NiRA endorses DigitalSense forum-09

The Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA) has given its endorsement for the 2009 edition of the Nigeria Digital Sense Forum, which focus is on enthroning globally acceptable internet governance and advancing penetration in the country.

The endorsement came from the vice president of NiRA, Mrs. Mary Uduma, at the weekend, who was quoted as saying that NiRA understands the need to have a common voice at the forthcoming global Internet Governance Forum (IGF) in Egypt.

“It is important that we harmonize our positions before heading to Egypt,” Mrs. Uduma said, stressing that the endorsement is essential to encourage participation of members both corporate and individuals as well as the entire Internet community in the country at the forum.

She promised that NiRA alongside other industry organization, would make every effort at ensuring that Digital Sense Forum 2009 turned out a success because it would reflect on Nigeria’s agenda at the IGF.

Reacting to the endorsement amidst consolation to NiRA over the death of its pioneer president, late Mr. Ndukwe Kalu on Tuesday, September 8, 2009, in a press statement signed by the Executive Director, Digital Sense Africa (DSA), Mrs. Nkemdilim Umah-Nweke, said that the endorsement by NiRA shows the importance of the forum and its theme, which is ‘Internet Governance: Creating Opportunities for All Nigerians.’

She expressed optimism that the forum scheduled to hold in Lagos on November at the Golden Gate Ikoyi, would offer stakeholders a platform to join forces in building the nation’s internet community so as to make it stronger.

Further, she said that it is unfortunate that Kalu who have worked so hard for the development of Internet and its penetration in the country did not stay alive to witness the berthing of this forum, which his input gave rise to the eventual concept for enlightenment of the Nigeria Internet community on Internet-related issues.

She recalled that NIRA was born by the Nigeria Internet Community in 2005 which include the Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), Internet Service Providers Association of Nigeria (ISPAN), Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Council of Registered Engineers of Nigeria (COREN) and Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE) to name a few.

Further she said that the formation and incorporation as well as the election of the first Board of Trustees and Board of Directors soon after on May 2007, cannot go without mentioning of the part played by late Kalu.

Reiterating that plans have been concluded to co-locate the event with an industry-focused expo, expected to attract who’s who in the nation’s Internet Service Providers (ISP) community, who would use the platform to showcase their brands and services by engaging end users.

... Postpones AGM over president’s death

Following the death of its pioneer President, late Ndukwe Kalu, the board of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) has shifted indefinitely its proposed Annual General Meeting (AGM) in respect of Kalu, who passed away on Tuesday, September 8, 2009 in Lagos.

According to the Vice President, NIRA, Mrs. Mary N. Uduma, in a press statement made available to Champion Infotel, while confirming that late Kalu would be buried on Saturday, October 31, 2009 in Abriba, his hometown in Abia State, said the postponement has become imperative so as to give his family and entire internet community to commiserate over his death.

She explained that NIRA Executive Board rose from a meeting last week in Lagos, to adopt a unanimous decision to postpone indefinitely the AGM earlier planned to hold at the Airport Hotel, Lagos today, Wednesday, September 2009.

“Following the sudden death of the pioneer President of the association, Mr. Ndukwe Kalu, we hereby notify our board members, trustees, stakeholders and the general public that the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) previously scheduled to hold in Lagos on September 24, 2009 has been postponed till further notice,” she said.

Also she said that the postponement would enable NIRA mobilize its members to attend the burial of late Kalu scheduled to hold in Abriba in Abia State, as announced by Kalu’s family.

NIRA she said, would make further announcements to Nigerians and the Internet community regarding programmes leading to the burial of its late president.

Nigerians from all walks of life have continued to express their condolence over the sudden death of the pioneer President of NIRA.

She noted that under late Kalu’s leadership, Nigeria recently recorded the successful full re-delegation and local management of Nigeria’s country code top level domain name, (ccTLD) the .ng.

Before his death, late Kalu specialised in design and installation of various networks for over a decade as well as pioneered IT publications in Nigeria through the publishing of Nigeria’s first IT magazine called IT Watch Africa in 1994.

From there, late Kalu revolutionized newspaper IT reporting by conceptualizing and commencing the first robust IT section in the Nigerian newspaper history, tagged InfoTech ThisDay in 1998.

He was a member of several professional bodies some of which are Nigeria Society of Engineers, Nigeria Computer Society, Nigeria Institute of Management, Chartered Institute of Administration, Institute of Data Processing and Management (IDPM) London, among others.

He also served on various boards some of which are Amsco Telecoms Limited, Amsco Nigeria Limited, Admiral Insurance Company Limited, Pricehouse Communication Limited, Alphastream Solutions Nigeria Limited, among others.

He also recently served as member of a Joint Committee of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Internet Service Providers Association of Nigeria (ISPAN) on developing a suitable regulation for the use of ISM frequency band in the country.

In 2004, he was elected the National Vice President of Internet Service Providers of Nigeria (ISPAN) and also served on the NCC Industry Committee set up to advice on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) regulation.

Late Engr. Kalu also served on the National Cyber Crime Working Group, a body set up by former President Olusegun Obasanjo to fashion out effective legislation and system to fight cyber crime in Nigeria.

He has recently spearheaded several initiatives to improve teledensity and Internet penetration in Nigeria, one of which is Naijawifi, an alliance of Nigerian ISPs set to offer a Wi-Fi Internet Access blanket all over Nigeria. He was also the Chairman of NCC/Presidential Committee set up to actualize a sustainable Internet Exchange for Nigeria.

Digital Sense Africa to host forum in Lagos

Arrangements have been advanced for the hosting of this year’s Digital Sense Forum in Lagos, the commercial nerve centre of the nation.

The Executive Director, Digital Sense Africa (DSA) Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke, disclosed this at the weekend, saying that the inaugural edition of the group’s based industry issues would be hosted in Nigeria in November this year.

She told ITRealms Online in Lagos that plans are up for the event scheduled to hold at the Golden Gate Paradise, Ikoyi-Lagos on Thursday, November 5, 2009.

This year’s theme, she disclosed, would focus on ‘Internet Governance – Creating Opportunities for All Nigerians’.

Readmore: Digital Sense Africa to host forum in Lagos