    My advice to young ladies about career is to do what you enjoy or find a way to weave it into what you do. Marry your friend. He will invest in your dream and make you make it happen.

    Over the years, actors turn into celebrities faster than producers and directors, what have you got to say to that?

    That’s life. Some get more visibility than others. However, each role within the chain is important and has a model for which income is earned.

    What is the natural progression because, what we notice in Nigeria is people become actors, then producer and then a director?

    It is not necessarily the natural progression for people to become actors, then producers and then directors. They are different roles with separate skill sets and it’s not necessarily hierarchical. They are, however, not necessarily mutually exclusive and skills can be added on. It’s a usually good practice to separate all three. However, every business has its model and they work with fit- for-purpose models based on their peculiarities and the environmental challenges.

    When there is production, for instance, one notices that it’s stars that producers consider, so how do our young talents grow?

    Well, I don’t think there’s anything wrong if there is a best-fit for the role. In our case, we select on role-fit, budget, target audience and differentiating competences.

    If you are not what you are today, what else would you have loved to be?

    I love being me the unique storyteller with different exposures. I truly thank God for the privilege of being me.

    Tell us something about fashion and style and what fashion and style appeals to you?

    My style is everyday style and it is simple and practical. I love African prints and I am most at home in simple kaftans or trousers and African tops. I love black or red. For our ‘owambes,’ I love a beautiful Nigerian style top with a wrapper and gorgeously tied ‘gele’ (headtie).

    What fashion accessories do you not do without?

    Whilst I love accessories, I’m not incomplete without any. There are days, especially production periods, when I really would rather not have any accessories and minimal make-up.

    What do you do at leisure?

    I write stories and articles. I also sketch, go to the movies and eat out

    Are you into sports?

    Yes, I am the Vice President for Kokowa (Traditional Wrestling) of the Lagos State Traditional Sports Association.

    With so much talent, confidence and ability, do men feel intimidated by you?

    Why should anyone be? We all have our skills and experiences that are unique to us and there are people who have attained much more. Interestingly, that some people don’t have such varied experiences may not necessarily mean they have achieved any less. It all depends on what each person sets out to achieve.

    What does success mean to you?

    It means using my gifts, crafts and life to impact others.

    Why is it difficult to separate glamour from acting? As a producer, do you feel the pressure to be glamorous?

    Not at all, I’m very comfortable being me. I’m not under any pressure to be someone else or impress others. I am aware of the virtue of my position that I should look good always. That’s alright for me. I am not boxed into a mound.

    Are perfumes and make-up compulsory for a lady?

    I use what makes me come out glowing. However, it is important to remember that as a person, you are a ‘brand’. You need to look good, smell good, stand tall and ‘sound’ good. Try to improve yourself and raise the bar. I love Dior’s Hypnotic Poison or J’adore and Ajmal Amberwood. Make up brands – L’Oreal, Black Up.

    What do you value most?

    What I value most is my relationship with God.

    How about your most memorable holiday?

    Oh, I have so many. I’ll pen down Paris. I clocked the longest nonstop walk I have ever had. It’s yet to be replicated, and I must mention, it was achieved non-voluntarily. Apart from this, possibly Abeokuta when I was younger and the guides on Olumo Rock had to put grown on their back and jump from one rock to the other. I don’t know which made my heart almost drop out, it could have been seeing the ridges in between the rocks. I hear it’s changed. I haven’t been back there, but that certainly was an adventure.

    So after ITAN, what next?

    That is a story for another day.

  • Itan, the story for the season

    Itan, the story for the season

    While the yuletide lasted, the theatre sector bubbled with life and activities that kept theatre lovers enthralled and entertained, reports Edozie Udeze

    The culture sector was agog with activities this last yuletide when various stage plays, films and comedy shows predominated.  At both the Muson Centre, Lagos and the National Theatre, Iganmu, Lagos, there were many thrilling shows to keep thespians and art enthusiasts busy.  One of the most outstanding shows of the moment was Itan (the story).  Itan is a stage play involving both dance and music in which different stages of events of the old and the present times were told to enable art lovers see what has happened before now and what the situation is like presently.

    Involving such great artistes like Hafiz Oyetoro (Saka), Efe Mayford Orhorha, Paul Adams, Yinka Davis, and more, the dance drama written by Ayo Jaiyesimi and presented by the Thespian Family Theatre, was so intriguing on stage that the 90 minutes it lasted did not indeed assuage the audience.  When it mounted the stage at the Muson Centre, Saka’s presence almost melted the heart of thespians.  His unique way of bringing complete life into his craft has made him almost a household name, a special artiste, an enigma.

    An award-winning epic-play, it was laced with both cultural and contemporary dance drama that kept the audience on their toes.  The story dwelt on various stages of changes in the society.  In it, there was a heavy revelation of cross-generational conflicts.  It is the conflict between the modern-day world and what happened in the olden days.  On stage, it was like a battle royal between a village elder called Pa Latinwo and his grandson who was the leader of a gangster in the city.  His name is Deekay.  Together both characters represented the everyday clash that exists between these two people of different generations.  The dance-drama, infused with both music of yesteryears and the contemporary ones exposed the intrigues involved in the show.

    While the old refused to yield to the dictates of the young, so did the young stick to his beliefs.  And so the dances went on endlessly as Asiko (Time) come in to intercede to settle the matter.  He was able to play the tape of the old and that of today.  There was a meeting point somewhere to show that no time is more important than the other.  The artistes brought their professional acumen to bear on the play.  It showed how the old, the present and the future can come together to bring a well-blended society.  It was so glaring that the mediation by Asiko doused all the tension that existed on stage.

    In the film titled Taxi Driver part two, which was shown at the National Theatre, the audience was taken through an old story of the love escapades of a taxi driver in the city of Lagos.  Most theatre lovers were happy to see the theatre back to live.  The groove was so enthralling that children were seen in their numbers jumping about, playing and having fun.  The taxi driver was estranged from his wife.  There was a complication and lots of things also happened in the process.  Suddenly, his son began to trouble him, thus compounding his situation.  At this stage, he met another woman with whom he fell in love.  His love for her was so strong that her luck began to open new doors for him.

    The film featured Jide Kosoko, Adeyemi Afolayan and others who were able to bring to life those intricacies of the life of a taxi driver popularly called Oko Ashawo in Lagos social parlance.

    In another film called Kadara done in Yoruba language, there was a social problem in an unnamed kingdom.  The king needed a suitable husband for his princess.  For this, he instituted a wrestling contest for all the eligible young men in the kingdom.  The strongest was to be declared her man and this was to be the prerogative of the king himself.  Children were the most thrilled here because this was one of the few films that eulogized prowess and determination, a lesson some of them were eager to imbibe.  It also featured Jimoh Aliu, Lere Paimo, Lanre Hassan and others.

    There was also Ose Mefa (six weeks) done in Yoruba, featuring Rykardo Agbor, Yemi Solade, Jide Kosoko, Fathia Balogun and lots of others.  Generally, holiday makers had the opportunity to watch shows that appealed to them.  And for once, the theatre sector defied recession to keep afloat.

  • ITAN mounts Muson stage at Easter

    ITAN mounts Muson stage at Easter

    After a thrilling performance at the University of Lagos Auditorium at this year’s Lagos Theatre Festival, Ayo Jaiyesimi’s ÌTÀN (The Story) will return to Agip Hall, Muson Centre in Onikan, Lagos on Saturday and Sunday.

    The production is led by Jaiyesimi as executive producer, theatre veteran and journalist Ben Tomoloju as artistic director and Lookman Sanusi as productions director.

       ÌTÀN, which is another amazing 90-minute production from THESPIAN Family Theatre & Productions, features a talented 60-man cast and crew, which include Norbert Young; Wazobia FM’s ‘LOLO 1’- Omotunde David; Sam Uquah; Nissi George and Segun Dada, amongst others.

    ÌTÀN is a rich blend of cultural and contemporary drama, music and dance. It captures the modern day relational tension that crops up between the different age -generations as Àsìkò (‘Time’ personified) intervenes by taking ‘old school’ – die-hard -village-elder, Pa Latinwo and his newly discovered city, roller-coaster grandson, Dee-Kay, on a journey into the past and future. They discover dark secrets shrouded by the veil of time and come to terms with the fact that they need each other to make the best of the present.

    With ÌTÀN, (The Story), Jaiyesimi believes that many families and work teams are frustrated because of the lack of generational understanding. Beyond the visible youth culture – dress, music and dance that the older generation and corporate bodies exploit to their advantage, how tangible are the investments that are being made in youth issues? How well are young people engaged and being involved in crafting corporate and national strategy in a world that they would form majority of the population? On the other hand, how have young people tapped into the experience and structure that older ones have to offer? These are some of the contentious issues that the play subtly throws up. It calls on all of us to question and fashion a way to bridge this gap before it leads to further disintegration in our society.

    Jaiyesimi disclosed that THESPIAN Family Theatre & Productions intends to undertake a foreign tour with the play and that there are moves to form alliance with other partners. She noted that her outfit has produced plays that are tremendously good and those that could be better. “In fact, some have been quite profitable,” she added.

    The playwright, who has produced and staged plays, such as The Five Maids of Fadaka and Mad King of Ijudiya, is very passionate in trying to minimise the challenges that multi-generational relationships pose in families and the workplace, and the disharmony it causes in families or teams within corporate organisations or communities.

    “Historically, the generations consist of the old-timers and the young hotshots. But today, one can identify five different generations of people influenced by major historical events, social trends, and cultural phenomena of its time.”

    Tomoloju said the intellectual bend of the play remains one big attraction that sets the play apart. He said ITAN has the profundity and philosophy that many cannot ignore as it takes from the tradition and the past for projection into the future.

    On why he accepted to direct the play, Tomoloju said: “This is my first time of directing a play with the Thespian Family or a new theatre outfit. It has to worth the while to accept directing a play. People invite me to direct most of the time. And ITAN is not just a play for today, but for tomorrow.”  One thing that must be allowed to flourish according to him, is the new enterprise in the theatre business because theatre is not getting enough boosts apart from media efforts.

     

  • 20 Indian ICT firms seek partnerships in Nigeria

    20 Indian ICT firms seek partnerships in Nigeria

    About 20 leading Information and Communication Technology firms have stormed Nigeria to forge business partnership with players in the nation’s ICT industry.

    The Indian firms, under the auspices of the National Association of Computer and Software Companies of Indian, NASSCOM, were on Monday in a day-long business discussion with the Information Technology Association of Nigeria, ITAN, which represents IT firms in the country.

    With the theme ‘Empowering and Resuscitating Local IT Entrepreneurs via Local Content Development and Funding’, stakeholders, who attended the business summit, discussed various areas of partnership relating to technology transfers, domestication, deployment of local talent by Indian firms and the need to support local IT entrepreneurs to grow.

    Speaking at the forum, the President, ITAN, Mrs. Florence Seriki, said the objective of the summit, which is an annual meeting between the two bodies, was to serve as a statement of need to sustain the creation of a platform for local ICT organisations to synergise and collaborate among key international ICT players.

    She said: “We want to grow into partnership with Indian firms and go into localising some of the technologies foreign IT firms are producing and bringing into Nigeria.

    “Indeed, our goal ultimately is to bridge the digital divide in competitive capacity development of the local enterprises, by also creating education, by also creating education opportunities, influencing policy formulations in ICT development, promotion. And enhancement of the Nigerian ICT industry with other relevant stakeholders.”

    She explained further that local ICT companies currently deserve a lot of private and public sector support in terms of increasing their demand for goods and services supplied, and engendering adequate partnership to promoting local content.

    Also speaking, the President of NASSCOM, Mr. Som Mittal, who noted that NASSCOM represents about 1, 300 Indian companies in Indian, said Nigeria had been identified as a country with large market  whose potential for ICT revolution can be bolstered through the right partnerships with local companies.

    “We are committed to healthy partnership with our Nigerian counterparts. Our investments in Nigeria have been continuous and we would ensure that we work with local partners to engage in developing both the Indian market and the Nigerian economy in the area of ICT,” he said.

    The Director-General of the National Office for Technology Promotion and Development, NOTAP, Mr. Buba Bindir, stressed the need for the Indian firms to do business in Nigeria in line with the regulatory and legal provisions in Nigeria.

    He also tasked them “to come to Nigeria with funding, technology and technical know-how which would help in leap-frogging the country’s ICT industry.

    According to him, “Nigeria has been recording a lot of capital flight in the economy, especially through ICT and we are ready to turn this around through proper licensing of any foreign IT technologies and solutions coming to Nigeria.”

    The President, Association of Telecoms Companies of Nigeria, Mr. Lanre Ajayi and the Chairman, Teledom Group, Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem, stressed the need to always engage in impact assessment of the partnership between the two countries in order to always measure the progress being made.