Former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, has related how he was part of the federal government’s team that went to South Africa to convince telecoms company, MTN, to come and start operations in Nigeria.

Giving his keynote address in Lagos on Saturday during the public presentation of a book titled “The Nigerian university system: Downswings and way forward,” written by Prof. Steve Okecha, Gana said he was part of the team sent by the then President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, to go and assess the workings of the Global System for Mobile communication, GSM.

Gana, who was making a point on the importance of technology to teaching and learning, gave an account of how GSM services were introduced in the country.

“Sometime in the year 2000, I got information about GSM services being introduced to some countries and that time we had just a few thousands land lines. I drew the attention of President Obasanjo to it and he directed that I do a memo for consideration by the Federal Executive Council.

” I did and the memo was part of what gave birth to the National Communication Commission, NCC. Later, President Obasanjo said he heard about a company in South Africa that is involved in the GSM business and he approved a trip for me to go there and find out.

‘I went to South Africa and met Nigeria’s High Commissioner there, Shehu Malami, and we went to MTN office. When we got there, I found out that they were expanding to some other countries. I told them that guys, you are missing a lot by not coming to Nigeria. Come to Nigeria, Nigerians talk a lot and you will make some money. The rest is history,” he said.

Gana, who also used the occasion to commend Obasanjo for some initiatives, added that it was also that regime that literally brought internet to Nigeria.

” It was that regime too that expanded internet services in the country. We got information that a lady at Yaba College of Technology in Lagos had a domain name and we had to bring her to my ministry in Abuja and made her a director and that was how we expanded it,” he said.

The former minister noted that technology has come to play a significant role in the education sector and that it would be foolish not to invest in it. (Vanguard)

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