Abuja — An Abuja-based information technology (IT) firm, Profile Technologies Limited, has joined forces with the Shiron Satellite Communications to deploy internet hub in the country.

The partnership arises as a result of the need to improve the nation's information and communications technology infrastructure in the country, said Mr Aminu Abubakar, the managing director, Profile Technologies Ltd. He said the absence of an internet hub in Nigeria had been the major bane of ICT development in the country, adding that Nigeria and rest of Africa had relied solely on the internet hub from foreign countries and for backbone transmission.

In a statement made available to the IT World in Abuja from the company, Mr Abubakar said the partnership with Sharon was important because Sharon was a trusted equipment manufacturer and would do a lot more in achieving the target. He assured Nigeria's bandwidth consumers that issues like down-time syndrome, power supply among others would never det er them from achieving the sole aim of the partnership, adding that the equipment was rain-proof. Shiron's sales director, Mr Michael Monor, said at the meeting with Profile Management that his company was determined to integrating Africa into the information superhighway.

According him, the establishment of an internet hub in Nigeria would confirm that 'we are not just rendering services to subscribers but determined to ensuring our presence locally and enhance knowledge transfer'. He said Shiron considers Nigeria as a big market that has much influence on the African continent, saying 'half of the Shiron's sale in Africa is from Nigeria'.