The 1st one tagged FOSS Nigeria 2009 took place last year. I attended the conference and was really impressed impressed.
I just discovered that the second one is taking place from 7th-9th March 2010. Sadly I came across the discussion on a foreign website.
So I called one of the organizers and he told me that they are expecting quite a number of respected people from the open source software world. There were in talks with Richard Stallman of the Free Software Foundation and many others.

If you are interested in OSS, FOSS Nigeria 2010 is a conference you will love to attend. I whish I can meet some Nairalanders in person there.
Check out the announcement on the K.D.E website at http://www.kdenews.org/2009/12/27/kde-community-invited-foss-nigeria-2010
And my blogpost about last year's event at http://a-ig..com/2009/04/foss-nigeria-2009.html

Thanks a lot for this.

9ice 1 bro. Thanx.

Good to hear !

you are too good

Wont be able to make this cos of the distance, pls get me updated on whatever happens there. twonjee2002@yahoo.com

Pls call me on it.mean while I got a hunder baby boy for sale fresh from u.s.a #2.350m

Sorry guys, I was unable to post for some time cos I kept getting banned from posting for some unknown reasons.
I am happy to see that people are interested in going to the conference. For those of us that can not make it, I'll try as much as I can to update you on this thread.

A little googling shows that the conference is getting some interest from many open source communities. Look at the following links

http://maemo.org/community/maemo-community/maemo_community_invited_to_foss_nigeria_2010/
http://www.mail-archive.com/marketing-list@gnome.org/msg06113.html

Unfortunately, because of the general tendency of the Northern cities to indulge in ethnic cleansing I will not be going. I really think they should move the conference to Lagos.

logica:

Unfortunately, because of the general tendency of the Northern cities to indulge in ethnic cleansing I will not be going. I really think they should move the conference to Lagos.

The 1st one also took place in Kano and K.D.E and Ubuntu guys from  outside Nigeria attended despite all the stories they heard about Nigeria. Guess what? Nothing happened to them. Now the same people are encouraging more people from their countries to attend.

But you can call some Southerners living in Kano to let you know weather they are being hunted down and killed before making a statement like that.

The conference will not be moved to Lagos because the Organizers are all based in the North. If you want a future edition to be moved to Lagos then I suggest you become an active participant in the event and try to convince the organizers to move it to Lagos in the future. But staying away from the event will not help.

IG:

The 1st one also took place in Kano and K.D.E and Ubuntu guys from  outside Nigeria attended despite all the stories they heard about Nigeria. Guess what? Nothing happened to them.

How many white men or foreigners have ever been reported killed in all those riots in the North? Not that there aren't any, but they are not silly enough to go after them. I value my life enough to stay away from areas where violence breaks out at the drop of a hat, and I cannot speak enough Fulani or Hausa to save my neck. If the organizers are serious, they should schedule the conference for Lagos, where I have no doubt the highest concentration of Open-source software users/developers exists in Nigeria.

I guess then you just have to miss it, because the organizers have very little reasons to take it to Lagos.
Beside I do not speak Yoruba to save my neck from OPC and Area boys (Just Joking).

On a serious note, I think we should avoid bringing ethnic politics into the programming section. I think this is one section of Nairaland where I can say reasonable debates and discussions are made. If you really want it away from Kano why not suggest Abuja which is more neutral.

I am not your typical politically correct person, so I state it as it is. I had no intention of bringing ethnic sentiments or politics into the Programming Section; but at the same time I had to express my disappointment at the location of the conference. If I should say the location is OK, then I am basically accepting that the sudden riots that occur in the North are normal. I will not support any conferences of any kind with the venues north of the Niger until they fix their issues.

Interestingly I was going to mention Abuja, but then I left it out so as not to appear to be offering appeasement to the Northerners. I have no such intention (of appeasing anybody). Abuja is no more neutral than Lagos is.

@logica, let me keep it short. You have the right not to come, and the organizers have the right not to take it to Lagos.
Let's not divert too much, we are talking about FOSS Nigeria 2010.

They would have taken the conference to Lagos where most of the programmers and web developers in Nigeria exist and also to avoid fear in the north.
Any Educational related gathering in the North is not advisable.
Next time let them try to do it where people will be comfortable to attend.
The Conference is welcome development, I wish those who will attend good success.

I also support. I guess we can create a poll to know peoples interest. To me, i guess the aim of the organisers of the conference is to carry many people along and not for them alone, As such I guess audience's interest should be given a reasonable considerations.

We have to understand that both the organizers and the sponsors are based in the North and are not too familiar with Lagos. Talking about turnout, I think it's important for us to know that the last event has the hall filled to capacity even though it's in Kano. A Nigerian later complained in a discussion on the K.D.E forum that the conference was given very little publicity in the South that's why he did not attend. I think the best way to move the conference to Lagos is by 1st getting involved. I posted the announcement here because I believe it is important to build bridges between professionals in the Northern and Southern parts of the country.

We must also note that a lot is happening on IT in Nigeria and not necessarily in Lagos, this conference is a testimony to that. Despite Lagos being the IT hub of the country, we shouldn't lump everything in Lagos. Not all IT conferences in the US take place in a single town. I expect a fair suggestion to be about moving the venues every year. Why not Enugu or Calabar or Minna or any other place apart from Kano and Lagos.

@moderator, why are my posts being removed?

My removed post goes something like this:
It is important to note that both the organizers and sponsors of FOSS Nigeria 2010 are based in the North and are not too familiar with Lagos which makes it logical to hold the event in the North. I made the announcement here because of my personal view that it is important to build bridges between professionals in the Northern and Southern part of the country. Last year, a Nigerian complained on the K.D.E discussion forum that the event was given very little publicity and they didn't hear it in the South, I believe this is being corrected now.
Talking about attendance, last year's event hall was filled to capacity despite being in Kano. So there is indeed a good turnout even though it's not in Lagos. Agreed that Lagos may be Nigeria's IT hub but that does not mean that nothing is going on in the IT field outside Lagos. This event is a clear testimony to that. I think a fair suggestion is to be moving the event to a different town every year. This I have already suggested to the organizers. Why not Enugu or Calabar or Minna or any other place apart from Kano and Lagos.
I think the only way to have a future influence on the event is by getting involved now. I do not stay anywhere near Kano either. The important thing we need to appreciate is that this is taking place in Nigeria.

@moderator, now don't remove this.

I wonder ooo. I thought it's only me not untill when many other nairalanders made the same complain.

@IG I got the msg through your profile >> last posts

Guys, is it some kind of a bot or is it the moderator. I feel like some kind of dictatorship is creeping into Nairaland. Do we create a thread to petition Seun or his co-moderators?. But on a second thought, the thread itself can be removed.

I think we need to here from them first. I would suggest a panel first.

They should know that Nairaland has grown pass the ' I own it level '.

Interesting. I thought the post removal thing was happening to me alone.

Anyways back to the topic. Hosting IT in The North will discourage a lot of peeps from attending. Al-Queda is creeping into the north.

Hi LAGOSIANS,

I think is time for all the LAGOSIANS to start acting and STOP SHOUTING.

Let's give our sense of respect.

I am highly disappointed with the reaction of the so called literate Lagos programmers (some).

so, what do we do?

Hi Big Star,

I am suprised how most lagosian are looking northern Nigeria.
I have been to Lagos several times and i have never ever dream of spending more than 30 min. due to there behaviours in regarding the
northerners. Well that's human nature.

Last year we have give priority to lot's of people from Lagos that will give a talk during the conference,infact we have even paid for accommodation for most of them but at the end of the day none of them show up.

Just imagine in this chat room people are agitating for the conference to shift to Lagos.
Pls let us be fair to our self.

Thanks for all the guys that shows their intrest in making sure the conference is shifted to Lagos.

I hope my statements will not hurt people that express their right .

logica:

If the organizers are serious, they should schedule the conference for Lagos, where I have no doubt the highest concentration of Open-source software users/developers exists in Nigeria.

@logica: As a literate person can you help me with a proof of your statement (newpaper,journal or any reasonable source) to support your statement.

mrperfect:

They would have taken the conference to Lagos where most of the programmers and web developers in Nigeria exist and also to avoid fear in the north.
Any Educational related gathering in the North is not advisable.

@mr Perfect: I think your statement suppose to come from the office of the IG, director S.S.S e.t.c. Pls support your stament with facts.


Pls let us know that this forum is not a political forum.

Pls let us be good patriotic Nigerians who support others in doing good things.

Thanks