Mission Statement

Computer, Telecommunications, and Office Equipment (CTO) Leadership Forum

and Seminar Mission

Mission Description

The Commerce Department's Information Technology (IT) Industries group is organizing a seminar mission to Lagos, Nigeria, March 15-16, 2001. The mission will include representatives from a variety of U.S. IT and telecommunications companies interested in expanding in the Nigerian and West African IT and telecom markets, and will center on a one-day conference at the Muson Center in Lagos. Commerce Department officials from Washington will be participating in the conference and organizing the seminar mission.

Commercial Setting

The emergence of a stabilized democracy and an increasingly stable economy have prompted American companies to consider business opportunities in Nigeria. Recently, Nigeria's exchange rate has stabilized, interest rates have fallen from 25 percent to single digits, and inflation has declined. The United States accounts for roughly 80 percent of Nigeria's total imports of computer hardware and software: about $450 million worth of hardware and software was sold in 2000, with $318 million from U.S. suppliers and the overall market expected to double in 2001.

Future growth looks positive as well. Nigeria's large population combined with relatively low teledensity create an attractive potential market for American telecommunications investment. Over $240 million of Nigeria's $1.2 billion telecoms market in 2000 were U.S. products. The Nigerian Communications Commission has been working with the Nigerian Government to privatize Nitel and M-Tel, two monopolies in the telecommunications industry. The privatization process has broadened the ability for other small private operators and foreign operators to compete in the market.

Strong growth potential also exists for Internet technologies, particularly in universities, offices, and cybercafes. Leading suppliers and major end-users of information and communications technology and equipment such as banks, insurance firms and oil companies have developed or are initiating programs including electronic payment systems.

Mission Goals

The mission's goals are: To help facilitate the process of policy reform leading towards greater IT development in Nigeria by organizing a conference featuring policy and industry speakers from the U.S.; to raise the profile of U.S. company participants in Nigeria by organizing meetings with relevant public- and private-sector officials; and to seek out potential business partners and opportunities.

Mission Scenario

The U.S. delegation will participate as presenters at the March 15 conference dealing with industry and policy issues. March 16 will be dedicated to one-on-one business appointments set up by the U.S. Commercial Service in Lagos. There will be a reception the evening of the first day.

Timetable

The mission is scheduled to arrive in Lagos on March 14, 2001 and depart on March 16, 2001. The conference and other official activities in connection with the mission are currently planned for Lagos on March 15 - 16, 2001. The precise schedule will depend in part on the availability of Nigerian government and company officials and the specific goals and interests of mission participants.

Recruitment for this mission will begin immediately and conclude no later than March 8, 2001. Applications received after that date will be considered only if space and scheduling constraints permit.

Criteria for Participant's Selection

• Relevance of a company's business line to mission goals.
• Timeliness of company's signed application and participation agreement (including participation fee of $3,800).
• Potential for business in Nigeria for company.
• Minimum of three and maximum of ten participating companies in the mission.
• Provision of adequate information on company's products and/or services, and company's primary market objectives, in order to facilitate appropriate matching with potential business partners.

Mission recruitment will be conducted in an open and public manner, including publication in the Federal Register, posting on the Internet, and press releases to the general and trade media.

A company's products or services must be either produced in the United States or, if not, marketed under the name of a U.S. firm and have at least 51 percent U.S. content of the value of the finished product/service.

Any partisan political activities (including political contributions) of an applicant are entirely irrelevant to the selection process.

Contact

Mr. Raymond H. Cho Telephone: 202-482-0396

Office of Information Technologies

International Trade Administration Fax: 202-482-0952

Room 2806

U.S. Department of Commerce E-mail: raymond_cho@ita.doc.gov

Washington, DC 20230