Sectoral importance: Ekuwem tasks political office holders on ICT

The immediate past president of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), Dr. Emmanuel Ekuwem has tasked the nation’s political office holders on the importance of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) driven by the organized private sector.

He said that ICT sector is extremely important for the nation’s economic well-being for the political leaders, especially those occupying important positions in the country to take sectoral event top on their agenda so as to make relevant impacts before leaving office.

Ekuwem who presided over the celebration of ‘A Decade of ICT Revolution’ forum in Lagos organized by the ICT Publishers Alliance, decried the frequency of those in authority sending junior officers in the name of representatives to grace ICT events organized by stakeholders.

He warned that this does not portend good omen for the nation’s growth as far as ICT development is concerned.

Additionally, Ekuwem who is the Group Chief Executive Officer, Teledom Group, lamented that this attitude by government functionaries would dampen the zeal of the private sector in contributing its quota to the ICT sector, which has a trickle effect into other sectors of the economy.

The purported refusal to attend stakeholders meetings, such as a decade of ICT revolution, he said, tells a lot about how they regard the impact made by private sectors in the growth of the industry and called for a change of heart, mostly if Nigeria must near her Vision of being among 20 most viable nations in the world by the year 2020.

He pointed out that from all intent and purposes, bulk of the forum on ‘A Decade of ICT Revolution’ was sponsored by private sector players with the initiative coming from private media practitioners who have proved themselves in the last 10 years of ICT revolution in the country under the alliance.

A forum, like this one, he said, offers political office holders the opportunity to feel the pulse of the industry and take feedbacks capable of shaping the policies of the government for the better of the large society and the economy would be best for it.

He also commended the ICT Publishers Alliance for putting up a brilliant show, urging all stakeholders in the ICT sector not to relent in their drive toward sustaining the current pace of revolution in the country.

Earlier, the chairman of ICT Publishers Alliance, Mr. Aaron Ukodie, said that the indexes of growth are there for all to see, so that there is no doubt there is also a revolution going on in computing and internet diffusion in the country.

Look at the facts, he said that in 2001, the number of computers in the country has improved remarkably.

He cited an instance with the Computerise Nigeria Initiative (CANI) which implementation was led by the like of Zinox Computers, have helped in taking computers to homes and offices.

According to him, Nigeria has become the highest in internet penetration with about 43.98 million having access in 2010, representing 28.9 per cent of the population.

He noted that no one talks about telecommunications nowadays without mentioning of computing and internet, hence these have become woven together and converged into one.

The role of the telecommunications regulator, the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC), Ukodie said, could not be forgotten in a hurry, because NCC has positioned itself and proved severally to both Nigerians and the international community as a catalyst of the revolution in the sector.

The work of telecom operators like MTN Nigeria, he said, could not be wished away as far as ICT revolution in Nigeria in the last decade is concerned.

“We are further aware of the role played by various individuals in making this happen,” he said, stressing that there are various reasons why people celebrate milestones, just as the Alliance hopes the event would encourage the industry to recharge their batteries and get ready for the next milestone.

In addition, the group tasked the new Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson and regulatory agencies of the sector to adhere to the recent call by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) to consider broadband reach by all citizens as their rights.

“The new Minister of Communications Technology, the NCC and the operators would have to focus on the broadband development requirement with all the vigour and focus it requires,” the Alliance urged.

Equally several recognitions were made to deserving members of the industry including the chairman, Zinox Group, Dr. Leo Stan Ekeh, Executive Vice Chairman, NCC, Dr. Eugene Juwah, former Communications Minister and chairman, Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), Chief Olawale Ige and MTN Nigeria among others.

Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Whether digital migration in Nigeria?

Recently a one-day Digital Migration Media Workshop was held at the Digital Bridge Institute (DBI), Utako-Abuja to sensitize media practitioners on prospects of digital migration in Nigeria.

One key aspect of the workshop was the fact that the most of the participants if not all were not aware of what has become the state of the plans of the federal government through the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to ensure that Nigeria is part of the digital migration which date was set by the United Nations for 2015.

Initially, African countries under the aegis of African Minister of Information and Communication Technologies, had agreed to schedule its own date to enable various countries on the continent to evaluate selves early enough before the 2015 deadline, hence the came up with the strategy of 2012 deadline for Africa.

As of today, most African countries seen not comfortable with the Africa deadline of 2012, including Nigeria which has moved on with the global switch-over date as well as Australia whose deadline has gone till 2019.

Presenting a research outcome on ‘Update on the implementation of Digital Transition in Nigeria,’ at the workshop, founder of eShekels, Mr. Fola Odufuwa noted that Nigeria would require Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the broadcasting industry to meet up with the 2015 digital broadcasting migration deadline, insisting that micro-economy is incapable of funding digital migration for the nation.

He also warned against uncoordinated deployment of digital equipment in Nigeria among the players in the industry, more so in the wake of adamant posture of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), an agency of the federal government charged with this mission of digital migration.

He noted that even if the digital equipment are to be produced locally, the producers may have to be supported to be able to generate programmes if broadcasters are to fill regulatory quotas for local content on the new platforms, which also involves funding.

His position was evident on the fact that Nigeria has what Odufuwa described as a “debt markets hold on short term funds,” explaining that this kind of climate is unreliable to support relatively long breakeven periods for digital broadcasting investments.

Stakeholders, he recalled, had argued in the course of the study that the macro-economy, prevalent in Nigerian debt market holds short term funds, therefore, it would be incapable to support relatively long breakeven periods for digital broadcasting reserves.

Odufuwa also stated in the study sponsored by the Association of Progressive Communication (APC) that broadcast production and studio equipment are progressively being converted to digital output, in uncoordinated fashion by both private and public stations across the country.

He added that the main motivation for this trend was the increasing obsolescence of analogue studio equipment as opposed to the strategic implementation of any official digitalisation plan.

Equally, he said, the study revealed that stakeholders were doubtful of the ability of the government through the regulators, especially the broadcasting industry, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to achieve the anticipated aggressive digitalisation ambitions.

“In spite of the latest pronouncements, NBC’s pro-activeness and the broad industry acceptance of the need to make the digital move, doubts persist among stakeholders as to the ability of the government to achieve its aggressive digitalisation ambitions,” Odufuwa stated through his representative, Mr. Emmanuel Edet.

A number of the respondents, he said, were of the view that the government is under-estimating the huge complexities to be faced in implementing the migration and probably needs to first focus on making the regulator more efficient. Listing some of the issues’ outline to include that they believe there would need to be contended with bureaucracy and red-tape as well as capital outlay.

Decrying the non-availability of the White Paper on Digital Broadcast Migration based on the Presidential Advisory Committee (PAC) report at the public domain, he said, it was due for release over 20 months ago.

“Though admittedly, there has been a change in office bearers and the President was only sworn in February 2010, respondents say that the seemingly laid-back attitude of the regulator coupled with the “fire brigade” or general “last minute” tendencies of the civil service may prevent the attainment of the change-over ambition within the timetable suggested,” he noted, emphasizing the need for some financial assistance of sorts or cheaper funding sources to be extended to private broadcasters to convert existing equipment and to operate digital terrestrial broadcast systems.

He maintained that government-owned stations may also require some external funding assistance, even for those that have been fully commercialized, adding that local producers may have to be supported to be able to generate programmes if broadcasters are to fill regulatory quotas for local content on the new platforms.

In his presentation, the United Kingdom-based Chief executive officer of Balancing Act, Mr. Russell Southwood, canvassed for a Digital Migration Task Force for Nigeria, if success is expected to be made of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) deadline for June 2015.

In an overview and strategies to accelerate the digital broadcast transition among the West African countries, Mr. Southwood noted though that Nigeria had recently announced a shift from the continental deadline earlier fixed for June 2012 to 2015, yet nothing seems to be on the ground.

He also said that there is no sleep lost in shifting the date by the country, after all, Australia has shifted its deadline to 2019, four years after the global deadline. Maintaining that most importantly is that implementation takes off as there is no switch anywhere to be turned to achieve the migration if not well streamlined.

He agreed that the Nigeria needs a task force on digital migration to make a success out of the initiative, stressing that Nigeria should move beyond the submission of the white paper by the President Advisory Committee (PAC) on Digital Broadcast Migration to the next level, which is actual implementation.

Whilst private and public players could and have started the digital transition process without the government or regulator as revealed by the studies, Mr. Southwood said, the scale of the task is so huge and demands the involvement of all of stakeholders in the process.

“This is best achieved by creating a Task Force or Committee to create an implementation plan and a timetable for the plan,” he advised, stressing that government needs to provide clear policy leadership but it must persuade all of the players of its policy objectives if the process is to start successfully.

He cited an example, saying that it needs at an early point to set a date for the switch-off for the analogue signal, from which all other parts of the timetable could be set, saying “Likewise, the regulator will need to give clear guidance on how it sees spectrum re-allocation happening.”

Southwood underscored the fact that this task force would contain representatives of all the relevant government bodies, key broadcasters and ideally, some representation from consumer groups representing end-users.

“A smaller sub-group might be set up that is directly involved in the transition implementation,” he suggested.

He said that the task force has three key roles to play including ironing out the details of the agreed government policy, particularly who will do what; secondly, it will get all the relevant parties to formally commit themselves to the timetable agreed; and thirdly, it will be the focus for the promotion of the process to the public.

The Task Force he maintained would be better at the first two roles and have largely ignored the third, underlining the fact that it is this role – public awareness; that is vital in persuading the public to make the transition.

“Relatively simple practical things – like no-cost advertising by all broadcasters – form a vital cornerstone of raising awareness of the process and ensuring that people make the switch,” he said, noting that a total of 14 countries out of the 54 countries on the continent have commenced implementation of the strategies for digital migration, including Nigeria, thus on the right lane, even as about 33 countries, were yet to start any known form of actions on digital migration.

Southwood said that digital migration has the capacity to free up spectrum for data services, pointing out that while Nigeria, Morocco, Mauritius, Kenya have launched digital migration publicly, the likes of Tunisia, South Africa have gone into the pilot projects, just as Uganda and Guinea have their plans delayed but deliberating on the standards to be engaged.

In the case of Nigeria, Southwood cited the instance of commencing digital migration with the debut of StarTimes in collaboration with the Nigeria Television Authority (NTA) since last year, which is a good omen for the country on digital migration strategy.

This collaboration, he said, claims over 400,000 subscriptions with Set Top boxes sold 30,000 monthly, noting that all the Francophones within the West Africa region are trying to adopt a particular process.

The current rave of digital migration on the continent of Africa would free-up spectrum for mobile operators, as more efficient management of spectrum, could open up the businesses in this aspect, especially in using fund realized from spectrum sells to deploy digital migration equipment where needed. Arguing that standard to be adopted across African continent for digital migration is likely to be the same since the continent has relatively the same developmental challenges.

For him, the benefits of digitisation includes that good picture quality is very good, but all the equipment must be digital. Pointing out that economical cost of digitisation, would entail that operators share transmission signal such as mast and other equipment needed for delivery terrestrial service, government subsidy may encourage financing of more channels, which would also reduce the cost of migration.

Further he said that element of strategies to be involved in digital migration include network platform, decode also known as set-top boxes (STB), thereby increasing access to digital equipment such as radio and television through better signal.

Equally speaking on ‘Challenges of Reporting on Digital Broadcast Migration’ media practitioner, Mazi Remmy Nweke, recommended a well-set out and thought out structure of media engagement via professionals either by engaging in-house staff versed on media relation or engaging private sector based professional entities by the NBC.

According to him, NBC should conduct training sessions for media practitioners in the country, especially for those on the line of reporting or covering the digitisation and broadcasting in Nigeria as well as ensuring that people in government are held accountable to the public through the media, especially now that the Information Act has been signed into law.

A mailing list of those interested in covering the digitisation migration, he said, should be created so as to regularly share information, while face-to-face is also encouraged by inviting government officials to face the media for interactions, even if it’s quarterly.

“There should be a convergence of relevant government ministries, departments and agencies, especially those regulating to make things easier and decision even channelled to the media better engaged.

He advised reporters interested in covering this issue on digital migration to become digitally empowered as having a mobile phone is not a holistic digital empowerment, in addition for reporters to form a common front to this effect to create relevant awareness and public engagement to drive the message of digital migration home across the country, even as urging NBC to beef-up its public relations, especially with the media.

Conclusion:
Above, NBC needs to wake up and face the concept of digital migration with two hands, because of date, there is no sign of where the white paper on the presidential committee on digital migration, whether it has been dumped or swept under the carpet, only time would time, as the two-day workshop ended without any official of NBC in attendance, even when it was held in Abuja.

Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Nigeria needs 25m PCs to attain MDGs by 2015 – Ekeh

The executive chairman of Zinox Technologies, Dr. Leo-Stan Ekeh, has predicted that a total of 25m personal computers (PCs) are needed if Nigeria is keen at attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by end of 2015.

Dr. Ekeh made this declaration at a one-day forum on ‘A decade of ICT revolution’ which held in Lagos at the weekend, saying that contrary to this prediction may spell doom for the nation and chatter the dream of MDGs with regard to computer access to every home.

“The Nigerian state needs to deploy a minimum of 25,000,000 PCs in the next three years,” he asserted.

According to him, Nigeria would need to deploy an estimated 3,750,000 in each of the six geo-political zones of the country.

He said that additional 2,500,000 PCs would be needed in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Abuja otherwise the dream for attainment of the MDGs by the country would be efforts in futility.

“… Or forget the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals by 2015,” he declared.

Ekeh pointed out that the 25m PCs if deployed within this period, must be targeted at the youths who have leave post-primary education with six alphas and all graduating students from the Polytechnics, Colleges of Education and Universities.

These PCs, Ekeh opined should be funded by the Federal Government under an arrangement that requires all corporate persons to pay 1 per cent Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tax for a period of five years.

Alternatively, he said the savings from the sovereign wealth fund could be ploughed into the provision of these PCs in the next three years.

This investment, he said, apart from powering domesticated technology, would place in the hands of Nigerian youths the equipment to launch an era of ‘unlimited possibilities.’

“These youth men and women would form the nucleus of a new generation of job providers while kick starting a new knowledge economy,” Dr. Ekeh said, stressing that those trained under this proposition would go into paid employment with enough IT savvy to introduce a new era of efficient service delivery in public and private sectors.

He said that this generation closely interconnected by satellite television, social media and the Internet would give rise to a new ICT based work culture, hence increasing productivity and self sufficiency.

“Reducing corruption and kinship that leads to ethnicity and enabling a self interpretation of faith that would undermine religious extremism,” he predicted, adding that this scenario would encourage even development, hasten the attainment of MDGs by 2015 as well as placing the nation firmly on the road to 20-2020.

He pointed out that various governments have failed to create adequate jobs for graduates averaging 600,000 annually, because they still concentrate on deploying outdated solutions in a digital century.

According to him, what the deployment of 25m PCs would do to the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector, would encompass job creation because these PCs would first be manufactured and delivered by indigenous Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) for PCs.

This, he said, automatically address the challenges of capacity building as Nigerians acquire more technical competences, with attendant prices forced downward, thereby enabling the local OEMs to compete with foreign brands effectively.

“Boost the local industry with 25m PCs and you can be sure that the banks would line up with all kinds of finance packages,” he said, stressing that the deployment would immediately boost participation in the development of software applications, the internet and social media as well as kick-starting the ICT revolution in real terms.

He said that until Nigerian engineers began to fabricate local factories and run them optimally; built Nigerian satellites launched from this shores, the nation may not meet up with the MDGs.

Although he noted that Nigeria missed out in the industrial and scientific revolutions, but deliberate policies must be put in place for an effective participation in the ICT revolution.

Ekeh cautioned Nigerians to jealously protect and sustain the ICT industry as the only source of healing from the terminally ill-crude oil industry and avoid being hostage to nature.

Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Ajayi, Titi top 2011 NomCom selection

Nigeria has clinched two out of the eight leadership positions with the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), according to the 2011 Nominating Committee (NomCom) chairman, Mr. Adam Peake.

He also said that his committee has completed its selections for eight leadership positions within ICANN formed in 1998, which coordinates Internet Protocol (IP) addresses as unique identifiers across the world, thus dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperable, thereby promoting competition and develops policy on the Internet’s unique identifiers.

Peake said that the two Nigerians who made the final selection process include the immediate past President of the Nigeria Internet Group (NIG) and chief executive officer, PiNet Informatics, Mr. Lanre Ajayi and Mrs. Titi Akinsanmi, a Nigerian youthful technology savvy professional based in South Africa.

He said that this year’s Nominating Committee received 88 statements of Interest from candidates all over the world including 23 female and 65 male; during its open nomination period from 17 December 2010 to 4 April 2011, from where the duo were chosen.

The latest selections, he said, would take up their positions after the end of ICANN’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Dakar, Senegal on October 28, 2011.

He listed the regional breakdown of this year’s candidates to include 19 from Africa; 24 from Asia, Australia and Pacific; 14 from Europe, 15 from Latin America and Caribbean, and 16 from North America.

“We are very pleased to have been able to select such high quality people to join ICANN. They are a great group, bringing skills and experience that will serve the community well. It’s been a tough job, the NomCom had to choose from a very strong applicant pool, with many highly qualified candidates for every position, including a record number of female applicants,” he said.

Peake noted that after many hours of teleconferences and meetings, and then almost two and half days of discussion locked away in a room in Singapore, his team reached unanimous agreement on all the selected nominees and the overall slate that includes individuals from China, Germany, Jamaica, Malaysia, Nigeria, Philippines and United States.

He expressed appreciate to his committee for their hard work, adding that on behalf of all the NomCom he applauded all 88 candidates who gave their time and effort in volunteering to help ICANN.

The outline for the eight newly selected nominees, he said, comprise of two ICANN Board of Directors, namely Dr. Steve Crocker, United States, and Ms Judith Vasquez, Philippines, while the At-Large Advisory Committee (ALAC) has Mrs. Titi Akinsanmi, Nigeria, Ms. Rinalia Abdul Rahim, Malaysia and Mr. Carlton Samuels, Jamaica.

The Generic Name Supporting Organisation (GNSO) council has Messrs Lanre Ajayi, Nigeria and Thomas Rickert, Germany, even as the Country Code Name Supporting Organisation (ccNSO) council Dr. Hong Xue of China was the choice.

ITRealms Online recalls that NomCom is charged with recruiting and selecting a portion of ICANN’s leadership, thus mandated to ensure that overall ICANN’s leadership is diverse in geography, culture, skills, experience, and perspective.

Peake further explained that the basic criteria was that selectees were people of integrity, objectivity and sound judgment, could support decision-making within groups, work effectively in English, have an understanding of ICANN’s mission and operation, as well as committed to its success, experienced in world affairs, contribute to cultural, professional and geographic expertise, and could work long and hard as volunteers in the global public trust.

He emphasised that NomCom evaluated over eighty-eight candidates, many of whom with exceptional qualifications in relation to the key criteria as set out in the ICANN Bylaws. With such a rich pool of candidates and very few seats to fill, the NomCom found itself unable to appoint all the applicants the Committee members would have desired to see on the Board and on the other bodies.

Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

DHq, New Horizons partner on cyber security

Defence Headquarters of the Nigerian Army and New Horizons, may have joined forces to battle cyber security among ranks and file.

A press statement made available by Public Relations Manager at New Horizons, Mr. Yemi Sokoya at the weekend indicated that the two organisation recently showed this in their partnership for the World Information Security Conference, which held in Abuja.

The event, he said, was organized by the Defence Headquarters, EC-Council World-wide in partnership with New Horizons Nigeria.

He said, the seminar attracted 200 topmost military and business leaders including the chief host and Chief of Defence Staff, Air Vice Marshal Oluseyi Petinrin, service chiefs, National Security Adviser (NSA) Gen. A.O. Azazi retired, representative of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor and other participants from the banking, oil and gas, manufacturing, academia and the public service sectors.

According to him, one salient conclusion reached was the need to raise the level of awareness and knowledge of Nigerians, business owners and other stakeholders involved in the security of information either on computer or technology driven infrastructures such as electricity, traffic control, cash lodgments and withdrawals, production processes, et cetera.

Welcoming participants, the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Vice Marshall Petinrin, said the conference reflected the growing importance of cyber security.

He also said, it was gratifying that the conference was aimed at securing the virtual world for national security in order to build a stronger awareness and come up with plans for containing cyber threats in Nigeria.

The CDS further said, cyber crime is a global phenomenon that threatens national security, which has become a growing concern in both public and private sectors in the country, thereby making cyber security more strategic as nations and organizations invest in developing strategies, defining architectures and conducting risk assessment.

He, thereafter, acknowledged the need for cyber capabilities that would allow Nigerians defend the nation against attacks, “this conference is organised to achieve that purpose” he said.

Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D

Uwadia says measured ICT4D impacts on citizens

Immediate past president of the Nigeria Computer Society (NCS), Prof. Charles Uwadia has said that for the nation’s Information and Communication Technology for Development (ICT4D) plans to be felt by the citizenry, the implementation must be measured through research and development.

Prof. Uwadia who made this disclosure while presiding over a joint session on Group C and D on ICT in Research and Development and ICT Popularisation and Awareness, during a sectoral workshop organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Lagos, last week.

Uwadia who was x-raying the iCT4D in Research and Development aspect of the national e-Strategy, said that Research and Development (R&D) is the bedrock of any self-reliant national economy.

The agrarian, industrial and ICT revolutions, he said, have all been made possible as a result of progress made in R & D in these three sectors.

“Development in these sectors is one of the indices for assessing the development of any national economy,” he said.

He listed some of the challenges of research and development in the country to include difficulty in accessing relevant and updated information on research in similar areas or sectors.

Also, he said that duplication of research and development activities by different bodies in Nigeria, coupled with the lack of coordination within the different levels of government has not been helpful.

Additionally, he noted the need for institutionalized relationship with local and international R & D bodies, to strengthen the synergy between companies involved in R & D and user companies.

The need for ICT capacity building, he said, could not be over-emphasised even as inadequate investment in R & D is worrisome, Uwadia stressed that the lack of adaptation of ICT systems to local environment and their needs must be addressed to witness positive change in the implementation of ICT4D plans for the country.

He pointed out that aside from classifying the R & D bodies into sectors, Nigeria needs to develop a portal containing the database of bodies involved in R & D.

This, he said, would help in determining the level of ICT utilization for R & D as well as its dissemination of products outline or research outcome.

Networking of relevant R & D bodies locally, he said must be linked to the established international R & D organizations so as to facilitate the impact of R & D on the local economy.

He said, that development of capacity building strategies and multi-lingual hardware and software platforms must not be relegated, just as development of adaptable ICT programme to local environment and their needs remain paramount to the success of ICT4D implementation.

“Localised keyboard is not a bad idea,” he declared, adding that the implementation agencies must include Federal Ministry of Science and Technology, Federal Ministry of Industries and NITDA.

Remmy Nweke
ITREALMS Online ... delivering news for ICT4D