" ITREALMS: Philanthropist boosts Computerize Nigeria with N50m

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Wednesday, January 16, 2008

Philanthropist boosts Computerize Nigeria with N50m

An unnamed Nigerian philanthropist has boosted the Computerise Nigeria Project (CNP) to the tune of N50 million, thereby subsidizing the computer acquisition initiative by 10 per cent for about 5,000 Zinox brands of computers both for interested students and workers in the country.

Chief executive, CNP, Mrs. Vivian Abii who revealed this at the weekend, said that the undisclosed donor has three core reasons for giving the support to the project.

This include that he wanted to identify with the tireless efforts of the Computerize Nigeria Project, to empower various segments of the Nigerian society with affordable systems and to enhance nationwide access to Information Technology (IT) products as the nation strives to turn around the digital divide between to digital gains as evidenced in developed countries.

According to her, the philanthropist who she described as a one who has resourceful background believes that only a knowledge-based economy would deliver the manifest destiny of the country.

She stressed that the donor invariably an ex-military officer has the firm understanding that his intervention was spurred based on the fact that CNP has embarked on numerous schemes designed to demystify and continually bring down the prices of computers.

The philanthropist was quoted in a press statement made available to Champion Infotel as saying that the far reaching vision of the Zinox Students Computer Ownership Project (Z-SCOP), the newest of these schemes, forced him to realize that no single individual or government could adequately provide the IT needs of the educational sector.

He said that the human capacity needs of this nation requires consistent and systematic interventions, adding that by channelling his contributions through the CNP, because the NGO had been consistent over the years and offered him a credible platform to contribute his quota.

He further said that his donation of N50m was direct gift to students and workers to enable them take advantage of the opportunities offered by Information Technology and help achieve the technology skills necessary for the attainment of the objectives of Vision 2020.

The exemplary philanthropist revealed that he had been talking to the CNP for over six months but that the agreement was finally wrapped up during the Christmas holidays.

Confirming this, Mrs. Abii said that CNP entered into the deal with very strong conditionalities during the festive holidays, which included that CNP would not sell the systems, laptops and Power PCs, beyond the agreed prices.

The CNP must provide original Microsoft Operating Systems and complementary educational software for homes and schools.

She pointed out that all the laptops must have theft tracker and a shockproof executive carrying bag, as well as sold at the same price nationwide.

In the terms of support, she said that all the systems must have a three-year warranty; 1st year – comprehensive, 2nd year – free labour, 3rd year – free labour.

Mrs Abii equally revealed that the prices for individual products under this agreement would be publicized, warning however that these prices would apply to only students and workers who pay in one lump sum.

She explained that the pact translates to an additional 10 per cent discount on existing offers, citing for instance, customers who buy under Z-SCOP would have a 10 per cent discount added to the discounts already guaranteed by Z-SCOP, provided the pay is in one lump sum.

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