Etisalat honours 50 partners with awards, world cup trips

DigitalSENSE Business News:

Not less than 50 Distribution Partners of Etisalat Nigeria, were honoured at a ground party with awards and world cup trips, reports DigitalSENSE Business News.

Top 11 distribution partners went home with special prizes, as Etisalat confided in DigitalSENSE Business News that all the partners jointly strengthened its route with the 2014 Distribution Partners Awards tagged Heroes held in Lagos.

Speaking through the acting Chief Executive Officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Matthew Willsher told DigitalSENSE Business News that Etisalat was pleased to recognise and reward its distribution partners because they are an important link with the subscribers and have to believe in the business to represent it well before the public. 

Willsher expressed thanks to the partners for their roles in taking Etisalat to its present position in the telecommunications industry in Nigeria with hopes that team work will take both parties higher. 

“The awards we have given today are just a token to show that we appreciate the effort of our distribution partners in helping take our products and services to the end users. We are grateful to our distribution partners for the part they have played in taking us to where we are today. We hope that they will keep up the effort so that we can both achieve our goals,” he said.

DigitalSENSE Business News reports that the award for a distribution partner with the Highest SIM Activations Award went to Upper Room Limited led by Mr. Olukorede Odukoya as Managing Director and went home with a new Toyota Hilux truck.

The CEO’s Award for Overall Excellence went to Office Devices Limited, Alennsar Infinity Company Limited and CantStop Nigeria Limited.

A total of 50 distribution partners were rewarded at the event, whereas the prizes include a Toyota Hilux for the Distribution Partner with Highest SIM activations; a Land Rover LR4 each for top-three Distribution Partners with Best Overall Performance, among other exciting prizes.

One of the three distribution partners who won the CEO’s Award for Overall Excellence, Mr. Edward Emeano declared, “it is a thing of joy to work with Etisalat as the company’s service offerings make marketing easier. I am pleased to be recognised today but this is only possible because of innovative products and services which Etisalat offers. I am honoured to be part of the Etisalat team.”

Remmy Nweke

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
Photo: From Left, Acting Chief Executive Officer Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Matthew Willsher with Distribution Partner with Best Overall Performance, Chief Executive Officer Zeph Associates Nigeria Limited, Tochukwu Nwosu, Alennsar Infinity Company Limited, Edward Emeanuo and Director, Channel Sales, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Ken Ogujiofor, at the 5^th Etisalat Heroes Award held at the Intercontinental Hotel Victoria Island Lagos on Tuesday.

Special forces proves NASRDA DG wrong, tracks high-value Boko Haram member

Barely 24 hours after claims by the Director-General of the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Prof. Seidu Mohammed, on the inability of satellite technology to really aid the search and rescue mission of the abducted over 200 Chibok school girls, a glint of light has shown that they are still being kept at the notorious Sambisa forest in Borno State, DigitalSENSE Business News reveals.

News reaching our DigitalSENSE Business News indicated that the Special Forces led by the United States Marines have located these girls in Sambisa Forest, using satellites and what some industry observers tagged as advanced tracking equipment.

This is against earlier reports that most of the abducted school girls were being sold into earlier marriages into neighboring countries for $12, about N1,900 only.

DigitalSENSE Business News gathered that aside locating the girls in Sambisa forest, a combined team of the Marines and Nigerian forces arrested a leader of the terrorist group who reportedly aided in the abduction of Chibok girls.

According sources close to the joint special forces the Boko Haram leader arrest was facilitated through an advanced interceptor equipment used to track him during his exchange of “information with his colleagues in Sambisa Forest” on the movements of Special Forces in Maiduguri and its environ.

He has since been handed over to the Nigerian security forces for further interrogation.

DigitalSENSE Business News, notes that Prof. Seidu Mohammed at the weekend, put up a defense for his failed NASRDA, proclaimed that satellite images from the Nigeria SatX and Sat 2 could not trace the over 200 girls reportedly in the custody of Boko Haram.

The DG had told newsmen on Friday in Abuja that while many Nigerians expect the satellite to trace the girls, “the country’s satellites only possessed 2.5 meters resolution, not sufficient to do such tracking.”

He further said that even countries with advanced satellites that have three meters resolutions find it difficult to trace terrorists, but only help in providing useful information on the possible locations of the hidden terrorists.

Mohammed who denied insinuations that Nigeria Sat X and Sat 2 may be faulty, said they are working perfectly and lamented that the two satellites jointly have 2.5 meter resolutions, meaning that they don’t have the capacity to trace individuals movement but only give maps of some locations at some particular times.

"People thought satellites are video cameras. They are not. Satellite moves from one location to another and some times before they come back to a particular spot it takes up to four days. An earth observation satellite is not a video machine that can capture people anywhere therefore cannot track a migrant militants who are moving every 15 minutes or so," he said.

He maintained that is why America with hundreds of active satellite could not just track Taliban and other militants, “but that is not to say it has no relevant, it has in updating maps to know how many routes are available for terrorist to escape.”

Mohammed said the agency is working with relevant authorities in giving useful information available in the efforts to rescue the abducted schools girls.

*Correspondent with additional report by Vanguard

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Maroc to acquire Etisalat for N101.4bn

DigitalSENSE Business News:

Plans may have been perfected to dispose the Etisalat operations in the Francophone West African countries to Maroc Telecom, reports DigitalSENSE Business News.

It was gathered by DigitalSENSE Business News correspondent that Etisalat has agreed to sell its operations in French-speaking West Africa to the Moroccan operator group and process is currently in place for that acquisition, which will entail Maroc gaining a majority stake.

DigitalSENSE Business News also gathered that the share purchase agreement would see Etisalat sell Atlantique Telecom - its wholly-owned subsidiary which has operations in Benin, Central African Republic, Gabon, the Ivory Coast, Niger and Togo - to Maroc Telecom. The businesses being sold provide voice and data services under the Moov brand.

The agreement further indicated that Prestige Telecom, an Ivory Coast-based company providing IT services to Etisalat’s operations in the region is included.

The total value of the agreement for all seven companies was valued at $650 million, about N101,4 billion.

The agreement is subject to a number of conditions, including the closing of Etisalat’s acquisition of the 53 per cent stake in Maroc Telecom currently held by French media group Vivendi. Competition and regulatory approvals in the six countries in which the operations are based are also needed.

The assets being sold add little to Etisalat’s bottom line but could benefit from the expertise of Maroc Telecom, which as well as Morocco, has had success with operations in Gabon, Mali, Burkina Faso and Mauritania.

The purchase of the Maroc Telecom stake is progressing with Etisalat confirming at the end of April that it had secured €3.15 billion in financing to help fund the €4.2 billion deal.

Etisalat group CEO Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar recently said the company plans to continue to expand its “service offering and geographic footprint” to diversify its revenue base and “cement our regional leadership position”— with Africa remaining a strategic region.

Nenye Dom/GEE

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Quality Control: Globacom scales through Ghana NCA test

DigitalSENSE Business News:

Globacom Ghana has scaled through  a test conducted by the National Communications Authority (NCA) of Ghana on quality control for the year 2012 and 2013, reports DigitalSENSE Business News.

This development, according to a press statement made available to DigitalSENSE Business News by officials of Globacom, showed that it followed a mobile consumer satisfaction survey conducted by the NCA, which recent result indicated that MTN and Vodafone, two of the leaders in the mobile communications industry, were unable to meet up with the benchmarks stipulated by the National Communications Authority (NCA) in 2012 and 2013.

TiGo, Airtel and Expresso, three of the companies in the industry, met only one of the benchmarks, which is overall quality of service.

Glo Mobile, which entered the market a few months prior to the survey, met all the NCA’s stipulated benchmarks, with the exception of supplementary services.

The objectives of the survey DigitalSENSE Business News gathered, among other things, capture consumers’ evaluation of service attributes and expectations from all mobile service providers, evaluate the level of consumer satisfaction with the various mobile service operators, measure the level of service delivery in the mobile telephone industry and evaluate the relative performance of providers among themselves with respect to defined attributes.

The NCA has set a benchmark of 85 per cent or more for billing performance and help or enquiry services, 90 percent for supplementary services and 75 percent for overall quality of service.

Supplementary services, DigitalSENSE Business News notes refer to what a consumer’s phone can be used for, apart from receiving calls, such as mobile money and Internet services.

The billing and tariffs, DigitalSENSE Business News gathered involve charges exacted on the consumer for the use of his or her phone to make calls.

The survey revealed that 74.7 per cent of mobile subscribers were satisfied with the services of their mobile network operators, while 25.3 percent were not.

About 13,119 mobile phone users, representing a 95 percent response rate, took part in the survey in 400 enumeration. Two hundred and two were from the urban areas, while 198 were from rural areas.

Out of the 6,000 households which participated in the survey, 3,030 were from urban areas and 2,970 from rural communities.

Chuks Egbuna/GEE

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Etisalat, FBN join forces on Sure4Life

DigitalSENSE Business News:

The FBN Insurance Limited and Etisalat Nigeria have joined forces to launch Sure4Life, which is expected to boost access to affordable insurance for the citizenry, reports DigitalSENSE Business News.

FBN Insurance is a member of FBN Holdings Plc, while Etisalat Nigeria proud itself as a most innovative telecoms company.

DigitalSENSE Business News gathered that Sure4Life is an airtime-based insurance product designed to increase penetration and consumer access to affordable insurance products via the mobile telephone.

The product, DigitalSENSE Business News also learnt would help drive availability and accessibility to a vast portion of the uninsured Nigerian population and to provide Etisalat customers with one month free life insurance cover between May and July 2014.

Director, Business Segment at Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Lucas Dada, told DigitalSENSE Business News that the partnership will bring inexpensive and easy to reach insurance products to the benefit of Etisalat’s growing prepaid and post-paid customers.

“Sure4Life is an innovative insurance product which takes away all the challenges that may be associated with taking an insurance policy and allows our subscribers to access and maintain insurance coverage with ease. It is in line with our reputation as the most innovative telecommunications company to provide such life changing products to our customers,” he said.

Dada further said that the plan is optional and open to all registered Etisalat subscribers that are between 18 and 80 years of age.

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, FBN Insurance, Val Ojumah, said the initiative would help correct the inaccurate perception that insurance is only for the rich and reduce the complexities and paperwork often associated with insurance.

“The initiative also supports our aspiration to bring the benefits of insurance to Nigerians who otherwise would have remained uninsured,” he said, stressing that they are proud of increasing contributions to the growth and development of the insurance industry in Nigeria.

He further assured all stakeholders of continuous efforts to bring the latest innovations in the business for the benefit of the Nigerian populace. Pointing out that they believe in the strength and sustainability of the telecommunications approach to the insurance business and ambitions are focused on working together to further enhance the growth and improvements over the coming years.

DigitalSENSE Business News recalls that with a monthly insurance premium of N100 monthly, registered Etisalat subscribers will have the benefit of a flat sum of N100,000 payable to the beneficiary in case of demise of the policy holder and a maximum of N10,000 for medical expenses in the event of an accident.

Death benefit per any one life shall be limited to NGN200,000 with a maximum of two Etisalat registered numbers; whereas the medical expenses benefit per any one life shall be limited to NGN20, 000 (maximum of two Etisalat registered numbers).

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
Pix: (L-R) Head, Retail Distribution, FBN Insurance, Odinaka Umekwe; Director, Business Segment, Etisalat Nigeria, Lucas Dada; General Manager, FBN Insurance, Segun Balogun; and Manager, Mobile Financial Services, Etisalat Nigeria, Seun Omotosho at the launch of "Sure 4 Life", an airtime-based FBN Insurance life policy in partnership with Etisalat Nigeria, held at Marina, Lagos last Friday.

Global licensing is sabotage against people says NIG

DigitalSENSE Business News:

The President, Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) Engr. Adebayo Banjo has decried the model of licensing which is ‘global’ in nature, saying it negates growth and leads to sabotage against the populace, reports DigitalSENSE Business News.

Speaking with DigitalSENSE Business News in Lagos, Banjo urged the government to manage the pertinent problems affecting the acceleration of internet in Nigeria within the contest of the cost, speed, reliability and devices.

As said by him the government policy of awarding global license encourages anti-competitive activities rather than discouraging it, among big and small operators which leads to sabotage on the side of the government against the people.

This, he told DigitalSENSE Business News has been NIG's clamour for years now, noting that government must hands off the internet business completely and allow a level playing field by awarding licenses without restriction but has to break Nigeria into zones and provide options for global license acquisition too without interference on frequencies.

Government, he said, should focus on influencing policy that will protect innovations, and stop monopoly as well as increase the advocacy for internet rather than a direct investment, but should also subsidize the internet delivery cost and bandwidth for at least a period of five years to serve as incentives that will attract investors to come in into the business.

Citing India as an example of a country that has similar problem of unemployment and developmental issues like Nigeria, but has  leveraged on the  huge potentials provided by the internet to solve these problems.

This, he also said has resulted in the growing her economy and creating jobs for her citizens.

On the global issue of cyber threats, Banjo who was accompanied by NIG publicity secretary, Mr. Bayero Agabi and Executive Secretary, Mr. Fidelis Orji, described this threat as being at “a cyber assisted crime” stage in Nigeria.

He also promised a more detail discussion on the cyber crime and other related issues in the NIG Cyber Security Summit 2014 slated for later in the year.

Chuks Egbuna/GEE

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Banned! WhatsApp not welcome in Iran

DigitalSENSE Business News:

The Iranian Committee on Internet Crimes at the weekend banned WhatsApp from being in-use in the country, reports DigitalSENSE Business News.

WhatsApp is the cross-platform instant messaging subscription service for smartphones that American Silicon tycoon, Mark Zuckerberg recently acquired for the sum of $19 billion.

Fox News last Friday reported quoted Abdolsamad Khorramabadi, head of the Iranian committee as saying, “The reason for this is the assumption of WhatsApp by the Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who is an American Zionist.”

Meanwhile, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom blasted the Islamic Republic last week in a report on the repression of religious freedom.

“Iran continues to propagate anti-Semitism and target members of the Jewish community on the basis of real or perceived ‘ties to Israel.’ Numerous programs broadcast on state-run television advance anti-Semitic messages.

“Official government discrimination against Jews continues to be pervasive, fostering a threatening atmosphere for the approximately 20,000 member Jewish community,” the Commission said.

“Despite the June 2013 election of a new and purportedly moderate president - Hassan Rouhani; the already-poor religious freedom conditions in Iran continued to deteriorate, particularly for religious minorities, especially Baha’is and Christian converts. Sufi and Sunni Muslims and dissenting Shi’a Muslims also faced harassment, arrests, and imprisonment,” the commission said.

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Shameful! Yahoo, official email for Confab '14

Exclusive! DigitalSENSE Business News:

THE ongoing National Conference may have taken the wrong path by having as its official electronic mail (email) address on ‘yahoo.com’ platform, authoritatively reports by DigitalSENSE Business News, just as Information Technology (IT) experts decried the action; saying it lacks patriotism.

This also negates the rules guiding official email addr
esses of government agencies and parastatals introduced at the inception of the Communication Technology Ministry a few years ago, to be on .Gov.NG.

This development came as the officials of the National Conference penultimate Tuesday showcased means of reaching or contributing memoranda on any subject matter for discourse, including that Nigerians could reach the confab via nationalconference2014@yahoo.com.

According to an official public statement made available to DigitalSENSE Business News by the Secretariat of the National Conference, extending invitation to the Nigerian public to submit memoranda on any subject matter for possible discourse at the ongoing National Conference, except the indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria as a nation.

Some experts who spoke to DigitalSENSE Business News on anonymously, lamented the lack of patriotism in national assignments which has shown both in the nomination of delegates without any representatives from the Information Technology (IT) professionals which abound in the country.

This, our source also said has just been reflected in contacts for such a national assignment having a foreign email from Yahoo, which in effect means that associated with the national conference will be exposed to a foreign databank.

DigitalSENSE Business News source, further said that either those handling the Information Technolgy (IT) section of the national conference must be ignorant of Nigeria country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) name uptake and availability or they are just not patriotic.

According to our source, lack of IT professionals in local environment in Nigeria has played out and was not taken aback because more of ignorant decisions are about to be taken before the National Confab rounds off.

However, the Secretary to the Conference, Dr. (Mrs.) Valerie-Janette Azinge was quoted in the press statement, as saying that all memoranda should be clearly typed and presented in a given format, including an introduction to the subject matter; statement of facts on the subject matter; issues from the statement of facts for determination; arguments in support of issues for determination and reliefs or prayers sought.

In addition, Azinge said that there must be a name, address and signature(s) of the writer(s) which should also be clearly indicated and submitted in 10 hard copies and two soft copies saved in Portable Document Format (PDF) and Microsoft Word formats respectively on or before Tuesday 15th April, 2014, to:

“The National Conference, National Judicial Institute, Mohammed Bello Center, Adjacent Jabi Junction Fly-over,Airport Road, P.M.B. 5020 Wuse, Abuja-FCT. Email: nationalconference2014@yahoo.com.”

Reacting, a .NG advocate and promoter of the Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet Governance for Development, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke described this action as height of ignorance which negates the development agenda of the current administration of President Goodluck Jonathan on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) led by Honourable Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson.

She also called on the authorities of the national conference to rescind that decision by ensuring that knowledgeable IT professionals are co-opted into the conference by extending invitation officially to the likes of Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) as soon as possible.

In addition, she noted that if care is not taken that Yahoo emails are prone to hacking notwithstanding the avalanche of data that will be going to such an important email to reside off the shores of the country.

“It is shameful, that at this time and age, a national assignment such as National Confab will be reminded of the implications,” Mrs. Nweke lamented and called on the office of the Secretary to the Federation to remedy the situation by quickly allocated a .NG official email to the conference.

Responding to inquiries, the Director, Internet Governance at the Communication Technology Ministry, Mr. Tope Fashedemi commended DigitalSENSE Business News for pointing this out and assured he will make relevant contacts with officials of the National Conference secretariat for them to rectify the anomaly.

“Thanks for the information. I’ll try to get the contact of their secretariat and get them to rectify,” Fashedemi replied in a returned Short Messaging Service (SMS).

Also commenting, a concerned Nigerian IT professional, Mr. Akinnusi Sehinde, who decired that Nigerians need to be sensitized on the importance of the National Country Code Top Level Domain (.ng) ccTLD.

In other countries like “.fr for France, .gh for Ghana, .ch for China, .uk for United Kingdom etc, are very proud of theirs and why can’t we be proud of our own?” he wondered.

DigitalSENSE Business News notes that as soon as the membership of the National Conference was released precisely on Thursday 20, January 2014, by the Federal Government through the Secretary to the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, including the modus operandi for the three months exercise, which some industry watchers have tagged as a make or mar exercise for the existence of Nigeria.

The announcement saw to the total number of the 492 delegates expected to attend the national conference, which has continued to be in the front burner of national discourse at all corners where two or more Nigerians find themselves, especially in the media.

For the Nigeria Computer Society an umbrella body of Information Technology (IT) interest groups comprising the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN) and moribund Internet Service Providers Association of Nigeria (ISPAN); to advance and promote education and training of Computer and Information Scientists, Computer Engineers, Information Architects and Information Technology and Systems Professionals.
According to NCS, it’s inability to secure a membership of the national conference, no doubt is politically motivated as they are not new and has been on the forefront of advocating IT inclusion in the Nigerian space.

However, NCS prides itself as the leading organization of all Information Technology professionals, interest groups and stakeholders in Nigeria, since 1978 as Computer Association of Nigeria (COAN) and transformed into NCS in 2002 as a result of harmonization with other stakeholder and interest groups, just as it acts as the national platform for the advancement of Information Technology Science and Practice in Nigeria.

So, it was not out of place now that industry watchers have began to see some of the demerits of the likes of NCS conspicuously missing at National Confab with the latest news coming out of the floor of the national confab on the official email address.

Until such a time leadership at all levels begin to take the project Nigeria seriously, it may be difficult to achieve the kind of progress we expect.

Remmy Nweke
... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Tony Adams unveils Airtel Rising Stars Season-2

DigitalSENSE Sport:

Airtel Rising Stars season two was unveiled in Rwanda by Arsenal legend Tony Adams, reports DigitalSENSE Sport.

Airtel Rising Stars, DigitalSENSE Sport gathered is a sports talent initiative introduced by Airtel that seeks to discover and nurture talented male and female footballers’ under-17 years.

Also, the initiative runs in all Airtel operations across Africa and seeks to bring to light the skills of these young and talented ones by giving them the platform to become world class football stars.

DigitalSENSE Sport learnt that young footballers between the age of 13- 17 years could now register for the tournament.

Registration, DigitalSENSE Sport reports could be done at Airtel Customer care stores and other outlets which shall be announced. The tournament is open for both boys and girls. Those who participate in the tournament this year stand a chance to represent Rwanda in Gabon where the Airtel Rising Stars Pan African tournament will be taking place. The winning teams of boys and girls at the national level will travel to Libreville to battle it out for the Airtel Rising Stars Champion of 2014.

Commenting at the unveiling of ARS initiative in Kigali, Tony Adams said it is smart to invest in young football players as they are the next stars that will play on a national and international stage.

“This is a great initiative by Airtel ensuring the standards of football in Africa are elevated and I am proud to be a part of Airtel Rising Stars,” he said.

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
Pix: Tony Adams

FG should subsidise Internet bandwidth says NIG

DigitalSENSE Business News:

A member of the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) stakeholder group, the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) has advocated for a subsidized Internet access through the cost of bandwidth to boost adoption and penetration, reports DigitalSENSE Business News.

President of NIG, Mr. Bayo Banjo made this call in Lagos at the weekend while speaking to DigitalSENSE Business News as part of the event to herald the 2014 Cyber Security Summit which comes up in July this year, saying that subsidizing internet bandwidth delivery is core to internet access.

According to him, Internet holds the key to unemployment, saying that the government of the day as a matter of urgency should subsidise bandwidth cost for at least five years to spur internet access and adoption among Nigerians.

To encourage low income earners, Banjo said the government must subsidise bandwidth access, so as to enable them buy or have internet access, even if it's by 20 per cent.

“Our problem now with the internet is cost, speed, reliability and availability of devices,” he said, stressing that if all is well as pointed by those in government, “what is stopping the explosion of internet access.”

Mobile operators, he lamented, are currently deploying internet as lip service due to old technologies deployed and cost of bandwidth, saying that it's only small operators that could deploy with new technologies which are usually per usage.

He maintained that government should subsidise delivery of the internet.

“If government is to bring down the cost of deploying the internet, probably the cost will come down coupled with the awareness. It's something government has to attend to. Government should focus on influencing policy instead of going into this business themselves,” he said.

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
pix: Bayero Aganbi, public secretary, Bayo Banjo, president, Fidelis Orji, Admin Secretary.

Shameful! Yahoo, official email for Confab

Shameful! Yahoo, official email for Confab '14
Exclusive! DigitalSENSE Business News:

THE ongoing National Conference may have taken the wrong path by having as its official electronic mail (email) address on ‘yahoo.com’ platform, authoritatively reports by DigitalSENSE Business News, just as Information Technology (IT) experts decried the action; saying it lacks patriotism.

This also negates the rules guiding official email addr
esses of government agencies and parastatals introduced at the inception of the Communication Technology Ministry a few years ago, to be on .Gov.NG.

This development came as the officials of the National Conference penultimate Tuesday showcased means of reaching or contributing memoranda on any subject matter for discourse, including that Nigerians could reach the confab via nationalconference2014@yahoo.com.

According to an official public statement made available to DigitalSENSE Business News by the Secretariat of the National Conference, extending invitation to the Nigerian public to submit memoranda on any subject matter for possible discourse at the ongoing National Conference, except the indivisibility and indissolubility of Nigeria as a nation.

Some experts who spoke to DigitalSENSE Business News on anonymously, lamented the lack of patriotism in national assignments which has shown both in the nomination of delegates without any representatives from the Information Technology (IT) professionals which abound in the country.

This, our source also said has just been reflected in contacts for such a national assignment having a foreign email from Yahoo, which in effect means that associated with the national conference will be exposed to a foreign databank.

DigitalSENSE Business News source, further said that either those handling the Information Technolgy (IT) section of the national conference must be ignorant of Nigeria country code Top Level Domain (ccTLD) name uptake and availability or they are just not patriotic.

According to our source, lack of IT professionals in local environment in Nigeria has played out and was not taken aback because more of ignorant decisions are about to be taken before the National Confab rounds off.

However, the Secretary to the Conference, Dr. (Mrs.) Valerie-Janette Azinge was quoted in the press statement, as saying that all memoranda should be clearly typed and presented in a given format, including an introduction to the subject matter; statement of facts on the subject matter; issues from the statement of facts for determination; arguments in support of issues for determination and reliefs or prayers sought.

In addition, Azinge said that there must be a name, address and signature(s) of the writer(s) which should also be clearly indicated and submitted in 10 hard copies and two soft copies saved in Portable Document Format (PDF) and Microsoft Word formats respectively on or before Tuesday 15th April, 2014, to:

“The National Conference, National Judicial Institute, Mohammed Bello Center, Adjacent Jabi Junction Fly-over,Airport Road, P.M.B. 5020 Wuse, Abuja-FCT. Email: nationalconference2014@yahoo.com.”

Reacting, a .NG advocate and promoter of the Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet Governance for Development, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke described this action as height of ignorance which negates the development agenda of the current administration of President Goodluck Jonathan on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) led by Honourable Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson.

She also called on the authorities of the national conference to rescind that decision by ensuring that knowledgeable IT professionals are co-opted into the conference by extending invitation officially to the likes of Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) as soon as possible.

In addition, she noted that if care is not taken that Yahoo emails are prone to hacking notwithstanding the avalanche of data that will be going to such an important email to reside off the shores of the country.

“It is shameful, that at this time and age, a national assignment such as National Confab will be reminded of the implications,” Mrs. Nweke lamented and called on the office of the Secretary to the Federation to remedy the situation by quickly allocated a .NG official email to the conference.

Responding to inquiries, the Director, Internet Governance at the Communication Technology Ministry, Mr. Tope Fashedemi commended DigitalSENSE Business News for pointing this out and assured he will make relevant contacts with officials of the National Conference secretariat for them to rectify the anomaly.

“Thanks for the information. I’ll try to get the contact of their secretariat and get them to rectify,” Fashedemi replied in a returned Short Messaging Service (SMS).

Also commenting, a concerned Nigerian IT professional, Mr. Akinnusi Sehinde, who decired that Nigerians need to be sensitized on the importance of the National Country Code Top Level Domain (.ng) ccTLD.

In other countries like “.fr for France, .gh for Ghana, .ch for China, .uk for United Kingdom etc, are very proud of theirs and why can’t we be proud of our own?” he wondered.

DigitalSENSE Business News notes that as soon as the membership of the National Conference was released precisely on Thursday 20, January 2014, by the Federal Government through the Secretary to the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, including the modus operandi for the three months exercise, which some industry watchers have tagged as a make or mar exercise for the existence of Nigeria.

The announcement saw to the total number of the 492 delegates expected to attend the national conference, which has continued to be in the front burner of national discourse at all corners where two or more Nigerians find themselves, especially in the media.

For the Nigeria Computer Society an umbrella body of Information Technology (IT) interest groups comprising the Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria (ISPON), Information Technology Association of Nigeria (ITAN) and moribund Internet Service Providers Association of Nigeria (ISPAN); to advance and promote education and training of Computer and Information Scientists, Computer Engineers, Information Architects and Information Technology and Systems Professionals.
According to NCS, it’s inability to secure a membership of the national conference, no doubt is politically motivated as they are not new and has been on the forefront of advocating IT inclusion in the Nigerian space.

However, NCS prides itself as the leading organization of all Information Technology professionals, interest groups and stakeholders in Nigeria, since 1978 as Computer Association of Nigeria (COAN) and transformed into NCS in 2002 as a result of harmonization with other stakeholder and interest groups, just as it acts as the national platform for the advancement of Information Technology Science and Practice in Nigeria.

So, it was not out of place now that industry watchers have began to see some of the demerits of the likes of NCS conspicuously missing at National Confab with the latest news coming out of the floor of the national confab on the official email address.

Until such a time leadership at all levels begin to take the project Nigeria seriously, it may be difficult to achieve the kind of progress we expect.

Remmy Nweke

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

ATCON ready for NEC elections in May 13

DigitalSENSE Business News:

The Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) has advanced plans to hold its Annual General Meeting (AGM) and National Executive Council (NEC) Elections on Tuesday, May 13, 2014, reports DigitalSENSE Business News.

The event, DigitalSENSE Business News gathered has been slated to take place at the Protea Hotel, Isaac John Street, GRA Ikeja, Lagos, by 10am, according to the Executive Secretary,  Ajibola Olude.

DigitalSENSE Business News recalls that ATCON holds its NEC elections every two years and the constitution of the association allows a maximum of three terms for which a NEC member may be re-elected on a particular post.

He explained that this years’ election is expected to be very interesting as ATCON would be expected to bring on board active industry players who will contribute meaningful ideas that will help shape the future of the telecommunications industry in Nigeria.

“Quite a number of key industry players are expected to jostle for the various positions in the NEC elections,” he told DigitalSENSE Business News.

The sitting President, Engr. Lanre Ajayi has reportedly scale-up industry expectations in terms of innovative style of leadership and is also constitutionally eligible to contest in the elections.

As confirmed by Mr. Olude to DigitalSENSE Business News, elections will be held on 13 key offices, including that of the National President, 1st Vice President, 2nd Vice President, General Secretary, Publicity Secretary, Financial Secretary and Treasurer.

Others are the offices of sub-group Coordinators for Telephone Operators, Infrastructure Providers, Internet Services Providers, Equipment Dealers, Manufacturers and Consulting.

Sub-Group Coordinators are in the NEC of ATCON to provide adequate and effective representation for their respective service sub-sector in the Nigerian telecommunications sector. Through them, issues affecting the respective service sub-sectors are brought to the larger umbrella body for consideration and appropriate resolution of the issues. This arrangement has helped the Association in creating a balance and achieving unity of purpose and industrial harmony in a sector that is very competitive.

The Executive Secretary further said that ATCON’s National Secretariat is collating nominations submitted by member-companies, assuring that efforts will be made to publicize the list of candidates for the various positions ahead of the elections.

ATCON, he told DigitalSENSE Business News, would continue to promote industrial harmony and enhance the process of industry self-regulation which is being widely advocated.

DigitalSENSE Business News recalls that ATCON was formally inaugurated on December 10, 1993 as the apex telecom industry association in Nigeria to provide a platform for cross-pollination of industry ideas amongst private participants in the deregulated telecommunications sector in Nigeria.

Over the years, ATCON has been the central voice of the Nigerian telecommunications sector, helping to shape policies and regulations that affect the industry. Through its many programmes and activities, ATCON has provided industry-specific education that has contributed to the rapid growth of the telecommunications sector in Nigeria.

Chuks Egbuna/GEE
... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

MTN Xtra time enhances lives says Oyeyemi

DigitalSENSE Business News:

The General Manager, Consumer Marketing at MTN Nigeria, Mr. Kola Oyeyemi, has declared that newly launch MTN Xtra Time enhances the lives of Nigeria as they now have no excuse for not making calls, reports DigitalSENSE Business News.

According to him, subscribers in Nigeria could now borrow airtime to make calls and payback when next they recharge their phones, stressing that this customer life-enhancing service, called MTN Xtra Time, also allows the subscriber the opportunity to call-back after exhausting the credit on his or her phone in order to conclude an on-going discussion.

He explained to DigitalSENSE Business News on how the newly launched MTN Xtra Time proposition is enhancing the lives of millions.

“In the past, so many people have lost glaring opportunities because they ran out of airtime and no vendor was nearby. Now, friends and other loved ones can be closer, as they enjoy talking with one another without airtime being an issue. MTN’s Xtra Time offer is changing all that. If you run out of credit and there’s no vendor around, you don’t need to panic. All you do is type and dial the access code *606# and you can borrow credit to be paid for when next you recharge. It’s that simple.” he said.

Xtra Time proposition, he said, is a service that allows eligible customers access to advance emergency credit so as to re-initiate a call that ended due to zero credit to on-net, off-net and international numbers whenever they run out of airtime. The access code will trigger a qualification process that will determine if the customer is eligible to use the service.

The service charge of 10 per cent will be paid for every successful request and deducted from the customer’s account as payment for Xtra Time credit upon the next recharge. To enjoy this service, the subscriber’s number must have been active on the network for at least 12 months.

“Emergency situations can happen anytime and anywhere, not just security related but in cases like when a woman is in labour, you have a flat tire; it can be invaluable being able to make an urgent call that will bring help and a smile to your face. Xtra Time is designed not only to enrich lives but to save them when there’s an emergency. There’s always an emergency.” Oyeyemi declared.

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
Photo: Mike Ikpoki, MD, MTN Nigeria

EFCC arrests another counterfeit software suspect

DigitalSENSE Business News:

Just about three months after the invasion of a suspected high quality counterfeit software reseller in the Ikeja area of Lagos by the operatives of Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the agency made another arrest on suspect, Arewa Systems Limited, within the same vicinity who also specializes in the production of High Quality Counterfeit (HQC) software, reports DigitalSENSE Business News.

The raid, DigitalSENSE Business News gathered followed a consumer tip-off and petition to the local law enforcement authorities aimed at curbing unsafe play in the country, and addressing the harmful impact to individuals as well as the Nigerian economy caused by pirated software.

Confirming this, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), partner in the Law firm of Lexavier Partners and Microsoft’s Anti-Piracy Attorney in Nigeria, Mr. Francis Chuka Agbu, told DigitalSENSE Business News that the strident message that this intervention sends is that computer software albeit an intellectual property qualifies better as a literary work that must be protected from the exploitation of merchants of counterfeiting and crass opportunism.

“Additionally, the theft of such creative expressions fixed in a tangible medium of expression constitutes a serious economic crime in Nigeria under Sections 18 & 46 of the Economic & Financial Crimes Commission Act, Cap E1 LFN 2010 and Section 491 Criminal Code Act Cap C28 LFN 2010.To all the dealers in imitation and fake products, big or small, it is no longer business as usual,” he said. 

He added that government is not alone in this quest to tackle the menace as many organisations in the country are clamouring for a safer business space, and frequently organise awareness workshops and enlightenment campaigns one of which is the Microsoft Play it Safe Day designed to drive global awareness across businesses, government organisations, and consumers of the increased risk of cyber security issues as a direct result of pirated software.

According to Temofe Ugbona, Anti-Piracy Manager, Microsoft Nigeria, “Quite a number of resellers abound in the country that are in possession of high quality counterfeit software that is packaged like genuine software – a trend resulting in many consumers, who believe they are purchasing software from a reliable source, unknowingly becoming victims to software piracy. 

These consumers turn out to be ‘accidental pirates’ – people who unintentionally purchase counterfeit software from resellers and only later find out they have been duped.  In doing so, they expose themselves to a plethora of risks, which on the long-run can prove extremely costly for individuals, and often disastrous for businesses.  Honest resellers, who sell only genuine software, are put at an unfair disadvantage, and ultimately the whole economy feels the effects”.   

According to a new joint study conducted by IDC and the National University of Singapore (NUS), global consumers are expected to spend $25 billion and waste 1.2 billion hours this year because of security threats and costly computer fixes stemming from malware on pirated software.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to differentiate between genuine and non-genuine software unless consumers are discerning and know what to look out for.

While reiterating the need to play it safe, Microsoft urges consumers to ask questions, investigate the packaging, watch out for “too good to be true” prices and demand genuine software – to ensure what you pay for and protect your family or your business from the threat of malware associated with pirated or counterfeit software.

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MTN explains Easter roaming for Xtians

DigitalSENSE Business News:

MTN Nigeria may have explained its Easter roaming offer for Christians, saying it’s expected to boost relationship among families, reports DigitalSENSE Business News.

Giving this insight recently to DigitalSENSE Business News, the General Manager, Consumer Marketing, MTN Nigeria, Mr. Kola Oyeyemi, said that MTN is offering a variety of mouth-watering packages to its Christian customers this Easter.

He gave the rational for the brands support stressing that this is a way of showing commitment to esteemed customers of the Christian faith, by connecting to them at this period of spiritual reflection and appreciation for the sacrifice that the Lord Jesus made by laying down his life for mankind to live.

He also said that there is a roaming offer with special MTN rates to Jerusalem and Rome, to ensure pilgrims stay in contact with families and friends.

The offer, he explained to DigitalSENSE Business News, is one of the many ways MTN is touching the passion points of its teeming Christian customers, especially during this season, as a way of encouraging the spread of unity, love and peace everywhere its customers go.

“The offers will enable Christian faithful on the MTN network enjoy value added services like spirit filled daily devotionals, Bible quotes, sermons, songs and hymns; and other faith enriching content to keep Christian customers connected to their Maker on a daily basis,” he said.

Customers, he further said, could access Christian content via an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) platform where a customer dials a short code 797 and listens to an array of uplifting contents such as songs, prayers, sermons and more. The IVR based service requires a weekly subscription of N50 weekly.

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