Nigeria: Olufuye Joins WSIS+20 Informal Multi-Stakeholder Sounding Board

17 July 2025
Vanguard (Lagos)
By Juliet Umeh

The Co-Facilitators of the WSIS+20 Review process have announced the formation of the Informal Multistakeholder Sounding Board, IMSB, picking a Nigerian, Dr. Jimson Olufuye as one of the key members.

The newly established mechanism is designed to support an inclusive and responsive twenty-year review of the World Summit on the Information Society, WSIS and outcomes.

The IMSB will provide informal input and guidance to the WSIS+20 Review, reflecting a diverse range of stakeholder perspectives. Members were selected through an open call for expressions of interest issued to eligible non-governmental members of the 2025 Internet Governance Forum, IGF, Multistakeholder Advisory Group, MAG, and the IGF Leadership Panel, LP.

The newly formed IMSB comprises a diverse group of experts representing various sectors and regions.

Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines

From Civil Society, members include Valeria Betancourt (Ecuador) for Latin America and the Caribbean, Amrita Choudhury (India) for Asia Pacific, Tereza Horejsova (Czechia) for Eastern Europe, and Wolfgang Kleinwächter (Germany) for the Western European and Others Group. The Technical Community is represented by Chris Buckridge (Australia) and Theresa Swinehart (United States) from the Western European and Others Group, along with Jennifer Chung (China) from Asia Pacific.

The Private Sector representatives on the IMSB are Hossam Reda Elgamal (Egypt) and Jimson Olufuye (Nigeria) from Africa, and Maria Fernanda Garza (Mexico) from Latin America and the Caribbean, who is also an IGF Leadership Panel Member. Additionally, Vinton Cerf (United States), the esteemed Chair of the IGF Leadership Panel, serves as an Ex Officio Member, bringing his extensive at-large expertise from the Western European and Others Group to the board.

The IMSB's composition reflects a deliberate balance across regions, sectors, and gender, ensuring broad representation and meaningful dialogue. The board will operate from July through December 2025, providing strategic insights and stakeholder perspectives leading up to the WSIS+20 High-Level Meeting. This initiative underscores the WSIS+20 Review's commitment to inclusive multistakeholder engagement in shaping the future of the global information society.

Read the original article on Vanguard.

Tagged:
Copyright © 2025 Vanguard. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.

AllAfrica publishes around 600 reports a day from more than 90 news organizations and over 500 other institutions and individuals, representing a diversity of positions on every topic. We publish news and views ranging from vigorous opponents of governments to government publications and spokespersons. Publishers named above each report are responsible for their own content, which AllAfrica does not have the legal right to edit or correct.

Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica. To address comments or complaints, please Contact us.