Call for Entry - DigitalSENSE Africa Media Students’ Essay Contest 2012 on IG4D

DigitalSENSE Africa Media has announced its annual Essay Competition on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D). Topic: "Internet Governance and Mobile Economy in Nigeria."
The annual DigitalSENSE Africa essay competition is open to students between the ages of 18 to 30 years. Interested candidates are to write an essay not more than 600 words on the above topic.
Entries are to be submitted on or before April 27th, 2012 to                                 info@digitalsenseafrica.com.ng and copy remnekkv@gmail.com.
Winning selected essay will be published in our internationally-award winning ITRealms Online with profiling of the winner. Also, the winner will be sponsored to attend the forthcoming West African Internet Governance Forum scheduled for July 2-4, 2012 in Sierra Leone.

What our Panel of Judges are looking for:
1.    An essay that examines various advantages and disadvantages of topic of the year.
2.    The role of internet governance to the success or otherwise.
3.    Written in simple and clear language
4.    A Contestant must be a Nigerian student
5.    Proper identification of contestants: scanned copy of student ID
6.    Essay not in excess of 600 words on the above topic.
7.    One entry per contestant
8.    Originality, Clarity, Grammar and Presentation.

For further inquiries:
Executive Director, Operations
234-809900183
info@digitalsenseafrica.com.ng
CC: remnekkv@gmail.com.
Admin/LS
 ... Making sense out of digital revolution!

‘Cybercrime market worth $114bn’

Muhammed Rudman, Chief Executive of the Nigeria Internet Exchange Point has said that the cybercrime poses more worry to global economy, not only Nigeria , as its worth now stands at $114 billion.

He said it was now more dangerous than the global black market for illicit drugs.

Speaking at the just concluded 2012 edition of DigitalSENSE Africa forum on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D), Mr Rudman said: “the direct cash costs of cybercrime - money stolen by cyberthugs and spent on resolving cyberattacks - totalled $114bn. Cybercrime is bigger than the global black market in marijuana, cocaine and heroin combined ($288bn)” 

He said 10 per cent of all adults surveyed had experienced cybercrime on their mobile devices  Over the past year in 24 countries, 431 million adults experienced cybercrime. More than 1 million became victims every day, and 12 adults suffered from cybercrime every second.”

His observation came on the heel of the commencement of the pilot phase of the Central Bank of Nigeria ’s (CBN) cash-lite policy.

The new policy on cash-based transactions stipulates a ‘cash handling charge’ on daily cash withdrawals or cash deposits that exceed N150,000 for Individuals and N1,000,000 for corporate bodies.

The new policy on cash-based transactions (withdrawals & deposits) in banks is aimed at  reducing the amount of physical cash circulating in the economy, and encouraging more electronic-based transactions (payments for goods, services, transfers, etc.)

To avoid the frauds, he prescribed that people keep their password/PIN code safe and memorise them.

“Make sure you change them regularly (recommended every 3 months). Create unique passwords that are difficult to guess, e.g. use a combination of letters (Upper & lower case) and numbers.

 ”Passwords are like underwear: you don’t let people see it, you should change it very often, and you shouldn’t share it with strangers,” he added, quoting Chris Pirillo

He also counselled that people use secured website. “How do you know the website is secured? Look for https:// in the URL and not http:// when you login - Look at the status bar of the security icon (locked padlock) when you visit the bank site. Double click on the padlock and ensure that it has a valid digital certificate.

“Log out immediately after you have completed your Internet transaction. Then, clear the browser cache, cookies and history (refer to your bank’s website for online guidance). Ensure that you log out properly after every Internet banking session and not just close the browser.

“Never leave your computer unattended when you are conducting your Internet transactions.

“If you are unsure of the security of the computer, do not use it for Internet transactions. Do not use public (Internet Café) computers to login to your account, it is very very possible it has Keyloggers,” he explained.

(Excerpts from Tribune)
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ICT on Nigeria’s front burner

Nigeria's communication technology minster, Omobola Johnson, says the nation's draft ICT policy is a document that will facilitate the transformation of the economy from its present state to a knowledge-based one.

Omobola who spoke in Lagos at the fourth edition of the DigitalSENSE Africa Forum, said the policy, if implemented, would also put ICT at the front burner and drive engagement with government and increase productivity through better access, organisation and knowledge information dissemination.

Said the minister: “This [Draft ICT] Policy is in line with transforming our country into a knowledge-based economy in which ICTs are key drivers of the way we deliver social services, educate our children, deliver healthcare, and ensure public safety.

ICTs will also drive how we engage with government and increase our productivity through better access, organisation and dissemination of information and knowledge.”

“The Policy is a statement of intent and our next steps involve turning intent into action via the development of detailed implementation/action plans.

Commenting on the theme of the forum, which is: ‘Internet Governance and Mobile Economy in Nigeria’, Johnson said it was of particular importance as the nation seeks to develop and implement a shared vision for the ICT sector, as well as increase its contributions towards the development of the country. Speaking on internet governance, she noted that it deals with the digital world, arguing that the mobile economy is still far from accessibility in the country.

She commended the organisers of the forum, stressing that is a recognised platform for the discussion of ICT issues with particular reference to Internet Governance and an important channel for the emergence of recommendations towards implementation/action plans for the future development of the Internet and mobile economy in Nigeria.

(Excerpts from BizTechAfrica)
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Mobile economy not yet accessible to the majority of Nigerians, -Johnson

Minister of Communications Technology, Omobola Johnson has decried the non-accessibility of the mobile economy to the majority of Nigerians.

Speaking at this year’s DigitalSENSE Africa (DSA) forum on internet governance for development held in Lagos at the weekend, the minister who was represented by Engr. Festus Daudu, acting director, Spectrum Management in the ministry said while internet governance deals with the digital world, it remains unfortunate that the mobile economy is not yet accessible to the majority of our population.

The minister, stressing that the successful governance of the Internet requires the coming together of stakeholders noted that while the world summit on the information society’s defi nes internet governance as the development of shared principles, norms, rules, decision-making procedures, and programmes that go on to shape the evolution and use of the Internet, it is always very challenging to come up with shared positions. “We all know how challenging it is to come up with shared positions etc. when each stakeholder group comes with its own priorities and has roles that can at times confl ict with one another.” Johnson observed.

She described the theme of the forum; Internet Governance and Mobile Economy in Nigeria as having great importance “as we all seek to develop and implement a shared vision for the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector in Nigeria, as well as increase its contribution towards the development of the country.”

Notably, she described the DigitalSENSE Africa forum as a recognised platform for the discussion of ICT issues with particular reference to Internet Governance and an important channel for the emergence of recommendations towards implementation/ action plans for the future development of the Internet and mobile economy in Nigeria.

In a related development, presiding over the public forum at which the harmonized draft national ICT policy was discussed by cross section of stakeholders, Johnson said the draft policy is in line with transforming Nigeria into a knowledge based economy in which ICTs are key drivers of the way we deliver social services - educate our children, deliver healthcare, and ensure public safety. 

She further submitted that ICTs will also drive how we engage with government and increase our productivity through better access, organisation and dissemination of information and knowledge.

 (Excerpts from NationalMirror)

 ... Making sense out of digital revolution!

House Committee Promises Early Passage Of Cyber Security Bill

The House of Representatives Committee on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on Thursday said it would work towards the early passage of Cyber Security Bill before it.

Rep. Ibrahim Gusau, the Committee Chairman, said this in Lagos at the 2012 Nigeria Digital Sense Forum with the theme “Internet Governance and Mobile Economy in Nigeria”.

Gusau said that the passage of the bill was necessary in view of the cash-less policy recently introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

''As at today, there is no law protecting electronic transactions in Nigeria. 'We are working hard on the cyber security bill and before the end of our tenure, the bill will scale through,'' he said.

Mr Lanre Ajayi, the Managing Director of PiNET Informatics, said that the bill had been with the house for a long time.

“It gladdens the heart to know that the committee had taken the bill into consideration and we are working toward its passage,” he said.

Ajayi said that without passage of the bill, there would be poor e-commerce experience in Nigeria.

He said that lack of cyber security law would make citizens of other countries fear engaging Nigerians on online businesses. (NAN)

(Excerpts from Leadership)


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‘All is set for DigitalSENSE forum on IG4D’

 The organizers of the annual Nigeria DigitalSENSE Africa has declared that all is now set for the fourth edition of the Nigeria DigitalSENSE forum on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D).

The Executive Director, Operations at DigitalSENSE Africa, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke gave this assurance in Lagos at the weekend, asserting that “we are set for this year’s Nigeria DigitalSENSE forum on Internet Governance for Development.”

She also said that this year’s edition scheduled to hold at the Golden Gate Paradise, March 8-9 in Lagos, would be presided over by Internet guru and immediate president of the Nigeria internet Group (NIG) Mr. Lanre Ajayi.

Mrs. Nweke noted that currently Mr. Ajayi is serving as a council member of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN)’s Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO).

She further pointed out that apart the fact that the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah, Director of Information Security and New Media at NCC, Dr. Sylvanus Ehikioya, president of Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), Mrs. Mary Uduma, Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative Nigeria, Mr. Gbenga Sesan, youthful Social activist, Japheth Omojuwa and chief executive of Nigeria internet Exchange, Mr. Muhammed Rudman.

Additionally, the vice president of Internet Service Providers Association of Nigeria (ISPAN), Mr. Sunday Folayan, she said, would preside over the interactive session, as well as presidents of all the industry-groups within the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector including the Association of Telecom Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), mother of Internet evolution in the country, Mrs. Ibukun Odusote among others.

Mrs. Nweke said that the Country manager of the Software giant, Microsoft Nigeria, Mr. Emmanuel Onyeje has confirmed as one of the key speakers at the 2012 edition of the Nigeria DigitalSENSE Africa (DSA) forum on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D), due to hold this Thursday and Friday in Lagos.

This is coming as the Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN), Mr. Gbenga Sesan, has also affirmed his participation as he gears up to take participants on the subtheme: ‘Youth Advantage of Mobile Economy in Nigeria.”

Onyeje, she said, would lead a team of experts from Microsoft to discuss mobility solutions and is expected to make a presentation with detailed highlights on some mobile service offers on Microsoft platform.

She said that Nigeria DigitalSENSE forum on Internet Governance for Development is a veritable platform for Nigerians to know more about mobile offering from Microsoft, especially for mobile money services.

(Excerpts from ITRealmsOnline)

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