Court upholds sale of 2.3GHz, orders NCC to release license

A Federal High Court sitting in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja, yesterday, Thursday, upheld the sale of 2.3 Gega Hertz (GHz) by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), saying the Ministry of Information and Communications does not have the powers to cancel the auction in the first instance.

The court also ordered that all the relief sought by the plaintiff be granted, and directed NCC to release for the applicant (Mobitel) the 2.3GHz license.
Daily Champion recalls that on May 22, 2009, the Minister of Information and Communications, Prof. (Mrs) Dora Akunyili announced the cancellation of the sale, with a directive to NCC to re-offer the 2.3 spectrum for sale afresh.

Prior to the cancellation, NCC had pronounced three companies winners out of the 40 applicants that contested for the spectrum, including Mobitel Nigeria Limited, Spectranet Limited and Multi-Links Telkom Limited, while the fourth contestant, Galaxy Wireless was reportedly unable to meet up with the payment terms, thereby stood disqualified. The sum of N4,104,000,000 was realized from the auction.

But delivering his judgment, in the suit file by one of the winners in the 2.3GHz auction, Mobitel Nigeria Limited, against four defendants namely the Hon. Minister of Information and Communications, Federal Ministry of Information and Communications, Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice and NCC, Justice Umar Garba of Federal High Court Abuja, on the purported cancellation of the 2.3GHZ sale, upheld the sale.

He also said in the suit number FHC/ABJ/M/312/2009, that the respondent’s objections have no merit and it must fail, even as the objections of the first and second defendants have no merit and were dismissed.

A copy of the judgment made available to ITRealms Online, Justice Garba, noted that having seen all the preliminary objections, that he considered the sustentative application of the matter before his court.

“Pursuant to leave granted to the applicant by this court on the 27th of May 2009 to apply for an order for a judicial review, the applicant filed an originating motion on the 1st of June 2009 and same was supported by a written address. The first second and third respondents filed written addresses. The third respondent initially appeared at the proceedings and subsequently disappeared. I hereby treat all processes filed by the third respondent as being abandoned and I do hold,” he said.

Garba further said that in taking his judgment, he had considered “Whether it is within the powers of the first and second respondents to cancel an auction conducted by the 4th Respondent for the issuance of license in the communications sector.

“The applicant’s case as taken clearly from the facts in the statements and supporting affidavits is that the applicant participated in the auction of the 2.3GHz spectrum licensing by the fourth respondent (NCC) and met all the criteria as advertised, awaiting the issuance of the license to operate.

When the first and second respondent issued a letter on the 25th of May 2009 ‘ Exhibit NCC’ and Exhibit ‘N’, the applicant (Mobitel) ran to the court for judicial interpretation of the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, which is the law providing for the allocation of frequency.

According to him, the law conferred on NCC, the sole and exclusive powers to manage and administer the frequency spectrum for the communications sector to its end users by grants of license for the use of the said frequencies, buttressing his point with reference to Section 121, (1) & (2) of the Act which provides that “Notwithstanding the provisions of any other written law or subject to the provision of this Act, the
Commission shall have the sole and exclusive power to manage and administer the frequency spectrum for the communications sector and in that regard to grant licenses for and to regulate the use of the said frequency spectrum.

In addition, Justice Garba quoted Section 121, (2) thus, “The Power of the Minister under the Wireless Telegraphy Act as far as they relate to the Communications are hereby vested in the Commission.”

Stressing that by the provisions of this Act, the Commission is independent of any interference in the performance of its statutory duties, pointing out that the purpose has been to insulate the Commission in the performance of this crucial a highly sensitive function of regulating the Communications sector.

The end user, he pointed out is for the purpose of the function of the Commission, the operators in the communications sector.

From the foregoing, Justice Garba said that he upheld the Act conferment of ‘NO power’ in the first respondent (Minister of Communications) to impose any directive or instruction on the Commission, or any of its officers or intervene in the performance of the Commissions functions.

“It is clear that the express intentions of the Act regarding the role of the first respondent is to limit its powers to only board matters on policy and issues that affect treaties in view of section 23 of the Nigerian Communications Act,” he noted.

Emphasizing that Section 25, sub-section 2 goes further to impose on the Minister of Communications the statutory obligation of ensuring the sanctity of the independence guaranteed to the Commission by the Act.

Therefore, “The first respondent’s (Minister of Communications) purported cancellation of the Auction is absolutory and totally arbitrary as it relates to Section 123 of the Nigerian Communication Act 2003, which provides that ‘the Commission may make regulations in any matter under this chapter. Section 123 (2), the regulation may include procedure for assignment of spectrum such as but not limited to the following a) Auctions; b) Tender; c) Fixed price to be determined by the Commission,” he said.

The above provision gives the Commission the exclusive powers regarding the sale of frequency and makes absolutely no mention of the first respondent (Minister of Communications).


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Communication policy review: Stakeholders may protest composition

A non-governmental organization (NGO) with focus on media development within the Nigerian Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, the Joint Action Committee on ICT Awareness and Development (JACITAD) may kick-against the composition of the 26-member committee on the review of National Communications Policy.

Sources close to the presidency of JACITAD, disclosed weekend that the organization is not satisfied with the composition of the committee, but also the exclusion of its members, who have served in the industry over 20 years.

Also, ITRealms Online gathered that the group is warming up to petition the Ministry of Information and Communication headed by Prof. Dora Akunyili and Alhaji Ikra Bilbis as minister of state, over the issue.

“Over the years, JACITAD has been on the forefront of policy update as far as the National Communications Policy is concerned, stressing that now, the time of being actively involved, and the group was sidelined,” our source said.

According to our source, if there is any qualification for being a member of that committee, especially relating to media development and representation, JACITAD need not be left out among others like the Nigeria Society of Engineers (NSE).

“Because our members are key change agents who have contributed immensely in nurturing what we have today,” one of the top officials told ITRealms Online, pointing out that there are pressure groups that should have representation in that committee and it should not be an all-comers affairs.

Take the omission of NSE for instance, our source said that it is impossible to have a seamless telecommunications environment without this group, whose membership are the engine behind the infrastructure used in the sector.

Recalling that in the recent past, JACITAD has made representations to the National Assembly on several issues during public hearings and cannot understand the rationale behind the selection and omission of its members in the committee.

“We have got to protest this to the appropriate authorities, because it is not healthy for this industry and the nation as a whole,” another top official declared, arguing that as long as they may not be comfortable with the set up, it is necessary that representation should include active media practitioners in the sector.

JACITAD, a group set up in 2003 with the encouragement from the pioneer Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), late Prof. Gabriel Ajayi, is reputed for its inputs into the national ICT development projects in line with its objectives and represents ICT media practitioners and media owners in the country.

The group recently hosted the outgoing chief executive of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Ernest Ndukwe for his contributions in moving the nation’s ICT growth forward.

Equally, the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) is warming up with its own petition, according to the national president, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo.

He confirmed this to ITRealms Online, alleging that the committee has no subscriber representation and they would react by Thursday this week, after today’s executive session.

However, the Federal Government inauguration of the National Communication Policy Review Committee with a view to reviewing the current policy, was performed by the Minister of State for Information and Communication, Alhaji Aliyu Ikra Bilbis.

Members of the 26-man review committee chaired by the chief executive of GlobalTouch, Mr. Isaiah Mohammed include Mr. Eddie Amana as Vice Chairman, Chairman of Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, ThisDay editor, The Saturday Newspaper, Ijeoma Nwogwugwu, whereas the Legal Adviser to the Ministry would serve as the Secretary.

Equally, the committee include Roy Murray-Bruce of Silverbird Group, Prof. Raymond Akwule of Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), Mr. Stephen Bello of NCC, Mr. Funso Fayomi of the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF), and a United States-based Nigerian expert, Goni Usman, to name a few.

Speaking at the occasion, Alhaji Bilbis noted that the review would suggest some of the areas of focus and emphasis as articulated in September 2000 policy, which may have been eroded with time, even as the committee has three months to submit its report.

Also, he said, there are more compelling issues arising from the global fast telecom growth, the evolution of new media and the challenge of information security that would need to be accommodated in the new policy regime.

Prior to this development, the 2000 National Communication Policy provides for a three-year short term and five year medium term policy which was supposed to have been reviewed since 2003 or 2005 in long term, with focus on the provision of telecommunication services intended to improve the well-being of the populace, attract investment for the sector.


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Export council pledges support for Omatek

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has pledged to support one of the nation’s Original Equipment Manufacturer, (OEM), Omatek Plc with the enabling environment for its products to thrive.

This would translate into an international business operations relating to the establishment of Omatek factories in other countries within the Economic Community for West African States (ECOWAS).

Chairman, NEPC, Alhaji I. Jatau, who led the Nigerian delegation to the Omatek pavilion at the just concluded Ghana International Trade Fair in Accra, made this disclosure last weekend.

Alhaji Jatau who commended Omatek over its array of products on display at the Fair, immediately paid an unscheduled visit to the Omatek Computers Ghana factory where he described Omatek as a good example of the growth and achievement of Nigerian industrialists.

He reiterated that companies like Omatek who have made giant strides to establish factories in other countries like Ghana and other ECOWAS countries needed to be encouraged.

Receiving the delegation on behalf of Omatek Computers Ghana ltd, the General Manager, Mr. Nana Benneh said Omatek Computers Ghana Ltd was strategically sited as the export hub for other African countries, apart from Nigeria.

He enjoined Africans to patronize their own, stressing that Omatek products are of high quality, as the raw materials were sourced from the same high class manufacturers like the other foreign brands.
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Additionally, he said, that Omatek Computers are best suited especially for the African Market because they have been built to withstand the heat and weather conditions prevalent in Africa.

Further, he said, visitors to Omatek pavilion at the Ghana International Trade Fair have the opportunity to win various prizes through a raffle draw, including Omatek DVD Player, Car Chargers, Speaker sets to name a few.


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Microsoft opens Info centre @ Computer Village

In a bid to increase awareness among consumers, Microsoft Nigeria, over the weekend opened its information centre in the popular Computer Village, Ikeja in Lagos.

The centre which opens Monday to Friday, is a one-stop-shop where the company’s new and existing partners could go to access information and training they need to successfully build their businesses as distributors and traders of Microsoft products.

Speaking at the occasion, the company’s Channel Compliance Manager for Microsoft Anglophone West Africa, Mrs. Uzo Okpaka said, the vision for the centre was on the premise that the market remains the hub for information technology (IT) activities in the country.

“We observed that most of these partners are usually very busy and may not have the means to send their staff for training and for the consumers, many of them lack the necessary information on the danger of pirated software, so, this centre offers them opportunity to access this information at no cost to them,” she said.

Also, she said it would provide opportunities for partners to develop and expand their businesses so they could better serve their customers, underscoring the fact that it is equipped with PCs and internet access, where partners could access their partner account and information relevant to their business.

“As part of Microsoft’s continued commitment to serve the needs of its partners and help them reach their full potential, the centre will also incorporate a training facility where partners will have access to training programmes designed to strengthen their skills and support their business needs,” she said.

Mrs. Okpaka expressed appreciation to the management of Nexusoft Solutions and Headstone Technologies for supporting the project.

“There will be no sale of Microsoft products at the centre and PCs and internet use are not available for public use. Ultimately, we want our partners and customers across Nigeria to see that the Microsoft Information Centre is about them and for them,” Okpaka declared.

Equally speaking, Mr. Abel Odje of Ruthabel ICT, said as a Microsoft partner, he is looking forward to utilising the information centre to access the world class training which would take place there.

“The knowledge that we gain through consistent training is passed on to our customers, enabling them to adopt technology solutions which would help transform their businesses,” he said.

ITRealms Online learnt that the centre would also, provide recommendations on where to buy genuine software, how to spot signs your software may be counterfeit and guidance on what to do in the event you have already unknowingly purchased pirated software.

Microsoft sells the vast majority of its products through over 640,000 partners worldwide. These partners - ranging from those who sell hardware to those who write software, provide IT services and serve as IT distribution channels, operate locally in every market where Microsoft products are sold.


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Internet freedom: UN urged to endorse Geneva declaration

The United Nations (UN) has been urged to endorse the Internet freedom declaration emanating from the just ended second Geneva Summit for Human Rights, Tolerance and Democracy by coalition of global human rights activists and Civil Society Organisations (CSO).

Participants at the session in a communiqué made available to ITRealms Online, weekend, noted that Internet has become a universal space for communication and the exchange of ideas that could promote freedom and mutual understanding among all people, regardless of race, religion, geography or economic status.

They declared that Internet has also become a primary vehicle for communication in all sectors of life in a globalized economy and civil society, thus requiring transparency and openness to function properly, otherwise, it would amount to a breach of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The group said its demands were guided by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which guarantee the right to freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to hold opinions without interference, and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media regardless of frontiers.

Led by the duo of Yang Jianli of China and Ahmad Batebi of Iran, they group called for the protection of human rights activists imprisoned for social or political expression posted on blogs and other websites.

Just as they believed that the preservation of a free Internet is essential to the full enjoyment of human rights, civil liberties and a free and democratic society.

They expressed dismay over the situation of Internet freedom in many regions of the world, which is increasingly unsafe and under assault, as well as acknowledged the fact that the intimidation and use of technologies aimed at the restriction and monitoring of Internet creates an environment of repression.

In addition, the group affirmed that suppression of independent thought by filtering, monitoring and censoring of websites, online content, blogs and messaging services constitutes a violation of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

They reminded all countries of the world of their obligations to guarantee Internet freedom, emphasizing that nations which enjoy secure and open Internet technologies are obliged to prevent exported communications technologies from being used as a vehicle for suppression and censorship, and that Internet companies should take reasonable steps to avoid complicity with, and liability for, violations of human rights.

As said by them, the struggle for freedom of expression has today largely shifted online as the Internet has become the means of choice for political dissidents, democracy activists, human rights defenders and independent journalists worldwide, considering the fact that there are particular countries in which the situation of Internet freedom is under threat, with imprisoned political dissidents, journalists and bloggers who are in urgent need of protection by the international community.

ITRealms Online recollects the 2008 Directive of the European Parliament concerning the EU Global Online Freedom Act, which precisely in its finding that authoritarian states such as Belarus, Burma, China, Cuba, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam censor the internet by blocking websites and filtering search results and intimidate internet users through cyber police and obliged registration.

Therefore, they urged the on-going meeting of United Nations Human Rights Council, in its 13th Regular Session, to endorse this declaration and support the cause of Internet freedom in the face of repression.


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Forrester names Oracle leader in access mgt

Oracle Corporation has been named a Leader in the latest report by Forrester Research in the last quarter of 2009, tagged “The Forrester Wave: Identity and Access Management, Q4 2009.”

Forrester evaluated nine vendors against 79 criteria, categorized into three main groups, with the current offering of strategy and market presence.

Oracle received the highest scores in the Current Offering and Strategy categories for its Oracle Identity and Access Management [IAM] Suite.

A press statement from the research company said that due to strong customer interest in the benefits realized through provisioning, Forrester reviewed the user provisioning market independently.

“Oracle was also recognized as a leader in this market for its Current Offering, Oracle Identity Manager,” part of the press statement read.

Confirming this, Vice President, Oracle Identity Management, Amit Jasuja, quoted Forrester as noting that “Identity and access management (IAM) tools help organizations automate many mundane identity tasks and improve compliance reporting, processes that companies need to focus attention on as the economy recovers.”

Jasuja pointed out that Oracle Identity Management provides a unified, integrated security platform designed to manage user identities and entitlements, provision resources to users, secure access to corporate resources, and support extensive audits across enterprise applications.

“Oracle is the only vendor that has: an adopted entitlement enforcement product (Oracle Entitlements Server [OES]), built on the BEA AquaLogic Enterprise Security solution; an in-house adaptive access management product (Oracle Adaptive Access Manager), integrated with enterprise role management and mining; and an application-centric identity management strategy. Oracle demonstrated the highest adherence to the scenarios evaluated,” Forrester official was quoted as saying.

For the Jasuja, in today’s dynamic economic environment, organizations have continued to focus on streamlining identity and access management to save time and money and ensure the highest levels of security.

“We believe Forrester’s positioning of Oracle as a market leader for both identity and access management and user provisioning is a reflection of the success of Oracle’s complete, integrated and hot-pluggable identity management strategy and our ongoing success helping organizations implement world-class security,” Jasuja submitted.

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IBM’s Smarter Planet boosts bank operations

International Business Machines (IBM) has introduced a new industry solution, Smarter Planet, which the company said would aid Nigerian banks to improve on infrastructure while reducing risk under a unified platform.

Ndiaye Mamadou of IBM West Africa, revealed this at Nigeria Banking Risk and Compliance workshop in Lagos recently and said that the solution would help banks to be more efficient, improve their flexibility and adapt more easily to new business challenges and regulatory requirements.

Part of the IBM Smarter Planet strategy, Mamadou said, is to enable banks to simplify the modernization, management and monitoring of their technology systems, while lowering risk by avoiding the disruptive business consequences that have characterized these activities in the past.

According to the official, IBM’s Banking Industry Framework gives banks an alternative to the high-risk, rip-and-replace approach, stressing that the framework enables a bank’s progressive transformation with industry proven data and process models already employed by more than 250 financial institutions.

“As a result, banks are now able to safely and securely upgrade their infrastructure on the fly,” Mamadou declared.

Pointing out that among the most compelling features of the new modular is that it focuses on the heart of the infrastructure, where the maintenance and management of core banking systems typically account for over half of total Information Technology (IT) spending.

“Not only are these costs a drain on potential funds for improvement and innovation, but they are continually rising as banks continue to modify and patch aging core systems – increasing their complexity. Banks have been reluctant to consolidate these legacy applications because it is difficult and disruptive,” Mamadou highlighted.

Emphasizing that Nigerian banks are seeking ways to work smarter, manage risk and to increase transparency, hence, IBM banking framework provides a flexible unified platform that can help them anticipate and respond to clients needs while reducing the costs of developing, operating and maintaining the systems that span the front, middle and back-office operations.

In addition, the new platform breaks through the “silos” that often exist between a bank’s departments, allowing true data transparency and application sharing, citing for instance, when using the new framework, staff within one part of the bank would be able to track transactions across multiple business lines in order to identify fraudulent activity before it happens, while other staff elsewhere in the bank could use those same analytic tools to understand customer behavior and preferences.

Equally, IBM banking industry framework addresses four key areas that demand the majority of a banks attention and resources, providing a path to accelerate transformation, and system upgrade with an eye towards future needs and reduced project risk.

These features, Mamadou outlined to include integrated risk management to support a holistic approach to managing financial risk, operational and IT risk, financial crimes detection and prevention, and compliance; customer care & insight to help banks build a foundation for creating a single view of the customer and enabling more effective and efficient sales and service; payments and securities to help banks progressively transform their payments operations to become more flexible and efficient as well as core banking transformation that allows banks to modernize and renovate existing systems that sustain core banking functions while aligning with the changing needs of the business.

Today’s digital world, Mamadou said, offers new levels of collaboration, insight and dynamic business process which require improved business agility and help companies respond faster to changing business needs.


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Bid2Win: Glo fulfills promise, presents car to winners

In fulfillment of its promise, Globacom last weekend, handed over to winners of Bid2Win promo their prizes with one of the beneficiaries being an Information Technology (IT) specialist with EPIC Atlantic Limited, Mr. Miracle Adewolu, who received his in Port Harcourt.

Mr. Adewolu, won a Kia Rio car with less than N5.00 bid, which he submitted in his very third attempt in the ongoing promo. The car is worth over N2 million.

Speaking on his win, Adewolu said was inspired to participate in the promo by his wife, Mrs. Wunmi Adewolu, who insisted that he join the bidding game as luck could smile on the family through the promo.

The event witnessed by some of his friends and colleagues saw Adewolu receiving the keys and documents to the car from Glo Ambassador and Nollywood star, Ms. Monalisa Chinda.

Adewolu, therefore gave glory to God for the opportunity to win a brand new car from Globacom stressing that winning had taught him a great lesson about loyalty.

‘’I am going to remain a loyal subscriber,” he asserted.

Also speaking at the ceremony, Glo’s Business Director, South, Mr. Kunle Akanmu, said the event demonstrated Globacom’s commitment to delivering on its promises, just as nothing could demonstrate this value more than the delivery of the car at the locations of the winners.

Glo subscribers with the lowest unique bids for various categories of prizes will emerge winners every day, while every 18 days, prizes would be changed to make the promotion more exciting.

18 brand new Kia Rio cars were the prizes on offer in the first segment of the game.

For the second segment which started on Wednesday, March 3, witnessed the introduction of 18 brand new Toyota Yaris to be won by subscribers, while three other categories of prizes to be won are being kept under wraps for now in order to heighten the excitement.

Explaining the modalities earlier, the Head, Value Added Service (VAS) at Globacom, Mr. Samson Isa, said subscribers could bid for the prize on offer through short messages (SMS).

“Subscribers are required to simply text their unique bid to a short code, 300. Such a unique bid must be the lowest exclusive offer which no one else bided for the item on offer,” he said, enjoining subscribers to send as many SMS as they wish to increase their chances of winning.

According to him, bonus prizes of airtime are being distributed to thousands of other subscribers on the network, which include over N180 million worth of Glo to Glo airtime for 6,000 subscribers.

Additionally, he said, 5,000 subscribers get N200 airtime totaling N1 million daily, another 1,000 subscribers get to win N1,000 airtime totaling N1 million daily.


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NCS commends SystemSpecs on strides

Umbrella body of Information Technology (IT) professionals in the country, the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) has commended leading indigenous software house, SystemSpecs for its giant strides.

This commendation was contained in a message from the society by its first vice president, Dr. David Adewumi, during a courtesy call on SystemSpecs, last week in Lagos.

He said NCS is gladdened with the success the software company has achieved since inception.

Dr. Adewumi who was accompanied by the second Vice President NCS, Mr. Sam Juwe, Head Finance & Accounts, Goke Akinpelu, and Alex Ofuonyeadi, Marketing Consultant to NCS, was in the company on a courtesy visit for its emergence as the Software Company of the Year Award.

“SystemSpecs is a pride to us in the information technology industry, their performance and consistency over the years has shown that Nigeria IT firms have come to stay,” Adewumi asserted.

Also speaking, Mr. Juwe called on SystemSpecs to “remain steadfast and continued to maintain the high standard that the public has come to know it with”.

Dr. Adewumi, who was chairman of the 2009 Nigeria Information Technology Awards (NITMA) organized by NCS and his team were received by the management of SystemSpecs on arrival.

Responding, the Managing Director, SystemSpec, Mr. John Obaro, said his firm was humbled by the recognition from professional colleagues and accepted the responsibility it has conferred on the company.

“We will continue to pursue excellence in order to make our country a worthy name among the major IT nations of the world,” he assured.

The NCS delegates who later toured the SystemSpecs’ office premises were received by Mr. Obaro in the company of Mrs. Eunice Ikekhuah, Executive Director SystemSpecs; Dr. Hakeem Bakare, Group Head, Corporate Strategy SystemSpecs and Moses Braimah, Head Brand & Marketing SystemSpecs.


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Akano for Internet roundtable

The chief executive officer, New Horizons, Mr. Tim Kayode Akano, would be hosted at a one-day Internet Governance roundtable as he is billed to deliver a paper on ‘Making Sense Out of Internet’ in Lagos, reports GERALD OKOLIE.

Akano, whose Information Technology (IT) firm, New Horizons, recently in partnership with Microsoft Nigeria empowered 100 schools in Anambra State, would be speaking during the Nigeria Digital Youth Forum session, as part of efforts to motivate the youths in the country to inculcate positive attitude to the use of the Internet as future leaders.

A press statement made available to ITRealms Online indicated that the former Commercial Attaché at the Nigerian Bottle Company, Mr. Akano, is an aluminous of four top universities and business schools, including the University of Ife, IMD, Louisane, Geneva, Wits Business School, Johannesburg, South Africa and Lagos Business School.

Adjudged as Nigeria’s Chief Educator for 2009 by the United States-based International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants (EC-Council) University, Mr. Akano was also named the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Personality of the Year 2009 by National ICT Merit Award Committee; one of the best 15 Innovative Techno-Preneurs in Nigeria – 2008, and was previously selected as one of Coca –Cola’s 50 “Future Leaders” to attend one year Senior Executive Programme.

In addition, Mr. Akano, who is expected to explore the positive values imbedded on the Internet technology, is known to have pioneered the integration of professional ICT-based training into Nigerian education sector across the secondary and tertiary institutions, even as he has awarded over 20,000 tuition free scholarships in the last four years to indigent students.

The youth forum, ITRealms Online learnt is part of the programmers lined up for the Nigeria Digital Sense forum, scheduled for next month in Lagos, where stakeholders are to deliberate on ‘Five Years of Internet Governance Forum (IGF): The Way Forward for Nigeria,” with a keynote address to be delivered by the Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

The roundtable, according to the organizers would be chaired by the President of the Internet Service Providers Association of Nigeria (ISPAN), Chief Samuel Adel eke, just as MTN Nigeria has finalized plans to showcase its data card at the occasion.

The gathering is endorsed by the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NiRA), ISPAN, Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) and the Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) as well as the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) to name a few.


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Distributors’ impact on Etisalat’s market growth

THE first one year of doing business is usually tagged as the most difficult part of any start-up, be it small, medium or large corporation, especially in an environment like Nigeria, where most of the ‘common’ social amenities are in absentia.

So, it calls for celebration for the Etisalat family in the country to roll out drums at the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja recently, mostly to honour those the telecommunications operator envisaged as oil in its engine; the distributors of its products and services.

A distributor, according to American Heritage Dictionary is rhetorically defined as a device that applies electric current in proper sequence to the spark plugs of an engine. Consequently, distribution partners of Etisalat could be said to have been the device applied by the telecom operator as electric current, properly located nationwide to deliver its services, thus literally connecting the plugs to the engine.

So, it was not out of place for Etisalat Nigeria in reviewing its performance in the last one year of commercial deployment to come up with the strategy of rewarding these distributors, more so, according to their performances, which varies from one region to another. In view of this, Etisalat hosted over 50 major distributors in Abuja.

Speaking at the occasion tagged ‘Distribution Partners Awards,’ held a fortnight ago, the chief executive officer, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Steven Evans, described it as a special day that offers an opportunity for the network to celebrate its distribution partners and their immense contributions to the success of the operations. He reiterated Etisalat’s commitment towards maintaining a good relationship by continuous support of the operator’s business.

Evens noted that last year, Etisalat invested $800 million and plans to spend $700million this year, insisting that investment in the network is still top priority on board’s list. Stressing that already, it has deployed 1000 cell sites and is not relenting as it plans to even roll-out more, invariably every single day, even as Etisalat is involve in co-location and site sharing talks with older GSM providers as well as independent site owners and these talks are at an advanced stages, all in order to hasten the spread of the network.

“As at today, we are in all 36 states of the nation with strong presence in over 260 towns and cities, over 2000 communities and also on 50 major and minor highways across the nation. Also, we have set a target for ourselves this year to get at least four million new subscribers onto our network so that a lot more Nigerians can experience our qualitative network and enjoy our innovative products and services.
You will recall that last year, the NCC adjudged us the best GSM network in terms of quality of service.

As said by him, the awards ceremony was particularly unique because it represented the first time any telecoms operator would recognise partners within a year of commercial roll out, an indication to show how much Etisalat appreciates them, assuring that his firm looks forward to doing bigger and better business in the future.

“Our business is principally driven by you our partners as you ensure that Nigerians are able to experience our network by bringing our products to them at all levels. Today is therefore recognition of efforts you have put into selling our SIM and recharge cards and to encourage you to do even more in the coming years,” Mr. Evans tasked, just as the business plan for 2010 is even more robust than 2009.

“We will continue to engage in promotional and other activities that will help drive sales and create a special bond between our product and our subscribers,” he said, calling to mind that in 2009 Etisalat had the biggest promo in Africa which saw the emergence of Kizito Egeonu, as the winner of $1million grand prize.

“Kizito was certainly the luckiest customer on our network last year though over 5,000 other winners won different cash prizes and gifts as well. As a global brand, we are bringing global benefits to the people of Nigeria,” he said.

Evans pointed out that Etisalat recently introduced an environment-friendly Subscribers Identification Module (SIM) into the market, otherwise called ‘ECO SIM’ and that was evidence to demonstrate that the operator is a leader in innovation in the Nigerian market.

“The ECO SIM is also a manifestation of one of our key values, caring. It shows that we care for our environment and are committed to playing our part in the reduction of our company’s carbon footprints,” Evans declared, expressing no doubt that the distributors will continue to be as supportive as you have always been.

For the Director Sales, Etisalat Nigeria, Mr. Tolu Ojo, distribution partners are the most crucial factor to the success of operator’s business last year and they are appreciative of this sincerely.

At Etisalat, Ojo said, they believe very strongly in reward system where people are appreciated and celebrated for achieving success with renewed commitment for greater performance, as well as recognise the need for bonding with the partners while providing the necessary marketing and promotional support for a mutually beneficial experience.

This year, the director said, promises to be more rewarding for business and telco. As part of the support for business, he said, distributors have all been provided with trade agents that are assigned to their territories to assist them in pushing products to retail touch points thereby helping in developing these territories in terms of product availability and penetration, which has ultimately translated into an increasing rate of stock turn around.

In further support for the distributor, he said, they also decided to implement a trade credit scheme in view of the tight financial climate the industry is witnessing. “This will help alleviate the liquidity problem most of you are currently experiencing thus ensuring product purchase and availability in your various outlets,” he said.

Ojo pointed out that as a flexible and world class organisation that is open to change and constantly trying to improve the way to do business, the operator is currently having a team of internationally-acclaimed consultants, specialising in market execution strategies who are reviewing the channel strategies with a mandate to make recommendations that will help Etisalat to deliver better value.

“You will also feel our support via road shows and town storms to increase awareness directly among prospective subscribers to our products and services. We are also committed to provide you with prompt stocks of our products and services thereby eliminating gaps that could cost you loss of revenue as our partnership progresses this year,” he said.

One major issue critical to meeting this year’s target, he said, is the SIM registration regime of the Nigerian Communications Commission, which Etisalat has put in place the necessary mechanisms to ensure that the process of registration runs smoothly without any negative impact on the operations.

“Let me use this opportunity to request for your feedback as at when necessary. We are committed to providing a feedback mechanism to ensure better understanding of your needs and challenges. Let it be understood that your feedback is a valuable platform to understand challenges and needs and the feedback will also provide us with the opportunity to serve you better,” Ojo submitted.

Pledging that Etisalat would continue to avail its partners with innovative products and services which the operator has come to be known for globally and periodically provide platforms to review performances, share thoughts and understand expectations for improved business success.

The event saw Etisalat rewarding its distribution partners with high profile gifts including, all expense paid trips to Dubai, 12 seater-buses, generators, laptops and a host of other prizes.

Based on their performances for 2009, the winning partners were adjudged to have supported the company the most at regional and national levels, with beneficiaries drawn from six categories, namely the highest dealership growth, highest airtime sales, highest percentage of SIM activations, best virtual airtime distributor, best trade key account distributor and distribution partner with the best overall performance per region.

A total of 30 distribution partners were honoured with different prizes with the top seven nationwide rewarded with all expenses paid trips to Dubai and a 12 seater bus each.

There were over 70 distribution partners and their guests in attendance at the memorable event which was also graced by several dignitaries including the Chairman, Senate Committee on Communications, Sylvester Anyawu, Director Compliance, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mrs Akiode, Assistant Director Legal and Regulatory Affairs NCC, Mrs Akinloye and a representative of the Consumer Protection Council, Mr. Edward Amlai among others.

Appreciation Etisalat for the gesture, chief executive, Stanqueen Investments ltd, Mr. Stanley Iherobiem noted that a company that is smart enough to honour its dealers like this knows its onions.

“What Etisalat has done tonight is a crystal clear indication that the company cares about its partners,” he declared. Stanqueen Investments emerged winner in highest airtime sales award, Lagos north region and best overall performance award in Lagos north region respectively.

Other distribution partners in the best overall performance category included Cantstop Nigeria Ltd (Lagos South Region), Helpline Telecoms Nigeria Ltd (South West Region), Gabros Divine Technologies Ltd (South South Region), Vicyntel Enterprises Nigeria Ltd (South East Region), Alennsar Infinity Company Nigeria Ltd (North Central Region) and Jihan Global Services Ltd.


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Ekeh applauds NCC on ICT penetration

Chairman, Zinox Group, Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh has commended the Universal Service Provision Fund (USPF) department of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), for driving the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) penetration in the country.

Dr. Ekeh, who was reviewing the pace of ICT penetration in Nigeria in 2009, singled out USPF for praise, saying it has the organization immensely contributed in moving ICT and the country to an appreciable level.

He noted that ICT revolution would pass Nigeria by without adequate regular evaluation of ICT penetration in this part of the world, pointing out that the economic meltdown that upset the world economies in 2009 took its toll on the performance of the ICT market in the country with new low levels of disposable income amidst crushing poverty.

The situation, he said, was not helped by the fact that there were no deliberate interventions to enhance access to ICT equipment in 2009 from the governments of the federation.

Ekeh condemned the lack of a follow-up to the CANi of 2004/5 by the government, saying that initiative was designed to provide computers for all Nigerians.

Educational institutions, he said, is driven by the global competitive trend which has continued to invest on ICT in 2009, but such investments were still too feeble to turn around the face of education in the country.

He decried the poor density of 2,000 computers in a school of over 30,000 students’ population, teachers and other support staff not included, stressing that the educational sector is critical because the schools are commissioned to produce the work force that this nation requires to be competitive.

Also, he commended the efforts of organizations like the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Education Trust Fund (ETF), United States of America International Aid (USAID), Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), National IT Development Agency (NITDA), Total Fina Elf, and MTN, just to mention a few, for their commitment to the provision of ICT infrastructure in the country.

According to him, USPF which is a subsidiary of NCC, for instance, has gone beyond the educational institutions and provided ICT equipment to many communities across the nation.

Statistics available, he said, showed that the NCC has deployed largely through USPF in almost every tertiary institution in the country through the Adapti and Digital Awareness Project, DAP, and even provided wireless internet.

The USPF, he said, has also provided most tertiary institutions in the country with digital labs connected with internet while secondary schools nationwide were provided with e-learning platforms – laptops and internet in her ongoing national SAP Project.

This intervention is a welcome development, he said, especially through the community communication centres, which primarily link their communities with the information highway thereby enabling individuals and small businesses to exploit resources from the knowledge domain.

“Each center would provide telephone services, which must include free round the clock emergency telephone services, provide electronic or manual public access messaging system, which must make all messages accessible to the community within 30 minutes of receipt, and create free access to computers and internet services,” he said.

In addition, each center provides ICT training services for users of the CCC, and render other optional business services required to meet the needs of the local market.


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Glo presents N1.76m cheque to RedCross for Haiti

The Second National Operator (SNO), Globacom, yesterday in Lagos, presented a cheque worth N1.76 million on behalf of its subscribers to the Nigerian Red Cross in aid of the January 12 earthquake victims in Haiti, even as Glo plans to lift Jos victims with a similar initiative.

The donation, the first of a 3-month installment, according to the company’s Executive Director, Human Resources, Mr. Adewale Sangowawa, who made the presentation on behalf of the operator and its subscribers among other Nigerians who responded to a fundraising appeal which started in February, disclosed that a total of 35, 150 Nigerians participated in the compassionate Short Messaging Service (SMS).

Also, Sangowawa expressed thanks to participants who contributed N50 each towards the relief effort by sending the word ‘HAITI’ to the short code 33090 which was specially created for the purpose.

He urged other Nigerians to do more for the unfortunate victims of disasters in Nigeria, Haiti and other parts of the world.

“We urge fellow Nigerians to donate more as the survival of the victims and their ability to recover depend on the support of all people of goodwill”, he said.
Sangowawa, who was accompanied at the occasion by the Managing Director, TheBeat/Classic FM stations, Mr. Chris Ubosi, in a chat with Daily Champion, said that they have not forgotten those at Jos who recently found themselves as victims following sectarian clashes.

He appreciated the Nigeria Red Cross for the partnership and assured that Glo would continue to work with the organisation and other credible humanitarian groups in order to further advance their capacity to bring relief to victims of natural or humanitarian crises both in Nigeria and all over the world.

Welcoming the guests, the national vice president, Nigerian Red Cross, Deacon Timothy Oladele commended Glo and Classic 97.3 FM for their partnership, support and contributions towards mitigating the sufferings of the victims of the Haitian disaster.

He said the Red Cross is an independent organisation which does not recognise language, race or geographical location as it has been involved in disaster management and humanitarian activities not only in Nigeria but all over the world.

For the Secretary General, Nigerian Red Cross, Mr. Diram Bello Hamman, Glo, by its gesture, has once again demonstrated that it is a network of the people.

“Glo is a global network with a Nigerian spirit. Today’s ceremony is the first of its kind in the telecom industry in Nigeria. No other company has provided a platform for people to be their brothers’ keepers like Glo”, he stated.

Hamman urged Nigerians to continue to send their SMS to 33090 as the people of Haiti are still in dire need of help. He also urged Globacom to set up a permanent short code through which Nigerians can always make donations to the Red Cross.

Such donations, he said, will help in providing food and non-food materials to victims of disasters and upheavals such as the 10,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the recent Jos humanitarian crisis who are currently being cared for by the Red Cross in camps set up in Jos and Bauchi.

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Nokia partners ACC on counterfeit fight

Mobile phone manufacturer, Nokia is partnering with the Anti Counterfeit Collaboration (ACC) Nigeria on the fight against counterfeit products in the country.

Communications Manager for Nokia West Africa, Mrs. Ngozi Ife Anene, made this disclosure at a one-day media roundtable organised by the duo in Lagos at the weekend.

She said that this effort is in line with best corporate global practices and product standards, hence Nokia, the world’s leading solutions, services and mobility provider, is partnership on this initiative.

Also she urged the media to help in the battle against the counterfeit trade by continuing to highlight the challenges and potential solutions in the media, stressing that Nokia was concerned over the increasing rate of counterfeit goods in the country.

Head, Retail at Nokia West Africa, Mr. Marcel van de Pas, in his address, said that Nokia is only doing what is socially responsible, thus glad to partner with the government and local agencies to ensure consumers have access to genuine products.

Counterfeit products, he said, are not only potentially harmful to consumers, but also have a negative impact on the local economy and on supporting local innovation.

“We will continue to support government efforts to reduce the proliferation of counterfeit products in our markets,” he declared.

He explained that Nokia’s first commitment is to its consumers, who ultimately pay the price in the growing counterfeit trade and with the drive of this collaboration consumers would be aware of the problem and thus educated on the potential risks.

Nokia, he said, hopes that all consumers would have access to genuine products and for this reason encouraged the opening of dealer outlines at every cranny nationwide.

He said, the best way to ensure that Nokia phone is a genuine product is to buy only from authorised Nokia dealers and to always check the phone’s International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, which provides consumers with a 12 month warranty.

“All Nokia phones undergo rigorous quality testing to ensure the highest standards in product quality and safety. Counterfeit manufacturers do not adhere to these standards, producing sub-standard copies which could even be harmful to the user,” he emphasised.

Equally speaking, Partner, Aluko & Oyebode representing the Anti-Counterfeit Collaboration Nigeria, Mrs Uche Nwokocha, in her paper entitled “Counterfeiting in Nigeria – a growing menace,” noted that the roundtable is just part of the efforts by the organisation and partnership with concerned corporate entities to be a part of the process.

“The impact of counterfeiting on the national economy and consumers is real, and we are working on an action plan to reduce the challenges this peculiar problem poses,” she said.

Chairman, ACC Nigeria, Mr. Marc Schreuder, who also is the chief executive, KFC Nigeria, pointed out that the challenge of fake products is not isolated to fast moving consumer goods alone.

“The fast food industry is rife with copyright infringements which mean consumers do not get value for money,” he said.

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Starcomms unveils Recharge bonus promo

Starcomms Plc, has introduced a new reward system for its subscribers’ tagged ‘Recharge bonus, which affords users to top-up their phone’s credit and get extra reward.

Chief Commercial Officer, Starcomms, Mr. Tushar Maheshwari, who disclosed this in Lagos, Thursday, said that the promo comes with free calls for subscribers on its network for their loyalty.

According to him, with the launch of this new promo “Recharge Bonus” through which subscribers could enjoy 24 hours of free on-net calling, all that a subscriber needs to do to be a part of the promotion is to recharge his or her phone with at least N250.

“And he or she would be able to make free calls to other Starcomms numbers for the next 24 hours,” he said.Mr. Maheshwari also said, the promotion would last for an initial period of one month and is open to existing and new subscribers on Starcomms’ network.

“We expect this promo to be welcomed by all our subscribers,” he asserted, stressing that the rationale behind this promo was that Starcomms is a company that always puts its subscribers first.

“That is why we continuously look for ways of putting smiles on their faces. This free on-net call promotion will give our subscribers the opportunity to talk for as long as they want on the network within the next 24 hours after their recharge,” he said.

Further, he said, Starcomms subscribers would enjoy many other freebies on its network like the missed calls notification and call waiting service which goes for free to all its mobile subscribers in 22 states, 31 cities and 170 towns of the country.

For the chief executive officer, Starcomms Plc, Mr. Maher Qubain the network values commitment in relationship with the customers.

“This promotion is our way of reciprocating their loyalty for using Starcomms. Just as our dedication to providing qualitative, state-of-the-art and reasonably priced telecommunication services is strong, we also cherish the bond among people on the Starcomms network and we intend to strengthen the bond with this promotion,” he said.

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Microsoft offers free download for Imagine Cup contestants

Software giant, Microsoft has concluded plans to offer Imagine Cup contestants free download of 18 of its products, which the firm said is reward for schools and students who elect to take part in the contest.

Imagine Cup is the brand’s global premiere student technology competition created by Microsoft slated to take place in Poland, this July and Microsoft Nigeria is actively encouraging schools and students across country to compete for a place in the final. Development Platform Manager for Microsoft Nigeria, Mr. Ken Spann, said that only registered Imagine Cup participants would download 18 Microsoft products for free.

He said that the Imagine Cup encourages young people in tertiary education to apply their imagination, their passion and their creativity to technology innovations that could be made a difference in the world today. Now in its eighth year, the Imagine Cup has grown to be a truly global competition focused on finding solutions to real world issues.

“Every major success in the world started out as just an idea in the mind of one person somewhere in the world,” he said, stressing that this was the recipe that inspired Microsoft to create the Imagine Cup.

“What begins with a burst of inspiration and a lot of hard work can become a future software breakthrough, a future career, or a flourishing new industry,” he said.

The contest, he explained is open to students around the world, and draws serious talent, just as the competition is intense, even as it spans a year, beginning with local and, regional contests which then culminate in a pan-African contest.

The winners of this contest, he said, then, go on to attend the worldwide finals with a cash prize of USD25,000 awarded to the winning team.

ITRealms Online recalled that in 2009 more than 158 Nigerian students competed for a place in the finals which took place in Cairo, Egypt.

This year, Champion Infotel gathered that Microsoft aims to encourage up to 500 students to compete from 25 schools across the country. While the regional finals are determined among the 25 teams selected to travel to Poland to compete in the 2010 Imagine Cup finals will take place in May.

Among the 18 products available for free download are Windows Server 2008 R2 on which the following products can be installed: Visual Studio Beta 2010 Ultimate, Visual Studio 2008 Professional Edition, SQL Server 2008 Developer and Robotics Developer Studio 2008 R.2.

For a complete listing of products available for free download, students have been advised to visit: https://www.dreamspark.com/Products/ProductList.aspx.

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