After 2 successful years in Abuja and due to popular demand, Nigeria Com is locating to Lagos – the central business hub of Nigeria – Africa’s largest telecoms market.

Nigeria is Africa’s leading telecoms market in terms of subscriptions and one of the most dynamic thanks to its healthy competition levels, its unified licensing regime and the high level of investment it attracts from local and international companies alike.

Mobile penetration is higher than the African average at over 40% which still leaves plenty of room to grow, in particular in the rural areas. Competition is fierce among the country’s operators, led by MTN and Zain as well as smaller and newer players, whether GSM or CDMA based. Network coverage and quality of service are major priorities for all operators, who are investing heavily on their infrastructure.

The broadband market is buzzing, with competition between the country’s numerous ISPs, the mobile operators offering data over 3G, and the wireless broadband players using technologies such as WiMAX. The market will be given a boost by the arrival of the two new international submarine fibre optic cables linking West Africa to Europe and South Africa, which will enable operators to offer cheaper and more reliable services. The unified licensing regime enables the development of converged operator models and the offering of triple play services, which will help develop internet usage and increase revenues for operators.

As operators are expanding, they are looking at more cost-effective solutions to retain their margins. Outsourcing is a key issue in the market, as well as infrastructure sharing – a number of Nigeria-based companies successfully offer tower-sharing services.

All in all this burgeoning economy offers huge potential and in a continent where face-toface is the all important lubricant for business transactions this event is a must-attend.