CWG,MTN see m-payment solutions growth in Nigeria with MTN Xaas

 AS part of efforts to create financial inclusion and accessibility to all Nigerians in what the company called a cost-effective way M-Commerce, the Computer Warehouse Group (CWG) has entered a deal with leading mobile network operator, MTN Nigeria on MTN Xaas platform recently.
The Group Managing Director, CWG, Mr. Austin Okere confirmed this to DigitalSENSE Business News, saying that both companies see growth potential in the payment solutions space in the banking and finance sector in the country.
CWG, he noted is a leading player in the banking and finance vertical thus considers payment solution, which includes e-payments, as an important aspect of its growth story.
He explained to DigitalSENSE Business News that MTN XaaS platform is a solution for microfinance, savings and loans, cooperative and other small scale financial institutions and shows strong penetration in Nigerian market.
The platform powered by CWG technology, Mr. Okere told DigitalSENSE Business News, comes as a partnership with MTN to jointly create a business model that would set new paradigms for mobile commerce in this part of the world.
“MTN XaaS, the mobile commerce and MFB platform with CWG digital commerce at its core will enable millions of ‘bank and mobile network customers’ to make cashless payments and settlements through their mobile phones,” he said.
Further, he said that the platform also empowers banks and Mobile Money operators to roll out innovative mobile financial services to their numerous customers via mobile telephony, one of which is the just launched MTN Yellow Diamond Account, which offers the 55 million MTN subscribers with the opportunity of financial inclusiveness.


... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Turn access rhetoric into broadband

 AT the 11th annual meeting of the Commonwealth Telecommunication Organisation (CTO)-organised forum which held in Abuja recently, the Nigerian Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, admonished member-countries to correct imbalances in access to connectivity by turning ‘rhetoric into broadband.’
This, to a very large extend is a call for access on Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and access, according to industry parlance and more specifically within ICT for students, for instance, means having access to technology within the curriculum in different subjects and activities.
In the computer and telecommunication areas, especially it’s described as tools to access the knowledge in a meaningful and up-to-date manner.
For a rural dweller, access differs as the only concern could mean to just use technology at peripheral aspects, but for underserved to have access that could be meaningful, it must be knowledge-based in order to translate to economic gains.
Therefore, it is important to align the call by Mrs. Johnson for correcting the imbalances in access to connectivity to realistically close the gap between those who have and have nots, which entails access to electronic files, directories, computers or peripheral devices.
Also, Mrs. Johnson highlighted that redressing the imbalances, would avail the poor and unconnected to be released from the bondage of ICT marginalisation.
“We have also considered the challenges of rolling out the very expensive infrastructure that technology needs, of managing scarce resources to ensure ubiquitous, reasonably priced access,” she said, stressing that more concerted and well thought out efforts must be made to bring the previously unconnected to the Internet, just as aggressive roll out is canvassed.
In addition, Mrs. Johnson pointed out that motivating research in various aspects of human language technology such as speech synthesis, speech recognition, natural language understanding and machine translation for human-human and human-machine communication in none-traditional languages will help close the “last six inches of the last mile.”
Hence, organizations like the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and CTO, should as mattr of urgency formulate key policies to help bring well-placed pressure on the globally popular applications and Internet services with the view of ultimately benefiting the most from the high speed access that citizens want.
Its on this premise that the philosophy of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) in Nigeria must be commended, following revelation by the Secretary, Mallam Abdullahi Maikano on their efforts to encourage rural deployment of ICT infrastructure, moreso services, through incentivized public-private partnership (PPP).
As said by him, USPF is providing subsidy and services in fibre optics across the six geo-political zones. For instance, USPF is expanding fibre optics in some parts of the North-East, South-South, South-West, South-East, and the North-Central, even as none of these operators is getting the same subsidy amount.
This call by Mrs. Johnson, would greatly help to harness relatively untapped resources, badly needed to bridge one of the most basic portions of the digital divide. And with the National Broadband Council now in place, it is hoped that better structured access strategies will be enthroned to make the call by Madam Minister, a realistic homecoming advocacy.
After all, charity must begin at home, therefore, Nigeria will be leading by example for other CTO member nations to follow.


... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Chidinma goes to alter with Victor @ St. Anthony Catholic Chaplaincy, Anwai, Delta & 5th Business Journal Anniversary 2013

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Nigeria: ICT and girl rising initiative

 THE power of technology may not have been over-looked with the premiering of the Girl Rising in Nigeria at the recent celebration of the International Day of the Girl Child in Lagos.
DigitalSENSE Business News gathered that the Nigerian premiere was co-hosted by collaboration between the United Nations Information Centre, Lagos (UNIC), Zonta International Clubs in Nigeria, Kudirat Initiative for Democracy (KIND), and Nigerians Report Online.
The event brought together about 350 girls, boys and young women from primary, secondary and tertiary institutions, members of the press, civil society and representatives of the Deputy Governor, and the Lagos State Commissioner of Education.
Also present were several partners and sponsors of the event including UNIC, Zonta International Clubs in Nigeria, KIND, Nigerians Report Online, Kiddies & Brands Company, and Cool FM.
DigitalSENSE Business News further gathered that the Girl Rising Nigerian premiere was also proudly supported by the British Deputy High Commission in Lagos; Silverbird; MTN Foundation; Educare Trust; Queens College Old Girls Association; Peter Zion Nigeria Ltd; and Rite Foods.
The partnership is part of a global movement to educate girls and empower them to be world changers and to believe in their dreams.
‘Girl Rising’, apart from being a ground-breaking feature, is a movement dedicated to empowering and achieving educational equity for Girls around the world. The film spotlights the stories of nine unforgettable girls born into unforgiving circumstances; the film captures their dreams, their voices and their remarkable lives.
The event brought together members of the Private sector, Government dignitaries and members of  Civil society, to raise global visibility about the importance of educating girls.
In her welcome address, the President of Zonta International Club of Lagos 1, Ms. Shade Bembatoum-Young, restated the commitment of the organizers to empowering the girl child in Nigeria.
“We, the co-hosts of the Nigerian Premiere of Girl Rising, believe in the power of education to change not only a girl, but the world.” she said.
She further stated that the event was not just to celebrate the International Day of The Girl Child, but to focus on the need to break down barriers that limit girls and women. “By hosting an International Day of The Girl Child Event in Lagos, we are demonstrating our commitment to breaking down the barriers that prevent girls around the world from going to school – barriers like child marriage, sex trafficking, gender violence and discrimination.” she added.
The Secretary General of The United Nations, represented by Mr. Oluseyi  Soremekun, Officer-in-Charge, United Nations Information Centre in Lagos, reiterated the commitment of the United Nations system in Nigeria to the promotion of the girl child education in the country. He conveyed the warm wishes of the Resident Coordinator of the UN system in Nigeria, Mr. Daouda Toure on the occasion and noted that the UN, through the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is
collaborating with the government of Nigeria to improve children’s access to education and revitalize Adult and Youth literacy in the country.
The Secretary General also called for fresh solutions to girls’ education challenges and enjoined all to heed the voices of young people. “On this International Day of The Girl Child, let us work together to invest in education so that girls can advance in their personal development and contribute to our common future.” He added.
In her goodwill message, President, Women ARISE for Change Initiative, Dr. Joe Odumakin observed that the future of any nation depends on the girl child. “Parents should know that the girl child is their present as well as their future and therefore should not jeopardize it.” She said.
Intel, a founding partner of ‘Girl Rising’, donated four classmate PC’s to four of the girls who spoke about the issues raised in the film during the interactive session held immediately after the screening.
Intel has also set out a grand design to work with a diverse set of partners including global and local NGOs, corporations and governments to achieve its goal of educating as many girls as possible starting from Africa.
In a related development, the honourable minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson recently in Lagos, declared open the training programme on 1,000 girls for Information and Communication Technology (ICT).
She told DigitalSENSE Business News at Oriental Hotels Lagos, venue of the launch that out of the proposed 1,000 that qualified 200 among the participating girls would be retained as System Administrators by Huawei, the host for the programme.
She also enjoined participants to prove their selection worthy by taking full advantage of the programme, so as to be engaged in the ICT.
This, Johnson equally said would empower the girls to be employers of labour by the end of the programme. Just as she commended Huawei for the bold initiative of training these girls on ICT, so as to enable them contribute to the Nigeria and global economy.
Earlier, official of Huawei West Africa, recalled that they began their regional expansion in 1999 and established its regional headquarters in Lagos, Nigeria, with approximately 1,800 employees, of whom 70 per cent are locally recruited, across 13 countries, including Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, and Togo.
While Huawei customers in the African region include Vodacom (South Africa), Telkom (South Africa), MTN (South Africa), Neotel (South Africa), Cell C (South Africa), Unitel (Angola), Movicel (Angola), MSTelcom (Angola), Angola Telecom (Angola), Safaricom (Kenya), Orange/Telkom Kenya (Kenya), Essar, CCK and Kenyan government.
In addition, Huawei has customers in the sub-region, comprising Starcomms (Benin), Etisalat (Burkina Faso), Camtel (Cameroon), MTN Cameroon (Cameroon), Etisalat (Central African Republic), MTN Cote d’Ivoire (Cote d’Ivoire), Etisalat (Cote d’Ivoire), Airtel (India), MTN Ghana (Ghana), Lonestar Cell (Liberia), MTN Nigeria (Nigeria), Glo Mobile (Nigeria), Starcomms (Nigeria), Multi-Links (Nigeria).
In 2010, Huawei disclosed it successfully deployed the National Broadband Network in Cameroon.
Whereas DigitalSENSE Business News notes in Lagos, Nigeria that Huawei set up one of its three global network operations centers (GNOCs), which began operations in 2012; the other GNOCs are located in India and Romania.
The Minister was later taken on a guided tour of Huawei office in Victoria Island as well as mini exhibition.
Above all, these efforts geared at empowering girls in Nigeria deserve commendation, even if nothing else, with the belief in the saying that when you train a girl, you train a nation.


... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

‘Open Source’ mama, Nnenna leads WWW Foundation in Africa

 Overtly known as mama ‘Open Source’ Ms Nnenna Nwakanma seemed set to expand the World Wide Web Foundation’s reach across Africa made up of 54 countries, mostly with her new position at the Africa Regional Coordinator, writes REMMY NWEKE.



From Friday, November 1, Nnenna Nwakanma commenced work with the World Wide Web Foundation’s growing international network as Africa Regional Coordinator for the organization.
Reputed as an experienced technology and development professional, Nnenna, according to information available to ITRealms, would be based in Abidjan, Cote d’Ivoire.
Nnenna, ITRealms reports will work to develop cutting-edge collaborations which will advance the aims and reach of the Web Foundation’s work across Africa, including the Alliance for Affordable Internet project and the Web We Want campaign for human rights on and through the Web.  ITRealms recalls that Nnenna is an experienced development professional has worked in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) field on the continent over a decade.
“As well as leading a highly-regarded consultancy platform, Nnenna has in recent years co-founded The Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa, and served as a board member of the Open Source Initiative,” official statement from the foundation revealed.
She had worked closely with a range of civil society organisations, including  the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Digital Solidarity Fund (DSF) and has worked on the United Nation (UN) Africa Information Society Initiative.
Just penultimate week, she was invited to speak to over 2,000 participants from 111 countries at the opening ceremonies of the Internet Governance Forum in Bali on behalf of civil society.
 Confirming this appointment, the chief executive officer (CEO), World Wide Web Foundation, Ms Anne Jellema, noted that securing someone with Nnenna’s background and talent is a real coup for her foundation.
“Nnenna will play a vital role in helping us to achieve our vision: an open Web which is a global public good and a basic right. We are delighted to welcome Nnenna onboard,” she said.
Reacting, Nnenna told ITRealms that the growing digital divide is a global issue that could only be tackled collaboratively.
“An open Web that is available, usable and valuable for everyone is crucial for Africa’s future. I look forward to working with the team at the World Wide Web Foundation to make affordable and open internet access a reality for all,” she said.
ITRealms recollects that Nnenna has lived in five different African countries, speaks English and French, as well as three other African languages.
ITRealms recalls that Nnenna Nwakanma is an Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FLOSS) activist, community organizer, development adviser and development consultant originally from Nigeria in Africa.
She is the co-founder of the Free Software and Open Source Foundation for Africa (FOSSFA) which she also co-chairs. Nnenna was elected as a board member of the Open Source Initiative in April 2007. She also co-founded the Africa Network of Information Society Actors, and the African Civil Society for the Information Society, which she serves on.
 She is also a Vice President of the Digital Solidarity Fund (DSF) and previously, served as the Information Officer for Africa of the Helen Keller Foundation.
Nnenna also has spoken at numerous conferences on Open Source and Free Software and other topics including O’Reilly’s OSCON, the Free and Open Source Developers European Meeting (FOSDEM)  and Yale University’s Access to Knowledge Conference, the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT, the Open World Forum and the Internet Governance Forum.
In the framework of her Consultancy platform Nnenna.org, she offers development advisory and consultancy services to governments, development organisations, donors, non-governmental agencies and business.
Fluent in English, French and a handful of African languages, based in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, having lived in at least 5 different African countries, she normally introduces herself as ‘African’.
As for the WWW Foundation established in 2009 by web inventor, Sir Tim Berners-Lee, to tackle the fundamental obstacles to realizing his vision of an open web available, usable, and valuable for everyone.
Berners-Lee had opined that the web is the most powerful tool for communication in the history of humanity, creating the potential for all people to participate in building a more peaceful and equitable world.

WWW Founder had lamented that only a small minority of people mainly in urban, male, and affluent – are part of the Web’s global conversation. Adding that despite the recent surge in mobile internet access, nearly two-thirds of the world’s people mostly in the developing world are still not connected at all. And once connected, what people are able to do on and with the Web is increasingly threatened by government controls, as well as by certain commercial practices.
As said by him, WWWF seeks to establish the open web as a global public good and a basic right, ensuring that everyone can access and use it freely. The foundation which is unendowed relies on charitable donations and partnerships to carry out its work. Thus, a registered charity in Switzerland and the USA, we have offices in Washington DC, Geneva, and Cape Town.
“Our success will be measured by how well we foster the creativity of our children. Whether future scientists have the tools to cure diseases. Whether people, in developed and developing economies alike, can distinguish reliable information from propaganda or commercial chaff. Whether the next generation will build systems that support democracy and promote accountable debate. I hope that you will join this global effort to advance the Web to empower people,” says Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web and Founder , World Wide Web Foundation.
As part of efforts at continued this launched in 2013 by the Web Foundation, the Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI) which is a global coalition of more than 35 members committed to driving down the cost of internet access in less developed countries. A4AI focuses on creating the conditions for open, efficient and competitive broadband markets via policy and regulatory reform.



... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Evening gowns for your next black-tie event

 IT’S bound to happen. One day you’ll be invited to a black-tie event and feel like you have nothing to wear. As a plus-size woman, this always seems to be the case, doesn’t it? We feel like we don’t have many fashion options. I’m here to tell you that’s not true. We have a pretty good selection of plus-size evening gowns out there!
Whether you want to buy or rent, you should invest your hard earned cash in a gown that works for you. Yes, I said rent! Rent the Runway now carries plus sizes. This is a great option for you to wear that designer gown without having to pay the hefty price tag. Or you can purchase one and wear it out to your heart’s content. It’s up to you!
I created a gallery below of few of my favorite plus-size evening gowns. Do you love lace and sequins, or are you a simply chic kind of fashionista? From elegantly understated to dramatically luxe, there’s a dress for everyone. I warn you, you just might fall in love.





... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Imminent Collapse of Nigeria’s Education System

Despite my fascination with people and the things that go through their minds, I was more occupied with important questions of growth and advancements; about infrastructural development, and education; of functioning airports and working educational systems. Why couldn’t the Frankfurt airport exist in Nigeria, and why does the education sector have to remain in such state of chaos? In fact, both the Nigerian education and aviation sectors have been in crisis for the longest time. One key challenge of both sectors is the level of unpredictability they bodeto clients. The transaction cost associated with my purchase of three airline tickets for one trip does not compare with the physical cost of an air crash that happened barely a week prior to my trip, involving young lives and the remains of a previous state governor. Howbeit, it was unanticipated cost and wastage of life that often passes with the disdain of those whose responsibility it is to manage and maintain the sectors. A client knows their destination, but is completely unsure how, when or if they will ever get there – the unpredictability of the Nigerian aviation space.
Similarly, in the education sector, higher educational institutions have been on a three-month strike with no imminent signs of resolution. It is as if the battle lines have been drawn between two large proverbial elephants – the government and the academic staff unions – but the grass – young students with tomorrow’s hopes in today’s systems – continue to suffer as their future is toyed with. A Nigerian student knows when school starts but cannot predict the end of the process. These levels of unpredictability make it increasingly difficult for Nigerian Diasporas seeking to return to the country, to do so. I am particularly troubled when I think about the kind of schools my kids will attend or the airlines they’d fly as they hop from one part of the country to the other. It is unthinkable that a monstrous country with its over 150 million population is unable to solve the basic challenges of travel and education – key and important industries for functioning in the 21st century.
Where simple and basic life endeavors such as traveling or planning for school cannot be ascertained with a degree of finality or predictability; there exists no grounds where more advanced discussions of efficiencies, quality, or sustainability can be discussed within those sectors. This puts Nigeria far behind countries such as the UK, US, Canada and France with which it should compare its advancements. It is clear that these are not questions of the lack of expertise – Nigerian in Disapora who would return under the right environment run large industries, are in politics, and form large bodies of academics in western institutions. Rather broader issues of corrupt practices, executed with impunity, and specific lack of customer service, quality and efficiencies, plague these sectors. The future of Nigeria as we know it is in jeopardy.
According to the National Universities Commission, the country’s regulator for higher education, there are 40 universities in Nigeria, although there are more than a hundred.  The number of students in Nigerian universities is not so easily available as real data in African largest country remains an increasingly difficult feat to acquire. Yet, the country is infamous for sending its students abroad necessitating a recent house proposal to pass a bill banning government officials from sending their children to schools outside the country. That bill is expected to arm-twist government into solving the persistently disturbing higher education problems.
Nigerian students who make it into European, North American and neighboring African universities spend over $500 million on tuition annually; excluding associated ancillary and other logistic costs.  These figures are increasing. Amounts that could be plugged back into the education system and perhaps decry some of the agitations that the Academic staff union seeks. The inabilities of the Federal government to address these demands puts it in stark violations of global rights of the child and principles of human rights, values to which the country, as with other developed ones adhere. Legislations such as the proposed bill may be compelling but it is the core management of the education sector that requires more attention.
Nigeria boasts sufficient human resources that can offer service to itself, the Africancontinent and the rest of the world, yet quality service is a far cry from standards experienced in North America or Europe some half a century ago, or presently in neighboring African countries. When the national universities commission, the higher education regulator responsible for defining standards benchmarks its popularity and quality against demands from much smaller African countries such as Sierra Leone and Cameroun, it has failed in innovating higher quality criteria and standards for measuring its own success. Similar low quality benchmarks or buck passing exists in the aviation industry when the minister called the recent airline crash an “act of God”. The same crisis is looming in the Nigerian education landscape and total collapse is imminent with the appointment of education managers into ministerial positions that know little to nothing about the sector.
The recent appointment of an interim minister of education with little or no knowledge of educational administration or management is akin to a bus driver armed with a scalpel in an operating theatre. Evidently, the persistent unresolved strike signals an overwhelmed context for a misplaced ministerial appointment. The disputes resulting from defaulting agreements entered by the federal government and the academic staff union are monetary, of which there is no lack in government coffers. The long-term impact of the disputes disrupts the educational quality of graduates who themselves will run the country in the next two decade. The power tussle between the government and higher education is no longer news, neither is it exciting. As far as I can remember, my academic program more than a decade ago lasted one year than planned; and in recent times, the unpredictable years of higher education increases incessantly. Yet students are required to meet industry requirements for which they have been ill prepared. Strikes in the Nigerian education landscape cause more ill than good, and should be completely eradicated.
In a country where curriculum is sacrosanct, much like the constitution of the United States, the content of courses remain the same and not much different from those thought my fathers in the colonial era. The private sector has stepped in to fill the gap of professionally developing new entrants to the work force through apprenticeship modelswithhit and miss results. The cost of developing a professional workforce continues to increase for industry where schools should have played a more active role.
Academic inflation – the situation where a first-degree holder takes the job of a high school student emerges; creating a workforce that is very less critical, less cognitive, less independent, and very much reliant on hands-on management, supervisory approaches, and the “oga-sir” syndrome. As it continues to export students to the international market (owing to no clear government strategy on internationalization of education), the quality of those hired in local and multinational organizations increasingly becomes questionable. The fortunate few employed are recognized through their foreign credentials over those schooled locally. Nigeria becomes a country waiting to implode in a world where education is intrinsic to national development, constantly evolving and being redefined to suit industry, changing government/governance paradigms, and society.
Clearly, the education landscape, as with the aviation industry can change. First,is the need to appoint managers, as minister and their advisers that understand educational administration and management. It is about time that the education ministry is run by those for whom education policies affect. Education is a critical sector much like health and aviation. A bill is required that tethers the management of education and aviation to seasoned and knowledgeable persons in the area much like the ministry of health. A non-seasoned educator should not be allowed to run the education ministry, if a non-seasoned physician or specialist cannot run the health ministry.
Secondly, an overhaul of the education sector is required. Transparency and accountability plays an important role in this call. The need for clear instruments of measure of success must be defined. Equally needed are accountability mechanisms in which states report their educational progress to the federal governments and in which local civil society organizations can monitor federal and state allocations for education. Nigeria can no longer afford to fall in the cadre of African countries where education lacks transparency. Transparency and accountability in this sector should cut across the primary, secondary and tertiary tiers. Over 10 million children out of school put the country in gross violations of the rights of child;  news not fit for consumption in the 21st century.
Thirdly, strikes should be made a thing of the past. Industrial action is necessary if both parties fail to agree. But arbitration and negotiation mechanisms should be put in place that obsoletes strike actions especially in the education sector. Clearly, the current arbitration mechanisms have failed and an education minister that wants to leave a legacy, any legacy for Nigeria would address the development of a new mechanism for arbitration that is locally developed and conscientious of the parties involved, and that seeks resolutions before such actions occur.
As I sit at the airport in Frankfurt and Chicago enroute to my base in Canada, thinking about the Nigerian educational and aviation landscape I would like to bring my children, I see similarities in both sectors. I am drawn to the quality, efficiencies, sense of responsibility, and order that takes place at these airports. Yet I wonder why they cannot happen in a country as dynamic and prospective as Nigeria. There is no reason for education and aviation to fail in Africa’s most populous nation.

*Ben Akoh is a Program Director of Continuing Education, Extended Education at the University of Manitoba, Canada.
*me@benakoh.com

THE trip from Lagos to Winnipeg via Frankfurt and Chicago was nothing too extraordinary. As with most travelers, my mind was on fire. If electromagnetic rays that emanate from thinking heads could be captured and analyzed, they’d show the excitement of particles bumping into each other generating large amounts of heat like those experiments conducted by CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research. I am reminded of those TV ads with speech bubbles showing people’s thoughts as they navigate large public spaces. Thoughts about going on vacation, the joys of retuning home, the anticipation of forging new frontiers, breaking grounds or engaging in new business ventures, or the opposing thoughts of failed business. Airports are rife with high-energy thoughts which when harnessed could at least power a light bulb. At least, but those are the stuff of science.

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Intrigues of NCAA security vehicles

 FOR many followers of the nation’s aviation industry, the issue of security vehicles recently purchased by the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, which is the statutory regulator of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Industry, may not have agreed with the agency 100 per cent on the errors and manipulations that occurred over claims of budgeted and non-budgeting of the N255 million armoured cars, which also got her a query from the Presidency.
Though, the then embattled Minister of Aviation, Princess Stella Oduah, had supports as well as criticism trialing her ministry’s approval for NCAA. But in her defence at the National Assembly on the purchase of armoured cars, stated her own part of the story.
In her response, the minister insisted that procurement of the cars followed due process and was provided for in the NCAA 2013 budget.
However, DigitalSENSE Autos, here brings the written defence in part which was addressed to Mr. President:
An executive summary on the Procurement of NCAA Operational Vehicles, Princess Odua stated:
“The Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, is the statutory regulator of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Industry.
Consequently, the NCAA is charged with oversight responsibilities over all civil aviation operations in the country, including safety, security and strict compliance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices, SARPs, and Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations, NCARs.
2. Towards the effective implementation of its statutory regulatory responsibilities, therefore, it is imperative that the NCAA is fully equipped with highly specialised tools and facilities, including adequate operational vehicles to cover all 22 national airports and over 400 airstrips. In keeping with standard practice, provision is therefore made annually for the replacement of obsolete, inadequate and unreliable monitoring equipment.
3. In the 2013 budgetary appropriation, provision was made for the procurement of specialised equipment (including operational vehicles) to complement and in some cases replace obsolete ones.
Furthermore, the fact that NCAA, as the regulator of the industry, often plays host to dignitaries from ICAO, IATA, US FAA, AFRAA, AFCAC BAGASO, CANSO, ACI and a host of others makes it necessary to have specialised operational vehicles.
4. With regard to the procurement of additional operational vehicles (including BMW Security Vehicles), the following due process was observed:
(I) By letter dated April 15, 2013, NCAA officially requested authorisation from the Federal Ministry of Aviation to procure 56 operational vehicles through lease financing. This option was proposed to the ministry to enable the NCAA make 36 monthly payments based on receipts from Internally Generated Revenue, IGR.

Approval
The Ministry therefore granted due approval.
(ii)Based on the ministry’s approval, the NCAA invited Expressions of Interest from all Banks in Nigeria for the financing of the said vehicles. EOI was adopted because the procurement is two sided. First, the financier would have to be selected before the supplier is determined. This is in line with procurement best practices.
(iii) On May 24, 2013, the response received from the various banks to the Expression of Interest, EOI, request was opened publicly and minutes of the opening exercise was duly documented. During the EOI opening exercise, NCAA got commendation from one of the Civil Society Organisations, CSOs, approved by BPP who were invited for the opening exercise.
(iv)  The evaluation of the expression of interests was held on May 31, 2013 during which First Bank Plc, Union Bank Plc and Stanbic IBTC emerged most responsive. On the June 10, 2013 the above three banks were invited to submit Financial Proposals. Thereafter, First Bank emerged the highest rated responsive bidder.
(v)Between June 20 and 25, 2013, invoices were received from various accredited motor vehicle dealers during which only Coscharis Motors Limited quoted for BMW Security Vehicles.
Tenders Board
(vi) On June 28, 2013, NCAA Parastatal Tenders Board approved the selection of First Bank Ltd for the Lease Financing as well as Metropolitan Motor Vehicles and Coscharis for the supply of the vehicles.  All  necessary approvals  were duly  sought  and  obtained accordingly.
(vii) Between  July 8, 2013 to August, 12, 2013 various meetings were held with First Bank Ltd, contract agreement was signed and necessary documentation executed.
Your Excellency is respectfully invited to note:
(i) The crucial statutory role of the NCAA in regulating civil aviation operations in the country, including safety, security and strict compliance with ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) and Nigerian Civil Aviation Regulations (NCARs).
(ii) The need for NCAA to be fully equipped with highly specialized tools and facilities (including operational vehicles) to enable the effective implementation of its statutory functions.
(iii) The procurement of specialized operational vehicles is duly provided for in the NCAA 2p 13 (IGR) Budget and the need for adopting instalmental lease payments over36rionths.
(iii) That Due Process was followed in the procurement of the said operational vehicles.
Please your Excellency my continued loyally and esteemed regards.
Princess Stella Adaeze Oduah, OON, Honourable Minister.

*Ayo Omidele (with additional report from Vanguard)


... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

Land Rover 2: Machine with Emergency Brake Assistant

 THE Land Rover LR2 has an Emergency Brake Assist (EBA) system which detects emergency, instructing the electronic brake actuator to boost hydraulic pressure in order to help improve driver’s stopping distance.
Among other interesting features of the LR2 is its six-speed automatic transmission, with Command Shift for automatic transmission, allowing the driver to make manual sequential changes.
And its Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) prevent the wheels from locking up while under heavy braking and on slippery surfaces, giving the driver a chance to maintain control of the vehicle.
Its 2.0 litre engine provides state-of-the-art turbocharged efficiency with the refinement and performance.
With the permanent intelligent all-wheel drive of the LR2, the vehicle gives a better on-road fuel economy by adapting continuously and instantaneously to the conditions, with the electronic center coupling centered at LR’s intelligent four-wheel drive system.
While no technology can remove the need for safe driving practice, the Roll Stability Control (RSC) system can help the driver to maintain vehicle control and balance. If the system senses that the vehicle is approaching a tipping point, it will reduce engine power and use the ABS to increase the turn radius to help reduce the likelihood of roll-over.
Some of the key interior features include:
*Remote steering wheel controls for audio system
*Sun visors with illuminated vanity mirrors
*Cubby Box with sliding cover
*Driver Instrument Panel & Cluster
*Sun Visors - Driver and Front Passenger
*Seat belts - Front Pre-Tensioners with Load Limiters
*Map pockets rear of front seats
*Carpet mats, front and rear
*New instrument cluster graphics
*Analog Clock in Center Console
*Four cup-holders and four bottle holders
*Door inserts to match seats
*Leather Steering Wheel (with steering wheel controls)


... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

ICT: Nigeria’s success stories according to Johnson

 A federal government delegation was at the just concluded ITU-organised Telecom World in Bangkok, Thailand. The Communication Technology Minister, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, used the opportunity to share some of the Nigeria’s success stories in Information, Communication and Technologies (ICT), reports REMMY NWEKE.

NIGERIA has been described as the preferred investment location in Africa by the honourable Minister of Communications Technology and supervising minister for Science and Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, saying that Nigeria has lots of success stories within the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to further attract Foreign Direct Investment (FDI).
Speaking at the just concluded International Telecommunication Union (ITU) organized World Forum in Bangkok, on ‘Spotlight on Nigeria’s Investment Opportunities and Success Stories’ Mrs. Johnson said that Nigeria is very attractive ICT industry.
“The telecommunications sector is the fastest growing of the Nigerian economy and is the fourth largest contributor to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP),” she declared, noting that Nigeria’s sub-sectors are driving growth through infrastructure services, integrated services, end-user devices, and e-commerce.
According to her, on infrastructure, the Federal Government of Nigeria’s policy focus and priority is to accelerate roll-out of robust, reliable, and cost effective ICT infrastructure to increase citizens’ access to ICTs.
Market Indicators, she said, have shown that four undersea fibre-optic cables with combined design capacity of approx 10 Tera bytes per second (TBps) worth some 100,000 kilometres (km) of terrestrial fibre-optic cable, couple with about 20,000 base transceiver stations and boast of about 52 million Internet users, which penetration stood at 33 per cent.
Mrs. Johnson also noted that Nigeria has existing broadband penetration of 6 per cent, while opportunities exist for entities active in deployment of terrestrial fibre-optic networks made up of fibre over power-line; deployment of wireless broadband infrastructure; and satellite networks in particular those providing connectivity to rural areas.
Specifically on infrastructure, Mrs. Johnson said that MainOne Cable Company Nigeria Limited is a success story, pointing out that it was founded in 2008 to develop first open access, private submarine cable in West Africa and owned 100 per cent by African institutions with Nigeria having 78 per cent interest.
The entrance of MainOne, she said, as a leading provider of wholesale Internet services in West Africa brought about crashed price of wholesale Internet by over 80 per cent on market entry, whereas the initial group capitalization of stood at $240 million, that is $120 million in equity as well as $120 million in debt from African Development Bank, DEG, First of Nigeria Plc (FBN) and Skye Bank and was later refinanced by Nigerian banks.
Another Nigeria’s success story, she named was ipNX which began operations in 2001 with head office in Lagos, branch offices in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Ibadan and Kano as well as corporate international branch office in United Kingdom.
ipNX, she said, owns and manages one of the largest Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX) networks in Nigeria launched in 2007, attained 20,000 subscribers by 2010, even as the company is currently building a fibre to the home (FTTH) network infrastructure in Nigeria’s biggest cities of Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt. FTTH network, she said, was launched in 2012 is expected to pass over 50,000 homes by December 2013 with a plan to reach two million homes in Nigeria by 2017.
Mrs. Johnson told participants at Bangkok that increasing adoption of ICT tools by the population and increasing local participation in relevant sub-sectors of the ICT industry. Maintaining that market indicators showed that consumer spending in 2010 was US$115bn; projected to increase to US$167bn by 2020, while personal computer (PC) penetration stood at 4.5 per cent with four PC assembly plants in country; producing an average total of 130,000 units. Of all PCs sold in Nigeria in 2011, 30 per cent were assembled and manufactured in the country.
She decried the fact that all mobile phones used in Nigeria are imported, which Mrs. Johnson sees as an opportunity actively in assembling and manufacturing of personal computers, laptops and mobile devices such as tablets, phones to name a few.
On the after-sales support, mostly for digital service centre, the Minister cited an instance with the success story of Otigba Computer Village in Ikeja-Lagos, which is the highest cluster of ICT traders in West Africa with its organic growth, even as the estimated sales revenue currently stood at $30m per month largely on hardware sales comprising new, refurbished and used devices - desktops, servers, laptops, tablets, phones, peripherals.
She pointed out that the sales of mobile devices are on the increase with current estimation to cater for between 60 and 70 per cent of sales. Although sales are mainly of imported hardware with significant opportunity for local Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to create channels at Otigba Computer Village.
On electronic commerce in Nigeria, Mrs. Johnson said there are wholesale and retail trade sector which accounted for 20 per cent of GDP in 2012; making it the second largest contributor to GDP after agriculture. However, she told participants that retail occurs in predominantly informal, fragmented market places.
“There are a few malls and fewer established nation-wide retail chains,” she declared, stressing that the demographic characteristics of demand cut across the young population which an average of 50 per cent of the adult population under the age of 33 years.
Low and formal salary levels mask the informal and other sources of income amounting to about 43 per cent of adult population earn incomes in the range of N18,000 to N70,000.
Nevertheless, she pointed out that increasing middle class plus increasing levels of disposable income in addition to increasing levels of aspiration spur growth of e-commerce. She underscored the fact that high usage of mobile phones, particularly for social purposes, increases opportunities in “culture” markets – such as music, books and films - that are shaped by social influences.
Yet, another Nigeria’s success story by Mrs. Johnson was the iROKOtv launched in 2011 as a venture in response to perceived lack of easy access to “Nollywood” content in the United Kingdom. iROKOtv initially negotiated directly with and purchased movie rights from Nigerian film producers Initially streamed for free through dedicated YouTube channel “Nollywoodlove” with the aim of attracting the attention of Nigerians in diaspora.
Advertising revenues, she revealed made iROKOtv venture profitable in two months, whereas it subsequently attracted $8m in investment from US-based VC fund Tiger Global and $2m from Sweden-based hedge fund Kinnevik in 2012.
iROKOtv, she said, currently operates a ‘freemium’ business model with about 95 per cent of customers access content for free, while remainder access the site through a subscription service called iROKOtv Plus.
“This service gives subscribers access to brand new Nollywood movies from 2012 onwards for $5 per month,” she disclosed, adding that the company has negotiated content distribution deals with YouTube, DailyMotion, iTunes, Amazon and Vimeo. iROKOtv opened offices in London and in New York in 2012 as well as in Johannesburg offices opened in 2013. In addition to the company partnering with leading technology firms including Nokia, which paved the way for the launch of iROKOtv app on the Nokia Lumia in January 2013.
Government’s role:
Government’s role in supporting the fledgling venture capital, she said, is to enable environment for innovation and ideation just as government seeded ICT focused venture capital (VC) fund to support first round of funding, thus paving the way for larger venture capital investments in the most promising companies.
Nigeria, the gateway to ECOWAS:
She maintained that Nigeria is the gateway to the regional West African market linking the 15 West African countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) with a 300 million population. Pointing out that Nigeria accounts for 47 per cent of the ECOWAS GDP, and 50 per cent of the region’s manufacturing capacity.


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In defence of other sports: Why football only?

NO doubt, football is a popular sport. It is so popular that it has completely relegated other sports to the background. The craze and enthusiasm which football enjoys oftentimes raises the   question about the future of other sports.
Much as it cannot be contested that football is a highly intriguing, spectacular, lavishly entertaining and sight-friendly game, yet it does not suffice for us to pamper the round-leather game to the utter detriment of other sporting activities such as athletics, basketball, boxing, weightlifting, to mention just a few. Notwithstanding human gifts, talents, abilities and natural endowment in all spheres of professional calling varies.
It is taken that every individual is blessed with one in-born gift or the other by the benevolence of our creator. This means that every living human has a gift deposited in him or her to exhibit for personal cum global human benefit and to the glory of Almighty God. As human beings abound, so do talents and gifts differ even in sports. Therefore, there is no way everybody could have been a footballer; just as it is impossible for all sport lovers to be football fanatics. There are numerous youths in the country with latent talents in basketball, boxing, athletics, the martial arts, volleyball wrestling and other sporting endeavours  which are begging for discovery and exposure into national and international competitions through which they would bring ultimate glory to their father land.
At this juncture, the question arises about the place of the aforementioned sports which are usually derogatorily referred to as “lesser sports” by overzealous football enthusiasts who, incidentally, form the decisive majority anywhere that sports matters are being discussed in committees, circles and organisations.
Going down memory lane, boxing was the first to bring fame and glory to the country. Yes, the exploits of legendary pugilists such as Dick Tiger, Nojeem Mayegun, Isaac Ikhuoria, Peter Konyegwachie, Hogan Jimoh and Jeremiah Okorodudu readily come to mind in this instance as champions who spear-headed the country’s superlative dominance on the African continent. Professional successes were recorded by greatslike the late Hogan ‘Kid’ Bassey who ruled the world in his weight class in his hey days. Another Nigerian boxer who left an indelible mark in the world of professional boxing was Dick Tiger.
In the recent past other Nigerian pugilists have done the country proud. Obisia Nwankpa, Jeremiah Okorodudu, Joe Lasisi, Bashiru Ali, Segun Ajose and very recently Samuel Okon Peter have all proven their mettle in the boxing rings.
Also in tennis, time was, when Nigeria was the cynosure of all eyes; not only in Africa but on the global circuit. Those were the days of Nduka The Duke Odizor who took Wimbledon by storm from relative obscurity. He qualified for the All-England Tennis tournament through a wild card and surprisingly served and smashed his way all up to the quarter-finals stage of the competition as an unknown entity in the world of tennis.
Odizor’s feat, according to the late Sports journalist, Ayo Ositelu, did a lot to place the global spotlight on Nigeria. “I remember when he won the match that got him the quarter-final berth, journalists from all over the globe started asking about him. They wanted to know who he is, what he eats, how he trains, who his coach is and so on… all Nigerians who were there became celebrities over night;’’ the maverick sport writer of blessed memory wrote.
So much was the exuberant display of our athletes that even prominent nations known for athletics like the United State of America, Jamaica, Canada and the United Kingdom shuddered at the site of Nigerian sprinters. On the African continent, it was like there was something about the Nigerian genealogy that depicted prowess on the track and field events. Nigerian sprinters, quarter-milers, shot put throwers, high jumpers and long jumpers were like untouchable giants across the continent. It was total domination. Thanks to the likes of Chidi Imoh, Olapade Adenekan, Davidson &  Ezinwa, Rotimi Peters, Moses Ugbusien, Innocent Egbunike, Sunday Uti, Kayode Olufemi, Sunday Bada and Yusuf Alli in the male category. African queen of the track for so long, Mary Onyali-Omagbemi, Beatrice Utondo-Okoye, Charity Opara Thomson, Faith Idehen, Falilat Ogunkoya and Chioma Ajunwa all held sway in the female category.
Even in other sports like weightlifting, wrestling (freestyle and Greco-roman), hockey (Tunde Popoola and Patrick Ukah), table tennis (Atanda Musa, Segun Toriola ),  taekwondo (Chika Chukwumerije) the country produced history makers in their respective areas
The most recent honour to Nigeria in the sports arena is the feat achieved in athletics by Blessing Okagbare who gave us a shining silver medal in long jump in a global athletic tournament that is equivalent in organisation to football World Cup. This remarkable success was only celebrated by the media with little or no meaning to the average Nigerian. Imagine one of our national football teams at any level winning silver in a global tourney. Alas! All roads would have been closed in tremendous jubilation. When Nigerian athletes clinch even gold at international meets, it’s no news but when the nation’s First Eleven fail to cross the quarter- final hurdle, the world goes blank. Even the beer and pepper soup seller will feel the griming mourning in the air.  That is how much we have allowed football to swallow the other sports erroneously regarded as ‘lesser’
 Why is this so? Are we becoming a monosport nation like Brazil and Argentina? Meanwhile, we seem to be losing sight of the fact that we even stand better comparative advantage in athletics than we do in football when it comes to continental and intercontinental competitions. Fellow African countries like Ethiopia and Kenya do play football too but they do not worship the round -leather game to the detriment of athletics. Certainly, these countries ensure that sizable amount of money that will enhance success in other sports, particularly athletics, is voted for such sports even as football administration is also taken care of. In Nigeria, however, we seem to pretend that other sports are nonexistent.
There are football academies spread all over the country. Yes, this is good for grooming of future professionals in the game but where are the equivalent training institutes for training the hopeful in other sports? No wonder one highly placed government functionary in Nigeria once declared at the state reception held in honour of the Atlanta 96 Olympics football gold - winning team led by legendary Kanu Nwankwo that “football gold medal is the mother of all gold medals.” This explains why other sports suffer neglect and are meted with underdog treatment by those in positions of authority.
And now, who can still say that football is not king of sport as Nigeria again is on its way to Brazil, having crushed Ethiopia both home and away to join revered league of football nations for the prestigious World Cup tournament coming up in the Samba country next year? As we explore this piece to wish the Super Eagles safe journey to Brazil and a glorious return from the tourney, we still ask: Why football only?

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Major Service Providers now connected to eXchange Point - Rudman

The chief Executive officer IXPN Mr. Muhammed Rudman spoke to DigitalSENSE Remmy Nweke and shared some achievement of the eXchange Point . Excerpts:

Tell us about IXPN?
INTERNET Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN) is a company limited by guaranty which means that it is not-for-profit organization and we are also a membership base organization where members that are connected to the exchange are majorly our constituency, our stakeholders.
IXPN actually is a company that provide interconnectivity services to various ISPs, telcos, higher education’s institutions and other Internet Protocol (IP) centric organizations, so that they can exchange traffic between themselves, locally without passing that same traffic internationally.

Between the time IXPN was setup and now what will you say has been the key achievement?
The key achievement is that we have right now all the major service providers in Lagos especially connected all the telcos; all the GSM operators that are connected, majority of the ISPs are also connected. Some of the higher educational institutions and the academia are also connected. So, that is a reasonable achievement and also that is one aspect of it.
Our traffic at the eXchange Point has significantly grown from the level we started, which is about almost zero traffic to right now, about reaching almost 3GB of traffic. We have been reducing a lot IXPs and telcos bandwidth cost and at the same time at the eXchange Point we have installed critical infrastructure for the internet, like the F-route servers for the Domain Name System (DNS) are located locally at the eXchange Point.
We also have the .NG ccTLD – Country Code Top Level Domain - registry and the DNS primary servers are also connected at the eXchange Point. Locally IXPN has implemented as a onetime server for the public, which can be reached to from .NG which is also locally.
So, these are all major significant achievements. We have also succeeded in establishing branches in Port Harcourt and Abuja and we are heading towards Kano, Enugu and other parts of the country.

When you say you are heading towards Kano, Enugu and other parts of the country can you give us an idea of what the level is like in terms of when it could be realized?
Yes, possibly before the middle of next year. We are actually looking at before the end of this year those branches will have been functional by now, if not for the challenges we had.

That is Kano and Enugu?
Yes, Kano and Enugu; the major challenge we had was the fibre interconnectivity. Had it been we have fibre interconnectivity between the sites they could have been ready by now. But we hope that since we are part of the National Broadband Council that by next year we will have the interconnectivity in the various sites and also establishment of the additional branches.

Where did you see us going with what we have, because from your own narration we have made some progress, but moving forward?
Ok, moving forward, in the near future the eXchange Point is going to be very critical aspect of the national infrastructure; where we have all the various branches existing and functioning properly, which means that regional traffic within Nigeria, will remain within that region. ISPs and telcos can use us as fill-over point where they can swap capacity within themselves.

Fill over?
Yes. And also, the schools can use us, because right now we have the NREN - National Research and Educational Network project by NUC – National University Commission, Ministry of Education to interconnect some Federal Universities, but with the establishment of the eXchange Point means is very possible to have other Schools that are not Federal University also connected to the National Research and Educational Network because part of the less of the National Research and Educational Network will be connected to the eXchange Point in the various location that they exist, which means that colleges of education you know Polytechnics research institutions can now connect to the eXchange Point in those various locations and they can now have access to the National Research and Educational Network as well as the private universities and State Universities as well.

Within the National Network on research how many Schools do we have connected?
Now, I think the first phase in the project is about 27 Federal Universities. They have a second phase where they will connect the rest of the schools, but I don’t think in their programme they have any place that they are going to connect private Institutions and State Universities and that is where we come in, because they are connected to the exchange point and the other schools are connected to the eXchange Point it means that they can share and collaborate between themselves for the education purposes.

Especially in eLearning?
Yes, that’s what I am saying in eLearning, they are sharing anything for education purposes.

Congratulations for being part of the National Broadband Council.
Thank you.

The Broadband Council is to implement the broadband plan, and then what are you looking upto in terms of the council achieving?
The council is trying to achieve the goals and plans that were drafted. It’s a well articulated plan and we intend to make sure that is well implemented. So, we are there to make sure that its properly done. So, if you want to know what we intend to achieve; you go back to the broadband plan, you will see all the targets and within the period of the span of the few years to come what we intend to do. We are seriously looking into that to make sure that it happens.

What did you think of access now in Nigeria especially on the internet access?
We still have challenge. It still a problem in such a way that we have access majorly in cities they are still underserved areas and unserved areas in Nigeria. They are people who want access, they have access, but in some places they have limited access and they are some places they don’t have our access at all, that is zero access. But you know this is where the broadband council comes in and they are really seriously pushing to make sure that all the underserved and unserved areas have internet access at least before 2018.

You talked about extending your services to Kano, what of the one in Enugu?
Very soon, as well. Honestly, Enugu is going to come first and then followed by Kano. We want to make sure that at least we covered the six geo-political zones in the country and the whole essence is to localize traffic within those regions at the same time make it more resilient. The internet will become more resilient so that we have critical centers in each of the geo-political zones.

So, how are you battling with power and some other challenges, given our environment here?
Is true! It’s a very tough environment for business, but at the same time we are always collaborating with other operators, especially career neutral operators to make sure that we established the facilities together. In Abuja, for instance, we are working with Medallion Communications, of which they are interconnect; an interconnect clearing house for voice. So, that we can share the cost. We are co-locating with them in Abuja.
In Port Harcourt, we are also working with a carrier neutral facility, a company call Interconnect Clearing House of Nigeria; to setup a POP – Point of Presence - within their co-location facility, so as you can see to reduce cost for that is the whole purpose of the eXchange Point.
We don’t want to be running generator sets 24/7 in the process of trying to save cost for ISPs thereby incurring more cost by running generators. Wherever we go, we actually collaborate with other service providers on ground to establish a branch.

Given that the IXPN is all about reducing cost locally, do you think we are matching up that kind of idea with the level of local content that we are producing?
Yes. The question is very clear about local internet content in Nigeria. Yes, because the whole traffic at the eXchange Point rely on the local internet content. If there is no content it means that people cannot browse through the eXchange Point, so, the content is coming up because you know formally it was really difficult towards content in Nigeria, but coming of the eXchange Point we can see data centers springing up all over the place. People are getting more aware now on the relevant of the internet content on the entire internet ecosystem.
Hosting companies are coming up in Nigeria where formally we don’t have any hosting company although right now hosting companies are now coming up. We believe that in future the content in Nigeria will really be good and that is when the eXchange Point we make an impact to the entire ecosystem in Nigeria.
But for now, the local content is very small and if I may say so we have collaborated with the Nigeria Internet Registration Association they come up with the forum called the Local Internet Content Forum (LICF) in 2013 to bring all the key stakeholders to discuss issues of local content, what are the challenges why are people not hosting content in locally. We bring in the key stakeholders such as the ISP the telcos the dotNG, ccTLD registrars and some of the registrar people that have content on our hosting content abroad like IrokoTV and all other content providers like bloggers and the rest to come together to discuss issues of local hosting and I am happy to see that we can see a kind of a paradigm shift from those and the key stakeholder towards localizing content.

Ok so you know we are making progress in that?
Exactly!

Now just on a final note what will be your message to Nigerians?
My message is that everybody should be patriotic enough to register .NG domains at the same time host that content locally because if we don’t have our content locally it means that we have to go outside the country to fetch that content and it will affect generally the end users. So, my message is that we should all push up local content.

 ... Making SENSE of digital revolution!

GVE Projects, Trans Africa, Afe Babalola win GE-USADF Off-Grid Energy CGVE Projects, Trans Africa, Afe Babalola win GE-USADF Off-Grid Energy Challenge’13

DigitalSENSE Business News:

Messrs GVE Projects Ltd, Trans Africa Gas Electric Plc and Afe Babalola University emerged the top-three in the 2013 General Electric Africa and USAIDF Off-Grid Energy Challenge with each going home $100,000, about N16million each to support their initiatives, DigitalSENSE Business News reports.

Speaking at the presentation hosted in collaboration with the BusinessDay, President of GE Africa, Mr. Jay Ireland expressed optimism in the Nigerian economy and commended winners for their achievements in solving a fraction of energy challenge in the country.

President, United States African Development Foundation (USADF), Shari Berenbach in her remark said that  their participant in the collaboration with GE Africa was in fulfillment of its objectives, just as she assured of future collaboration on the project.

She noted that winners were chosen for demonstrating new business models to deliver sustainable energy to under-served marginal populations without degrading the environment.

DigitalSENSE Business News recalls that the winners announced at a grand event in Lagos, notes that the GE USADF Off-grid Energy Challenge was launched in Kenya and Nigeria with plans to expand to other African countries over the next 3 years. About 2 million dollars will be won in all.

GVE Projects limited designed an 18 KW solar powered off grid electricity project that will generate electricity for not less than 140 homes through a mini-gird in the Egbeke community of Rivers state. For Trans Africa Gas and Electric PLC their project was a standalone cold storage facility embedded in 2 rural communities in Dandanrua Road and Tudun Wada both in Jos, north central Nigeria.

The storage facility, with an 8kW solar nameplate generator, will allow farmers to cool and store their produce before bringing to market. The third winner, Afe Babalola University plans to generate 2.5 megawatts of electricity through a renewable hydro-electric power system that will serve over 10,000 members of the university community and beyond. To achieve this, the university plans to construct a dam in a community river.

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

ASUS unveils 2 devices into Nigerian market, powered by Intel

DigitalSENSE Business News:

Acclaimed third largest Personal Computer (PC) manufacturer in the world, Asustek has entered into the Nigeria’s Information and communication technology (ICT) market with the unveiling of its two latest in shelf devices, namely Asus Fonepad 7 and Asus Transformer Book T100.

Speaking to DigitalSENSE Business News at the launch in Lagos, the country product manager, Asustek Computer Incorporated, Mr. Serge P. Nabyoure, said that both tables are powered by Intel Atom processors Z2560 and Bay Trail-T Z3740 quad core processor respectively.

According to him, Asus brand is a known brand in the Kenya and venturing into Nigeria is to extend the footprint on the continent, taking into cognizance the electricity issues in Nigeria, which gives more battery life for both devices.

Nabyoure, accompanied by Mr. Simplice D. Zaongo, equally a country product manager on product management department two, said that currently they have three existing customer care chains in the country led by Mitsumi Distribution.

He revealed that their products come with two year warranty in order to encourage Nigerians to adapt to the brand and its range of projects.

Asus Fonepad 7, he said, promises to offer the dual value of voice communication of a smartphone and the entertainment opportunities afforded by a tablet as well as the convenience of carrying just one device.

As said by Zaongo, ASUS designs and manufacture products that perfectly meet the needs of today’s digital homes and offices, with a broad portfolio that includes motherboards, graphics cards, optical drives, displays, desktop and all-in-one PCs, notebooks, netbooks, servers, multimedia devices, wireless solutions, networking devices, tables and smartphones.

Just as ASUS Transformer book T100 comes with the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 3.0 while battery life can be conserved for upto 10 hours.

In his remarks, Intel country manager for West Africa, Mr. Bunmi Ekundare commended the partnership between Intel and AsusTek at the launch, expressing excitement over the price of these products, which was announced as N38,500 for the Fonepad 7 and N75,000 for the Transformer Book T100.

Remmy Nweke

... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
Pix; Nabyoure of Asus, Mr. Rohit Bonerjee of Mitsumi, Zaongo of Asus and Ekundare of Intel

Unity Bank increases market share with retail segment

DigitalSENSE Business News:

The Unity Bank plc has advanced strategies to increase its market share with focus on retail segment of the financial industry in the country, reports DigitalSENSE Business News.

This is coming as Unity Bank has designated 15 of its outlets as centres of excellence to facilitate the bank’s desire to serve more Nigerians better whereas, adding more value to the economy.

The bank promises to use the agency banking model to take banking services to rural areas across Nigeria.

A presentation on behalf of the bank at an interactive session with the media, including DigitalSENSE Business News, at the Protea Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos, Head, Corporate Communications of Unity Bank Plc, Mrs. Theodora Amaechi, disclosed that the bank would be aiming to impact more on the economy with services that would reach the hitherto unbanked in Nigeria.

Part of the bank’s new focus, she said, is informed by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN)’s financial inclusion drive which seeks to reduce the percentage of Nigeria’s population currently excluded from the financial system.

The bank is strategizing to ensure that Unity Bank becomes the retail bank of choice in Nigeria. To this end the bank has developed new products that will suit their customers’ needs at a retail level and modified existing products to increase their competitiveness.

This has seen the bank make far-reaching changes in its structure so as to reach the mass market in more competitive ways part of which is the creation of a retail banking division that would be the primary driver of its retail-first strategy.

The bank also plans use the agency banking model and its branches in rural areas to create cheaper and easier access to financial services as part of the CBN Financial Inclusion Drive. The bank has already concluded plans for application of the model and has selected the agents who will take the service closer to the people.

“Unity Bank Plc stands a better chance of increasing its market share as a large number of the unbanked populace reside in the northern region of the country where the bank has a comparative advantage especially in terms of branch network,” she said.

In line with achieving the set objectives, the bank recently remodeled 15 branches dubbing them, “Centers of Excellence”. These branches are the first among others to be launched as part of the bank’s retail drive and have been equipped to deliver the highest standards of service in the country.

DigitalSENSE Business News further gathered that on the bank’s future outlook, Unity Bank is in the process of raising more capital to fund the next phase of its expansion. Investors have already signified interest in acquiring equity stakes in the bank and discussions are nearing conclusion. In the same vein, existing shareholders have also made commitments to increasing their stake in the bank.

Remmy Nweke
... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
Pix: From left, Head Corporate Communication, Unity Bank Plc, Theodora Amechi, Acting Executive Director, South, Mahmud Elems, Senior Account Director/Group Co-ordination and Business Development, The Quadrant Company, Mrs. Tosin Adefeko and Acting General Manager/Divisional Head Quality Management, Unity Bank Plc, Aliyu Ma’aji, at the Unity BankMedia Interactive session held at the Protea Hotel, Isaac John in Lagos last Friday.

Nokia, Jumia partner on Asha Xmas promo

DigitalSENSE Business News:

Nokia West Africa has partnered with a leading online retail store, Jumia, on a new consumer-based promo tagged Asha Christmas Rush Promo 2013.

The Marketing Manager, Nokia West Africa, Kesiena Ogbemi, told DigitalSENSE Business News that the promo is aimed at rewarding numerous Nokia Asha customers across the country with fantastic prizes which include N4,000 worth of Jumia gift vouchers, recharge cards worth N1,000 to make calls and chat on social media platforms and other exciting prizes. DigitalSENSE Business News learnt that through this promo, Nokia would reward the first 210 customers who purchase the Nokia Asha 210 smartphone.

To participate, he explained that customers could purchase the Nokia Asha 210 smartphone from retail outlets nationwide and get a PIN code to win.

“Customers can send a text with the following message ‘Nokia Asha 210, the phone IMEI number and PIN code gotten when they purchased the phone’ to the code number 39405,” he said. Assuring this qualifies lucky customers to win any of the great prizes and enjoy the Christmas season.

Head of Marketing, Nokia West Africa, Deborah Shepard also said that the promo would give Nokia the opportunity to reach out to its customers across Nigeria during the Christmas season with gifts that will make the yuletide a memorable one.

“We want our customers to feel our impact during this season giving them great gifts that will make the Christmas holiday beautiful. We have also partnered with Nigeria’s biggest online retail store, Jumia to give people amazing gifts when they win a gift voucher. With the gift voucher, customers can pick gifts items from Jumia store worth N4,000 and have a merry Christmas celebration,” Shepard said.

DigitalSENSE Business News further gathered that the promo is valid till the December 20, 2013.

Chuks Egbuna/GEE
... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
Pix: set of Nokia Asha 210