LCA, partners host regional experts on Alternative Dispute Resolution confab

ITRealms:

The Lagos Court of Arbitration (LCA), in collaboration with the Investment Climate Facility for Africa (ICF), Chevron Nigeria, Stanbic IBTC, White and Case, and Africa Finance Corporation (AFC) has assembled legal experts, entrepreneurs, investors and the government in a West Africa Regional Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) conference to reiterate the need to timely resolve commercial dispute through effective mediation and arbitration to promote economic growth.

ITRealms reports that while welcoming participants, the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Fashola (SAN), represented by the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Lagos State, Mr. Ade Ipaye urged the business community to embrace Alternative Dispute Resolution for quick resolution of contractual disputes. According to him, the emergence of the LCA is due to non-avoidance of disputes in business dealings and the increasing need for an international arbitration and acceptable alternative dispute resolution center.

In his keynote at the occasion, Mr. Arnold Ekpe, Director, Sovereign Wealth Fund, stated one of the challenges of the Arbitration process in this part of the world as ‘Africans’ themselves. He said, “It is time for Africans to change their mindset by believing in arbitration process, thereby creating the right environment to build confidence in the minds of investors that the available process is reliable in the resolution of cases.”

Also speaking at the conference, Mrs Bimpe Nkontchou, Director, Lagos Court of Arbitration and Partner, Addie & Co Solicitor, London, said, “It is known that Arbitrators of African origin are under-utilised in the regional and international arbitration circuit. Time has come for us to appoint skilled African arbitrators and use arbitration institutions on the continent.”

Nkonchou further added, “ADR is far more affordable than litigation. Arbitration is distinct from other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) mechanisms, which include mediation, conciliation and early neutral evacuation. Though arbitration occupies center stage in the global dispute resolution market, these other mechanisms are equally important and in some cases, equally effective and much less expensive than arbitration.”

Nankunda Katangaza, Head of International Policy at the Law Society of England & Wales, who was recently named one of Britain's most influential black people, said "I am delighted to be part of what I considered the most exciting and progressive institutional developments in Nigeria and Africa. The Law Society is pleased for the collaboration because of the positive effects the LCA will have in speedy resolution of disputes and improvement of business environments. The LCA presents opportunities for members of the Law Society to work closely with Nigerian counterparts in dispute resolution by joining the panel of neutrals.’’ 

Present at the conference were several distinguished local and international legal and business experts, including Federal High Court Justice, Justice Rita Ajumogobia; former Vice President, External Affairs, Tullow Oil Plc, London, Rosalind Kainyah; Commissioner, Market Competition and Rates, Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), Eyo Ekpo; General Counsel, Chevron Nigeria, Eyitemi Ned Mojuetan;  Registrar, Mauritius International Arbitration Court (MCIA), Duncan Bagshaw; amongst others, who all harped on the many advantages of Alternative Dispute Resolution over litigation.

The LCA West Africa Regional ADR Conference was proudly supported by The Law Society of England & Wales, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, Chartered Institute of Arbitrators Nigeria, and the International Senior Lawyers Project (ISLP), and is the center’s way of further creating and maintaining awareness of ADR and reaching the primary end users, consisting members of the public, owners of small and medium scale businesses and executives of large corporate and multinationals.  

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 (L-R)- Board Member of the Lagos Court of Arbitration, Fabian Ajogwu (SAN); President of the Lagos Court of Arbitration, Babajide Ogundipe; Director of the Lagos Court of Arbitration and Conference Chair, Bimpe Nknotchou; Director, Sovereign Wealth Fund, Nigeria, Arnold Ekpe and Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Ade Ipaye at the Lagos Court of Arbitration (LCA) Regional Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Conference  in Lagos recently.

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

DigitalSENSE Business News:

 

As part of efforts to create financial inclusion and accessibility to all Nigerians in what the company called a cost-effective way M-Commerce, the Computer Warehouse Group (CWG) has entered a deal with leading mobile network operator, MTN Nigeria on MTN Xaas platform recently.

The Group Managing Director, CWG, Mr. Austin Okere confirmed this to DigitalSENSE Business News, saying that both companies see growth potential in the payment solutions space in the banking and finance sector in the country.

CWG, he noted is a leading player in the banking and finance vertical thus considers payment solution, which includes e-payments, as an important aspect of its growth story.

He explained to DigitalSENSE Business News that MTN XaaS platform is a solution for microfinance, savings and loans, cooperative and other small scale financial institutions and shows strong penetration in Nigerian market.

The platform powered by CWG technology, Mr. Okere told DigitalSENSE Business News comes as a partnership with MTN to jointly create a business model that would set new paradigms for mobile commerce in this part of the world.

“MTN XaaS, the mobile commerce and MFB platform with CWG digital commerce at its core will enable millions of ‘bank and mobile network customers’ to make cashless payments and settlements through their mobile phones,” he said.

Further, he said that the platform also empowers banks and Mobile Money operators to roll out innovative mobile financial services to their numerous customers via mobile telephony, one of which is the just launched MTN Yellow Diamond Account, which offers the 55 million MTN subscribers with the opportunity of financial inclusiveness.

Remmy Nweke

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Pix:L-r Babatunde Osho, Chief Enterprise Solutions Officer, MTN, Brett Goshen, former CEO, MTN Nigeria and Austin Okere, Group CEO, Computer Warehouse Group, at the Sign Off ceremony between CWG and MTN held in Lagos recently.

ICANN’s CROPP takes off in FY14

DigitalSENSE Business News:

The recently approved ICANN FY14 Operating Plan and Budget (FY14 OPP) includes some expanded resources for outreach, otherwise known as the Community Regional Outreach Pilot Programme (CROPP) as part of capacity-building efforts by internet communities, reports DigitalSENSE Business News.

The ICANN Board and Senior Staff recognized in the financial year 2014 (FY14) OPP that, while organization-wide efforts to develop a comprehensive ICANN outreach strategy.

DigitalSENSE Business News also reports that ICANN plans to give individual communities some immediate flexible support to start or continue targeted outreach efforts that support specific community outreach or recruitment strategies.

In an effort to provide that support as soon as possible and to test whether such a resource can be effectively and consistently managed on an organization-wide basis, staff was directed to develop – as a pilot program - a community regional outreach trip programme to be made available to regional At-Large organizations and non-contract Generic Name Supporting Organisation (GNSO) constituencies.

DigitalSENSE Business News gathered that based on the foregoing, ICANN recognizes that the formal FY14 OPP was approved almost two months into the fiscal year, staff reportedly worked hard over the last several weeks to develop a pilot programme framework that is “implementable” in the short term and “assessable” over the long term.

To this extend, DigitalSENSE Business News reports that a detailed overview of this new Community Regional Outreach Pilot Program (CROPP) shows ICANN has created a new wiki workspace in addition to administer the programme.   

Further, DigitalSENSE Business News reports that in according with the FY14 OPP directive to CROPP provides a framework in which each of the 5 At Large Regional Organisations (RALOS) and each of the 5 GNSO non-contract Constituencies will have available 5 "regional" (three-day) outreach trips in FY14.

The specific processes for how these resources are to be made available are set forth in the attached overview document and in the wiki workspace.

Three critical components of the programme include specific pre-trip approval standards such as flexibly administered by community-based leadership and ICANN Regional Vice Presidents; post-trip reviews and assessments and finally an overall spirit of transparency by which all ICANN community members could observe the implementation of the programme.

Remmy Nweke

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Pix: Steve Crocker, ICANN board chairman

ITU, UN ESCAP bridge digital gap with interactive Terrestrial Transmission Info superhighway

ITRealms: 

The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Monday in Bangkok say they are introducing maps of the Global Information Superhighway, to bridge the digital divide in Asia-Pacific region.

ITRealms reports that the project tagged the ITU Interactive Terrestrial Transmission/ESCAP Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway Maps will show policy makers and investors where the missing links in terrestrial transmission are across the region, assisting ESCAP in its efforts to bring affordable information and communication technology (ICT) and broadband connectivity for all.

Only 7 per cent of people in the Asia-Pacific region have fixed broadband access and it is the most digitally divided region in the world, with Republic of Korea at 37.56 per cent fixed broadband penetration, compared to Myanmar with only 0.01 per cent.

“We have seen significant progress in the area of broadband connectivity with the landing of submarine cables in many countries, along with the expansion of national and cross-border fibre backbone networks, as well as mobile and wireless services,” said ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun Touré.

He also said that the ITU Interactive Terrestrial Transmission/ESCAP Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway maps would demonstrate the current status of ICT connectivity around the globe, empower network planners policy-makers and regulators from developing countries, while also industry with a powerful tool to assess market opportunities.”

Addressing Connect Asia-Pacific Summit in Bangkok, Dr Noeleen Heyzer, the United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP said the Information Superhighway mapping will play an important role in addressing this digital divide.

“In Asia and the Pacific, what we call the ‘digital divide’ is in fact an income divide, a gender divide, an education divide and a knowledge divide,” Dr Heyzer explained, stressing that rising inequality – both income and non-income poses one of the greatest challenges in Asia-Pacific and technological progress has often widened these gaps, separating those with education and knowledge from those without.

Toure continued to together we must bridge the ICT divide by building a seamless information and communication space in the region through the Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway. Our efforts must be global in ambition, regional in scope, and local in execution.”

“These new online interactive maps, developed with the assistance of ESCAP and the United Nations Cartographic Section, will serve as a powerful tool to facilitate the development of broadband connectivity worldwide,” said ITU Secretary-General Hamadoun I. Touré. “These authoritative, cutting-edge ICT data-mapping platforms will take stock of national fibre and microwave backbone connectivity, as well as other key metrics of the ICT sector.”

Dr Heyzer stressed the importance of public-private people partnerships, saying the full potential of ICTs will only be realized if transformative technologies are accompanied by shared values, shared commitment, and shared solidarity for inclusive and sustainable development.

The need to synchronize the deployment of fibre-optic cables with the construction or maintenance of railways and roads was also highlighted at today’s launch, as up to 90% of the costs of laying out fibre are associated with civil-engineering work that is regularly performed when roads or railways are constructed.

The ITU Interactive Terrestrial Transmission/ESCAP Asia-Pacific Information Superhighway maps will feature the region’s main transport networks – the Asian Highway and the Trans-Asian Railways –as it is critical that fibre-optic cables can be laid in coordination with the construction of railways and roads to ensure appropriate cost savings.

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GDES explains debut of Nigerian free.lanci.ng website

ITRealms:

The management of one of the pioneer Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Nigeria and owners of SKANNET network, the General Data Engineering Services (GDES), has explained the reason behind its recent introduction of a Nigerian Free.lanci.ng website.

According to the chief executive officer, GDES, Mr. Sunday Folayan who gave this explanation in a chat with ITRealms, said that the freelancing website was created by Nigerians for Nigerians, to facilitate easy and intuitive website for workers and employers, with login system using existing Facebook identity (ID) which means “No need of Registration” although registration is available for those who would not like to use their Facebook ID in addition to free account profile for workers and employers with instant N100 credit, when users sign-up to the website.

Also, Folayan disclosed to ITRealms that payments could be made and received using Interswitch Verve or Mastercard, just as direct remittance to freelancers' Nigerian NUBAN accounts has been streamlined, whereas terms and conditions favourable to freelancers, even as the Escrow system, assures payments for jobs done promptly.

He noted that most Nigerians who patronize popular freelancing websites before now face some challenges not limited to a high level of commission charged on jobs done, difficulty in having earnings remitted to their accounts in Nigeria, working under jurisdictions not favourable to them, stiff competition with thousands of lower bids, and language barrier, communicating with people who do not speak English to name a few.

“Free.lanci.ng was created to make these problems become things of the past, and usher in an era of prosperity for Nigerian freelancers,” Folayan asserted, decrying the low rate of turnover for freelancers and competition.

Folayan went on to state that job categories available on Free.lanci.ng comprises advertising and public relations, artisan and workmen, business and management, engineering, graphic design and animation, human resources, online advertisement, sales and marketing, software, IT solutions and programming, trainings, websites and web design, writings and translations among others.

Remmy Nweke

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Onuegbu, SA CEO, makes finalist in E&Y Entrepreneurship award’13

DigitalSENSE Business News:

Managing Director of a leading Nigerian Information Technology (IT) solutions company, the Signal Alliance (SA), Mr. Collins Onuegbu made it as 2013 finalist in the recently concluded Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award under its Master Category for the West African sub-region.

DigitalSENSE Business News reports that the Minister of Trade, Dr. Olusegun Aganga in his remarks at the ceremony, detailed benefits of events such as the Ernst and Young World Entrepreneur of the Year Award, stressed the need to celebrate entrepreneurs as they boost the economy by their businesses which provide employment for the citizenry.

Regional Managing Partner for West Africa, Ernst & Young, Mr. Henry Egbiki,  told DigitalSENSE Business News that the award is “the most prestigious award that recognizes entrepreneurs across the world,” saying that finalists and winners of the award emerged after an extensive and intensive process.

Also, DigitalSENSE Business News gathered that Mr. Onuegbu, one of the few entrepreneurs in the indigenous ICT sector to be so nominated, narrowly lost to the winner Engr. Femi Akintunde of Alpha Mead Facilities & Management Services Ltd.

Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year nominees, DigitalSENSE Business News further learnt were reviewed by an independent judging panel composed of several distinguished business leaders and previous award recipients using various criteria in entrepreneurial spirit, financial performance, corporate strategic direction, local and global  impact, innovation, personal integrity and influence.

In his reaction on the nomination, Mr. Onuegbu who is a graduate of University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN) and founding CEO of the company told DigitalSENSE Business News that it was a most humbling manifestation of the giant strides made by the company over the years.

DigitalSENSE Business News recalls that Signal Alliance in the past 17 years has continued to set records in performance and growth in the area of information technology business process solutions and consultancy in all sectors of the nation’s economy; using its strategic partnerships with global OEMs in the IT market like SAP, Microsoft, Cisco, CA amongst others, Signal Alliance has been able to leverage on its expertise to redefine the aspect of enterprise IT solutions in the sub-region.

 Chuks Egbuna/GEE

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Pix 1: From left Ernst & Young Regional Managing Partner for West Africa, Henry Egbiki, Director-General, Securities and Exechange Commission (SEC) Arunma Oteh OON, Collins Onuegbu, CEO Signal Alliance adn Minister of Industry, Trade & Investment, Olusegun Aganga during the award ceremony.
Pix 2: From left Adanma Onuegbu, Executive Director, Collins Onuegbu CEO, Michael Chinwuba, marketing and communications manager, Chinyere Azike all of Signal Alliance Limited at the award ceremony.

Wolfgang joins ICANN board of directors

ITRealms:

Prof. Wolfgang Kleinwächter has been nominated into the Board of Directors of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), reports ITRealms.

Chairman, 2013 Nominating Committee (NomCom), Yrjo Lansipuro confirmed this to ITRealms, saying they were pleased to announce the selection of Wolfgang Kleinwächter as a member to the ICANN Board of Directors.

The position, ITRealms also reports became vacant following the recent resignation of Board member Ms. Judith Duavit Vazquez, selected by the 2011 NomCom.

Wolfgang Kleinwächter, therefore, according to Lansipuro, takes up his position on the ICANN Board of Directors with immediate effect, serving for the remainder of the term vacated by Ms. Vazquez, ending at the conclusion of the 2014 ICANN Annual General Meeting (AGM).

ITRealms recalls that Wolfgang, a professor for International Communication Policy and Regulation at the Department for Media and Information Sciences of the University of Aarhus in Denmark teaches "Internet Policy and Regulation" since 1998.

He studied Communication, International Law and International Relations at the University of Leipzig (B.A. 1971, M.A. 1974, Ph.D. 1981); with academic teaching experiences including courses and lectures on Internet Governance at numerous universities around the globe, including, inter alia die School of International Services at American University in Washington D.C. and the Faculty of Journalism at Lomonossow University in Moscow.

Also involved in Internet Governance issues since 1997, he has participated in various capacities, mostly in 45 ICANN meetings out of the 48 on record. He served five years in the NomCom (2009/2010 as its chair) and was since 2011 a member of the GNSO Council, elected by the Non-Commercial Stakeholder Group (NCSG) where he is a member of the NCUC.

In the WSIS process he was a member of the Civil Society Bureau, co-chaired the Internet Governance Caucus (IGC) and was appointed by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan as for the UN Working Group on Internet Governance (WGIG). In the Tunis Summit he was part of the governmental delegation of Denmark. Between 2006 and 2010 he served as Special Adviser to the Chair of the Internet Governance Forum (IGF), Nitin Desai. In 2011/2012 he was a member of the UNCSTD Working Group on IGF Improvement. In 2012 he joined the German governmental delegation to the World Conference on International Telecommunication (WCIT) and served in the Informal Expert Group of the World Telecommunication Policy Forum in 2013.

He is a co-founder of the European Dialogue on Internet Governance (EURODIG), the Global Internet Governance Academic Network (GIGANET), the Summer School on Internet Governance (SSIG) and chair of the ICANN Studienkreis. He served in the Advisory Board of the dotmobi Registry and became in 2010 an International Adviser to CNNIC. In the EU, he was involved in the Safer Internet Action Plan (SIAP), the Task Force on the Internet of Things and the Inter-Regional Information Society Initiative (IRISI). In the Council of Europe he chaired the Expert Group on Cross Border Internet (2009 – 2011).

For more than 20 years he was a member of the Council of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) and served as the president of the IAMCR Law Section between 1988 and 1998. He was a member of the Program Committee for INET 2002 in Washington D.C. and a Key-Note Speaker, Panelist, Moderator and Rapporteur of numerous international conferences.

His research work includes more than 100 international publications, including 7 books. Since 2011 he is the editor of the publication series MIND (Multistakeholder Internet Dialogue). He also served as member of several advisory boards of scientific journals, including Transnational Data and Communication Report, Computer Law and Security Report, The Journal of Media Law and Practice, Gazette and the Journal for Virtual Reality.

He testified in Hearings in the Deutsche Bundestag and the European Parliament. He is Chair of the Board of Medienstadt Leipzig e.V., a recognized At Large Structure under the ICANN Bylaws and got the "Internet Award" the highest Internet prize in Germany, by the German Internet Economy Association (eco) in 2012.

ITRealms joins the global internet users’ community to wish him a successful tenure at ICANN board of directors.

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Pix: Prof. Wolfgang Kleinwächter

MTN Group Selects Etisalat SmartHub to Extend Regional Network Reach

ITRealms:

MTN and Etisalat groups respectively are partnering on smart hub to extend regional networks.

Ali Amiri, Executive Vice President, Carrier & Wholesale Services, Etisalat, confirmed this to ITRealms, saying that Etisalat, leading telecom operator in the Middle East and Africa, at the weekend, made this revelation of its partnership with MTN Group to extend their regional network reach via Etisalat SmartHub.

He said, MTN Group, a leading emerging markets telecommunications provider, will connect through Etisalat’s SmartHub at Fujairah CLS to expand its advanced data network capabilities.

ITRealms recalls that MTN, the South Africa-based multinational company operates in African, European and Middle Eastern countries.

He explained that Etisalat’s SmartHub provides advanced content, IPX, IX and high speed data services for its customers in the UAE and the region. Stressing that the new partnership will also enable MTN Group to connect via a new route to Europe, beneficial to its large customer base in the Middle East.

Etisalat's SmartHub is a global communications hub facilitating direct routing of traffic between the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe.

Amiri said they are delighted to have such a prestigious telecom group as MTN join the SmartHub community of operators and content providers. Explaining that SmartHub is designed to provide partners with a one stop shop for connectivity to the region.

“This partnership with MTN Group showcases the importance of the SmartHub as well as puts UAE in the limelight as the regional hub for telecom services. We look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship and enhancing customer experience," Amiri said.

For Jyoti Desai, the Group Chief Technology and Information Officer, MTN “Etisalat’s Smarthub is seen as an important hub in our bid to expand MTN’s world class global multi-services network, as it allows us to provide advanced communication services to our customers in the Middle East and Africa. The rising significance of UAE’s strategic position as the communication network hub for the Middle East and Africa region underpins the importance of this partnership in our expansion plan.”

Nenye Dom/GEE
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