Nokia, CCHub invite entries for Growth Academy-2

Following the successful completion of the pilot edition, the “Nokia/CCHub Growth Academy”, global leader in the manufacturing of mobile devices Nokia, in partnership with foremost social innovation centre in Nigeria, Co-Creation Hub (CCHUB) are now accepting applications for the second edition of the academy programme.

Disclosing this, the Head of Ecosystem and Developer Experience, Nokia West Africa, Mr. Teemu Kiijarvi, said the ‘Nokia/CCHub Growth Academy’ is aimed at accelerating Nigerian mobile software companies, which is the first of its kind business in Africa.

He also said that the programme is dedicated to providing intensive continuous hands-on support to help early stage mobile technology start-ups grow into high growth businesses and build world class mobile applications for the Nokia platform regionally and globally.

“We at Nokia are pleased to be associated with an initiative such as this because it creates opportunities for young Nigerian companies as part of Nokia’s goals is to make a positive impact on its ecosystem,” he said.

The three month intensive programme, he said, runs in three parts namely capacity building, product development and launch.

He explained that each start-up undergoes hands-on prototype development and structured training with modules such as business model development, project implementation plan and lean product development.

Tailored technical training and support, he said, will be provided by Futurice, a global training organization with expertise in mobile application development and user driven design.

Further, he said, during product development each start-up is complemented with the best of resources i.e. one-on-one mentorship, project implementation plan; and market research support to ensure that solutions meet specific market needs.

According to him, the last phase of the programme is dedicated to product testing, pilot launch and value redesign based on initial customer feedback. Each start-up will also pitch at an open Pitchfest to the wider community and investors as part of the final product launch.

The programme seeks start-ups with brilliant ideas to address market needs in finance, education, healthcare, agriculture, small business development, environment, inclusive technology, entertainment. The applicants would need to have developed a working prototype in Java ME (J2ME), have at least 2 core members, including a lead developer and should be willing to commit 3 full months to developing their idea on the program

He emphasised that Interested participants should visit the academy’s website at www.growthacademy.org in order to register for the programme. Stressing that applications will close on the third of October 2012 noting that ten startups will be recruited into the programme.

The previous edition of the programme saw innovative applications developed such as MyCash, an application which allows individuals keep track of their personal expenses, NINGO mobile app is an offline catalogue of Nigerian History and Current Affairs available to users on the go and Pledge51 is a fresh mobile media company pursuing opportunities in Nigeria’s mobile internet space among others.

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Cultivating football from the grassroots

Today, it is incontrovertible that footballing has become a full life career like any other trade or academic discipline globally.

Far gone are the days that soccer used to be a mere past – time exercise or hobby which people would play for the fun of it. In the gone generation, those who made fame and little money out of it along the way only did so by addendum of luck or grace and accident.

For example, the likes of Segun Odegbami, Christian Chukwu, Emmanuel Okala, Adokiye Amiesimaka, to name a few, had their different chosen trades and academic endeavours which they were pursuing while playing football for self and public entertainment. It only became their source of fame and wealth resulting from their dexterous exploration of the talent deposited in them in the area of soccer. 

Basically, none of them had it in mind to make a full career out of football, neither was there any conscious official scheme of grooming future professional footballers from the cradle. These mentioned stars and many others in their generation, (dead and living), rose to football stardom by career distraction.

Today, however, footballing has gone professional. It is now a full time career like Law, Engineering, Medicine, Journalism or any other life-sustaining trade that requires organized training. It is no more the mere fun fare it used to be. Therefore, the need to start combing our streets and compounds in search of human seeds in football that will be planted, nurtured and tended into full grown football trees that will blossom professionally both at home and in the diaspora, cannot be over-emphasized.

We should all remember that players like Austin Jay-Jay Okocha, Kanu Nwankwo, Sunday Oliseh, Peter Rufai, Taye Taiwo, to mention just a few, all started as street orange players. They all got to the heights they now find themselves today, not by design, but by sheer grace.

Global footballing has gone past stardom by accident. Let our governments at all tiers begin to pay very serious attention to the establishment of football-emphatic institutions, which will serve as ready bakery of career footballers.

By the way, one doubts if there is any country that would wake up wishing for war. We all desire peace. Yet, there is no country without basic training schools for all arms of defense. In Nigeria, there are military schools (Primary and Secondary), which main curriculum is militarized training with some addendum of liberal academics. 

This means that every pupil therein is basically conscious that he is a professional soldier in the making, with book knowledge to aid. Then, we have the crest in the degree  - awarding Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA); all in the bid to make career soldiers out of the graduating students therefrom. 

If Nigeria, as a nation, could give this much into preparing for something we all ill-desire; which hardly yield any revenue, why then, can we not also devote appreciable dose of resources into the foundational solidification of football and even other sports, which have always remained a desirable, profitable and effective source of revenue, entertainment and positive distraction from the societal maladies that have always afflicted humanity, occasioned principally by maladministration.

Now is the time that all and sundry should join in materializing the dreams of Fashanu, Odegbami, Victor Ikpeba and many other Nigerian patriots who envisioned the conscious development of grassroots football for the country.

We must intensify our effort to catch them young and groom them up.

Yinka Awosanya

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Future Internet: Experts call for keen African interest

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) experts at the 2012 commemoration of the Internet Protocol version Six (IPv6) hosted recently by DigitalSENSE Africa Media Limited in Lagos, canvassed for increased Africans’ interest on future Internet, writes REMMY NWEKE.

THE annual commemoration of the Internet Protocol version Six (IPv6) was held in Lagos with a call for Africans and Nigerians particularly to embrace the new internet by developing interests in what makes the Internet thick.

Organized by DigitalSENSE Africa (DSA) Media Limited in partnership with Internet Society (ISOC) Nigeria chapter with collaboration of the National Information Development Agency (NITDA) and Nigeria Postal Service (NIPOST) hosted the commemoration at the Welcome Centre and Hotels, Lagos.

Welcoming participants to 2012 Nigeria IPV6 Roundtable, the Executive Director, Operations, DSA Media Limited, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke, noted that this year is the second edition of the Roundtable, aimed at providing a platform for all stakeholders in the country to share IPV6 knowledge and experience, chart a roadmap for early transition to IPV6 as IPv4 addresses ran out, as well as promote IPv6-enabled products and services.

Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable, she said, is meant to stimulate public discourse and create awareness on the technological cum business benefits of this rapid advancing technology, encourage integration of IPv6 into all aspects of networking and telecommunications infrastructure in the country, as the World IPV6 Day is commemorated, in addition, providing a first-class platform for networking.

This year’s theme, “IPv6 and the Future of Internet in Nigeria” she said, was explored by carefully selected and notable speakers, under the chairmanship of Prof. Raymond Akwule, president, Digital Bridge Institute (DBI).

She noted that the last batch of internet Protocol version four (IPv4) addresses were allocated on February 3rd last year at a ceremony in Maimi to Asia Pacific Network by Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA); the organization that oversees the global allocation of Internet addresses, thus underscoring the extent to which the web has become an integral and pervasive part of modern life.

According to her, since the early 80s when it was developed the Internet Protocol (IPv4), has served as the base of the Internet and now that it has officially ran out of addresses with capacity of just 4 billion.

Pointing out that already, America and Europe are in the lead in incorporating IPv6 in their networks and telecommunications infrastructure and urged that Nigeria “Join the players” so that the nation could compete globally.

She maintained that for her team at DSA Media, this encourages knowledge-base that really makes sense and for a reach that will give your business greater meaning to what you are doing right now.

Chairman of the occasion and president, DBI, Prof. Akwule, decried the absence of significant African and Nigeria’s contributions in particular into the core Internet development, expressed worry there is absolutely no contribution from Nigeria on core internet evolution.

“Is it because we don’t have people who understand language of the internet, architecture, engineering software?” he asked, but was quick to provide an answer, adding that the above should not be the case, declaring “if we don’t have them in country, we have them in Diaspora,” he said, insisting Nigeria has what it takes to make relevant impact and contribute to the development of the Internet in some areas.

Therefore, he urged experts to come up with how to improve on Nigeria and Africa’s contribution to new Internet, saying that this could kick-off by crafting what happens in the core architecture of the internet such that Nigeria’s presence will be felt not just as users of the internet. Akwule also enjoined Nigerians not to worry about studying a particular subject, pointing out that most bright Information Technology (IT) persons, he ever met in all institutions including DBI, did not study IT. Declaring, “My best IT person that does all kinds of wonders did not study IT and I always say that because there is lesson there.”

Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, called on Nigerians to prepare for the future, especially as technological tools are becoming more intelligent on daily basis, hence the importance of creating awareness on Internet Protocol version 4 (IPv4) and IPv6.

Adebayo also said that it may be difficult to connect to some particular networks, once IPv4 is eventually exhausted. “As we develop in our day to day life, technology is changing, devices are more intelligent. Today, people are talking about handheld, it’s no longer desktop computer. There is a need for us to prepare ourselves for the future. That is why the awareness about IPv4, IPv6 is very important,” he said, commending DSA Media for this initiative.

In his presentation, the President, ISOC Nigeria, Engr. Giandomenico Massari noted that the society was chartered and registered in Nigeria on June 1998 after it was founded by a group of five friends and today counts a total of over 1,000 members.

The chapter, he said, has since inception been promoting the Internet in Nigeria through seminars, courses and conferences, even as they have sensitized some corporate bodies and government on the need to assist and sponsor IT projects in recent times. Just as, free courses and internet awareness have been given to lecturers at different levels and students in various higher institutions across Nigeria.

 According to him, ISOC Nigeria chapter has donated Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centers over 15 schools and professional bodies in the country, with some beneficiaries including the Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE) Port Harcourt branch, and IT Center at NSE headquarters Lagos.

Equally speaking, president, Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA), Mrs. Mary Uduma, represented by the chief operating officer, Mr. Ope Odusan, who dwelt on “.ng Domain Name and the Future of IPv6 in Nigeria,” noted that .ng is Nigeria’s country code, and implicitly, a Nigerian identity on the internet, which is managed by NIRA.

Founded on March 23, 2005 as a stakeholder-led organisation, he said, NIRA is charged with the management of the nation’s Country Code Top Level Domain Name (ccTLD), .ng, with the current Executive President is Mrs. Mary Uduma who heads the eight (8) members executive board and Dr. Adeola Odeyemi, chairman of a nine-man Board of Trustee (BOT).

According to him, why the Internet Protocol (IP) is important at this time is due to its features, including vastly expanded Internet Protocol (IP) address, noting that IPv4 has 32 bits versus IPv6 which has 128 bits, adding that more devices could be supported because each additional bit doubles the size of addresses available.

Very soon, he said, domain names and telephone numbers are being structured into Electronic Numbering (ENUM), which means a unification of traditional telephony and next-generation IP networks. “Imagine your phone number becoming your domain name?” he asked, describing ENUM as a protocol developed by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) to allow the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Internet to interoperate.

ENUM, he said, allows telephone numbers to be resolved into Uniform Resource Locator (URLs) using a Domain Name System (DNS)-based architecture, stressing that by placing telephone numbers into the DNS, ENUM could facilitate interoperability for a wide range of applications including Voice over IP (VoIP), video, presence, and instant messaging. 

“.ng is like our currency Naira and +234 for country code, and is the official ICANN approved ccTLD for Nigeria,” he said, urging Nigerians to embrace .ng and register their companies and organizations on .ng, pointing out some of the advantages against other domain names like .com, especially in the area of prompt dispute resolution.

Content, Odusan said, is King and is the main driver of the Internet (IPv6) growth, emphasising that content in the form of applications like Email, VOIP, Web, Blog, Facebook, Video to name a few cannot be overlooked.

“IPv6 is key to the continued growth of the Internet in Nigeria,” he declared, adding that in the very near future, there will be no need to dial a phone number, just dial a domain name.

Conclusion:

Like the chairman rightly pointed out, Africa and Nigeria as a country, should as matter of fact have a national policy on IPv6 deployment and adaptation, to not only increase the awareness of the future of internet, but to entrench its version of technology.

The time to start is now.

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

London 2012: At last, who is able?

LIKE a rose amid thorns, Nigeria’s contingent to the 2012 London Paralympic Games returned home to put a smile on Nigerians amid disappointments in recent sport outings.

Team Nigeria attended the London 2012 Olympics with so much expectations and glamour but in the end, there was nothing to show for several months of preparations with millions spent in the process, as they failed to win a single medal for the first time in Olympic history since 1988, after achieving poor athletic performance at these games.

The Paralympics team on the other hand, enjoyed neither adequate foreign training nor media hype and ended up doing the country proud. The team did not only emerge 22nd country in the world but came third in the ranking of African nations at the Games. 

They were able to amass a total of 13 medals; six gold, five silver and two bronze in sharp contrast to the devastating performance of the so-called healthier and more furnished Team Nigeria at the July Summer Olympics in London that didn’t win any medal in all competitions at the games. Most remarkable in the performance of the Nigerian Paralympians is that they created four world new Paralympics records, the biggest accomplishment of any Nigerian team in the history of the Paralympics games. 

With widespread public disappointment with the dismal performance of Team Nigeria, which is one of the nation’s poorest outings since the beginning of present Olympics 60 years ago, Nigeria’s paralympic athletes conversely, were given little chance for success. There were minute expectations that they would make their presence felt. But surprisingly, as the games were declared open the athletes began to show their courage and determination to make a difference. It should be noted that the Nigerian Paralympic Team has never disappointed the country on the Olympic medal front.

It is safe to say that, what Team Nigeria cannot do, the Paralympic Team will do better, as they have succeeded in comforting the hearts of Nigerians, by their exploits, from the pain caused by their physically healthier compatriots at the 2012 London summer Olympics. Their dominance in the power-lifting competition has been exemplary and the fact that none of the athletes tested positive to any banned substances has been comforting as well.

They deserve every encouragement, and government should set the pace for this exemplary recognition of their phenomenal success in sports despite their disability. The national honours given to some of the Paralympics by President Goodluck Jonathan is commendable but more encouragement should be structured for Paralympics in a more formal way beyond the honours.

Therefore, the exploits of the Nigeria’s paralympians should stimulate the urge for early preparations and commitment ahead of major competitions by both the sporting authorities and the athletes. These were clearly lacking ahead of the summer Olympics in London, and the results was the performance of Team Nigeria at the 2012 London summer Olympics.

Nigeria must identify her areas of comparative advantage, such as wrestling, boxing, weightlifting, football and athletics, and pay adequate attention to them. Rio must not turn out to be a repeat of London. The government should lay a solid foundation for sports development, and the enabling environment that will bring the best from both able and physically-challenged athletes. From the exploits of the paralympians, it is not in doubt that Nigeria’s major problem in sports is not the availability of talents, but how to manage and nurture them to become world champions.

Banji Boye:

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We pay our taxes regularly -Emmanuel

In this interview, COMRADE UDECHUKWU EMMANUEL, Secretary of GSM Village Traders’ Association, informed DigitalSENSE News, that the major challenge dividing traders and customers at the GSM Village is the menace of Area Boys (Touts) at the Bus Stop, who force commuters to pay unnecessary tolls, lack of standard bus stop facilities and advertising. Insisting that GSM Village Traders’ pay their taxes regularly and promptly, too.

What are the major challenges of GSM Village Traders?

One of the major challenges is the presence of Area Boys (Touts) at our Bus Stop, preventing customers from stopping in front of the Village. We have lost Several Customers in the process, because after crossing the bridge, they will prefer to go to the other market, Computer Village. Also, Compared to the Bus Stop at Ikeja Along, our facilities are not up to date. We call on the Government to support us to do this. And lastly, another of our challenge is advertising.

Concerning the bus stop, have you lodge any formal complaint or make any request to the appropriate authority?

Yes, we have done that at the Local Government Council.

And what was the response like?

Negative

Have you done any follow ups after that?

No

Why?

…Because the response from the government’s end was not really encouraging and since we know this will involve money (to put up a befitting Bus Stop facility) we have decided to rest the issue for now.

Another challenge you mentioned was advertising, would you like to partner with DIGITAL SENSE NEWS in this regard?

Yes, of course, if it will help our business, we will always do that.

In order for the government to effectively perform its corporate social responsibility it needs funds from multiple sources, including taxes. Would you say that GSM Village Traders’ are Tax compliant?

Normally, we pay our taxes at the end of every year, and we have always paid them promptly, since three... four years ago.

Have you had any problem with government before concerning Tax remittance?

We had problem with the government on that earlier on but we have since sorted that out.

So far, are you over or fairly taxed?

I will say our tax is normal. That’s all I can say for now.

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Nigeria’s Broadband plan by Juwah, seeks stakeholder’s input

Dr. Eugene Juwah, EVC of NCC

NIGERIA’s efforts to join the global broadband community has crystallized into a focused master-plan recently unfolded by the Chief Executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Eugene Juwah, at the Nigerian Broadband Forum which held at the Eko Hotel in Lagos.

His position is supported by the Secretary General of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), Dr. Hamadoun Toure, who also commended government’s support for broadband connectivity and independent of telecom regulation.

The plan as unveiled by the Commission confirms the  ‘Open Access Model’ earlier indicated by the Commission as Dr. Juwah presented a clearer perspective to the plan which he said encompasses the current State Accelerated Broadband Initiative (SABI), and the Wire Nigeria Initiative (WIN), programmes of the Commission.

“The Open Access Model is expected to help Nigerian’s plug into the global knowledge grid and stay competitive with other countries,” he said.

The key elements driving the objective focus on open access deployment of fibre infrastructure, according to Dr. Juwah,  is to achieve high level of penetration across all geo-political zones, contribute to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and development of knowledge economy, provide competitive and affordable pricing, ensure intelligent incentives to support industry players while equipping Nigeria with  leading infrastructure in Africa

The ultimate imperatives for this objective, he said, is to realize affordable prizing, high speed connectivity, high level of coverage and targeted government support.  

Dr. Juwah who spoke to an international audience including Nigeria’s Communications Technology Minister, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, Representative of the ITU Secretary General, Mr. Desire Karyabwite, the Secretary of the Africa Telecommunications Union, ATU, Mr. Abdoulkarim Soumaila, and a wide range of experts and Nigerian stakeholders, said the plan is focused on accelerated broadband connectivity at  affordable costumers.

The message of the ITU Sec. Gen. Dr. Toure was relayed to the forum on video, where he commended the efforts of the drivers of Nigeria’s broadband efforts and encouraged the government to support every effort directed towards broadband availability in Nigeria as this is the focus of the global ICT community.

Dr. Juwah who dissected a graphic representation of Nigeria’s model, said the essence of the presentation is to equip stakeholders and the investor community on the direction of the plan to enable their input before the implementation, having completed the preliminary studies of the Nigerian situation.

Dr. Juwah also presented a stakeholder mapping where the Commission would be responsible for provision of licenses, regulation of services, facilitation of agreements. This relationship is guided by an industry structure of the open access model of the type being implemented in Australia. 

In explaining the market service structure in the Nigerian model, Dr. Juwah said involves provision of non discriminatory broadband access and services to end users, and provision of a non-discriminatory equal wholesale broadband connectivity using active infrastructure, while NetCos build and operate passive infrastructure.  

Dr. Juwah said the integration of the SABI and WIN in the current plan was to expand the horizon in the pursuit of the mandate of the Commission to promote the provision of modern universal efficient, reliable, affordable, and easily accessible communications services of the widest range throughout Nigeria”.

The ITU Sec. Gen had through his representative at the event emphasized the need for establishment of transparent and effective regulatory framework and policy for broadband development in Nigeria. 

Minister of Communications Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson had earlier  assured of the support of the Federal government towards this initiative with a planned setting up of a Presidential Committee on Broadband deployment while indicating that appropriate pricing and availability is critical in achieving universal access to Broadband, especially in rural areas. Global phenomenon such as the scissors effect and economic recession pose significant threat to the capacity to finance broadband infrastructure developments. Stakeholders at the event concluded among other things that “Broadband would facilitate the growth and availability of innovative and evolving ICT services which will increase the national GDP.

“Provision of incentives by government will stimulate investments in Broadband deployment similar to the tax exemption granted to GSM operators at the inception of GSM mobile services in Nigeria.

“Recent study shows that there is huge demand gap for broadband services in Nigeria. However, there is insufficient infrastructure to support the provision of broadband to meet the demand.”

They also concluded that: strong government and political commitment towards broadband provision is required and that migration to Long Term Evolution (LTE) technology will require high level investment. It was also recommended that spectrum congestion will need to be addressed through variety of available options while 4G frequency spectrum will need to be licensed by 2015.

One of the conclusions reached at the forum hosted by the NCC as part of the processes for provision of robust broadband services in Nigeria was that rapid deployment and availability of broadband will lead to the introduction of innovative services.

Remmy Nweke

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

IT Outsourcing reduces costs of production –Prof. Angaye

THE Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Prof. Cleopas Angaye, has identified that the use of outsourcing in the information technology (IT) sector would not only lead to better productivity but also drastic reduction in the cost of production.

Prof. Angaye through the director of Software and Outsourcing Department of the agency, Dr. Ashiru Daura at the maiden West African IT Outsourcing Exhibition held recently in Lagos, noted that Nigeria needs to do what India did to become one of the top sort after when it comes to IT outsourcing all over the world.

The NITDA boss also asserted that there’s the need for an enabling environment as well as infrastructural development before the country could attain a particular growth in the IT sector.

According to Prof. Angaye, every stakeholder has a role to play hence he urged every stakeholders to have and imbibe trust and credibility in their value system structure, and competitions that support the growth of the industry and not the one that leads to the extinction of competitors.

Also speaking at the exhibition, Director, Business Development and Marketing, Premier Business School, Abuja, Mr. Peter Jack commended the National Outsourcing Policy of 2007 and the establishment of an outsourcing department in NITDA.

He also commended the agency’s creation of the National Association of Information Technology Outsourcing Companies; a body DigitalSENSE News recalled was set up earlier this year by the agency with a N20 million take-off fund.

Jack pointed out that the National Outsourcing Policy states that outsourcing occurs anytime one enterprise makes a contract with another to perform a process that is done internally by the party taking by the first enterprise.

Highlighting the merits of IT outsourcing in Nigeria, Mr. Jack said, organizations would focus on the core business of the organization rather than being distracted as a result new technology introduction.

Remmy Nweke
... Making SENSE of digital revolution!