Airtel partners Wikimedia on Wikipedia Zero

ITRealms:

Airtel Nigeria has entered into a strategic partnership with the Wikimedia Foundation, the non-profit that operates Wikipedia, to offer their consumers across the country access to Wikipedia through their mobile phones free of data charges, reports ITRealms.

The initiative dubbed Wikipedia Zero, ITRealms gathered is the first of its kind in Nigeria, aimed at reaching and empowering billions of people around the world whose access to the Internet is primarily through a mobile device.

Also ITRealms gathered that Airtel Nigeria subscribers could with this partnership now access Wikipedia free of data charges at m.wikipedia.org.

With the new partnership, Airtel will help deliver knowledge and information of Wikipedia to 21 million of new users in the West African region.

The Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Maurice Newa, said the initiative is in line with the company’s corporate vision of becoming Nigeria’s number one Internet Company, saying the new service will help connect Nigerians with relevant knowledge and information that will empower them to succeed in their personal and professional endeavours.

“We are excited with our partnership with the Wikimedia Foundation and we will continue to provide innovative solutions that will uplift Nigerians in line with our brand promise of becoming the most loved brand in the daily lives of Nigerians. At Airtel, we are passionate and committed to creating solid educational and youth empowerment platforms that will enrich and transform the lives of telecoms consumers across the country,” he said.

“We commend Airtel Nigeria for taking a leadership role in empowering their society through information access, and we’re thrilled to partner with them,” said Carolynne Schloeder, Head of Mobile Partnerships at the Wikimedia Foundation. “Expanding Wikipedia Zero to the people of Nigeria is a big step forward for free knowledge in Africa,” she said.

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Ericsson’s App Awards 2014: SOP, WorkMode emerge winners

ITRealms:

The Nigerian team SOP and South African team WorkMode at the weekend emerged first prize winners in their various categories in the 2014 Ericsson’s App awards, ITRealms reports.

Also ITRealms reports that SOP from Nigeria won its first prize in company category for the app that monitors electricity supply, while South Africa’s team WorkMode won first prize position in the student category with its collaboration app.

ITRealms recalls that both teams were selected out of 300 teams from over 63 countries from all over the globe and selected semi-finalist apps were reviewed by a panel of global representatives and they decided on the two winning teams, who will each receive €25,000, about N5544331.36 in prize money.

Announcing the winners of the 2014 Ericsson Application Awards at a ceremony at Ericsson Studio in Kista, Sweden, the Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, Ericsson, Bina Chaurasia, while congratulating the winners, noted that the honours in the student category, Team WorkMode from South Africa created an app that helps workers collaborate by allowing them to see the real-time work context and tasks of colleagues.

According to the jury remarks made available to ITRealms, “We felt that Team WorkMode showed a strong business potential, and their focus on design and usability helped them when it came to innovation and addressing the theme of Apps for working life.”

Responding, Jacques Marais of Team WorkMode said, ”This award will help us to build our business and allow us to develop not only this app but also some ideas we have around education in South Africa. It will also enable us to purchase hardware so we can expand to different platforms. It’s a real boost.”

On the company category won by Team SOP from Nigeria, who created an app that analyses the availability of electricity in a given area, the jury outlined their reasons for choosing SOP, saying in a joint statement that “Team SOP presented a strong case of using technology in a way that anyone could understand, value and would invest in. 

“They cleverly combined consumer, society and business benefits around lifting transparency of power delivery in a well designed package,” the jury said.

Reacting, Toks Ogun of Team SOP said, “This award means we can continue to expand and develop our app, which monitors electricity supplies. We can see a market in parts of North America, in South America and in India and we will continue to develop our idea.”

The RSSA Technology for Good Award also went to Africa, with Sowertech’s Afta Robot app receiving the award for their smart solution for public transportation.

The jury motivated their choice by saying: “Every day 15 million people in Africa face long walks and sometimes longer waits as they make their daily journeys by taxi. Sowertech has helped connect taxis and their customers by providing information on location and much more through their Afta Robot mobile app.”

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Ndukwe joins Uwadia, Omo-Ettu, Johnson @ DigitalSENSE forum’14

ITRealms:

Notable industry speakers have continued to drum their support for the 2014 Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D) and Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable have increased with the latest being the co-chairman, Nigeria National Broadband Council, Dr. Ernest Ndukwe, reports ITRealms.

This is coming as the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson has accepted to declare the event officially open. She would be represented by the Director, e-Governance at the Ministry, Mr. Tope Fashedemi, at the two-day forum holding at Welcome Center Hotels, International Airport Road, Lagos, between June 5 and 6, 2014.

Executive Director, Operations at DigitalSENSE Africa Media, the organizers of the event, Mrs. Nkemdilim Nweke, made these known, affirming that the former Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communication and chairman of OpenMedia, Dr. Ndukwe will be sharing some insights on Nigeria’s Broadband Perspective to Internet Protocol version Six (IPv6) during the Nigeria IPv6 Roundtable session.

According to Mrs. Nweke, the 2014 DigitalSENSE Forum series is a two-day event, stressing that Day-1 would focus on Internet Governance for Development (IG4D) to be chaired by Prof. Charles Uwadia, the former president, Nigeria Computer Society (NCS) and Head, Computer Science department, University of Lagos.

“This year’s theme for day 1 is ‘Internet Governance, eBiz & Open Access in Nigeria’ on Thursday, June 5, 2014,” she declared, adding that Uwadia would be supported by Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Dr. Eugene Juwah, Chief executive officer and Director-General, National IT Development agency (NITDA), Mr. Peter Jack, the current NCS president, Prof. David Adewunmi, president, Nigeria Internet Group (NIG), Bayo Banjo, ATCON’s president, Lanre Ajayi, chairman, Business and Technology Publishers Foundation (BTPF), Mr. Ken Ugbechie, President, Institute of Software Practitioners of Nigeria, Mr. Pius Okigbo Jnr, Chukwuemeka Fred Agbata, the chief encouragement officer, CFA and Executive Director, Paradigm Initiative Nigeria (PIN) Mr. Gbenga Sesan who have promised the youth at heart a warm session, to name a few.

While Day-2 on Friday, June 6, this year, would be presided over by telecom icon, Engineer Titi Omo-Ettu, with the theme: IPv6 and Broadband Penetration in Nigeria. She disclosed that high-level panelists for this session include Dr. Ernest Ndukwe of the National Broadband Council, Mr. Mohammed Rudman, chief executive officer, Internet Exchange of Nigeria (IXPN), Chairman, ICT Media Taskforce, Mr. Aaron Ukodie, and President, Internet Service Providers Association of Nigeria (ISPAN), Mr. Sunday Folayan among others.

She equally encouraged participants to reserve their positions by registration for the Nigeria DigitalSENSE Forum 2014 at www.digitalsenseafrica.com.ng, adding that corporate organisation still have chances of participating, just as Resort Savings & Loans Plc, NITDA, NCC, Medallion and CWG plc, to name a few, have taken their places.

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NIMC opens enrolment centre @NOA hdqters, Omire urges mass participation

ITRealms:

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has opened an enrollment centre for National Identity Database and issued the National Identification Number (NIN) at the head office of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), reports ITRealms.

The Director, Corporate Communications at NIMC, Mr. Anthony Okwudiafor, confirmed this to ITRealms and quoted the Director General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr Mike Omeri, as urging Nigerians to ensure that they are enrolled in the National Identity Database and got issued the National Identification Number (NIN).

 

Flagging off the exercise at the Enrolment Centre, NOA National Headquarters in Abuja, Mr. Omeri commended NIMC for deploying Enrolment equipment to the NOA office premises.

Mr. Omeri noted that with the current state of unrest in the country, the National Identity Management Systems (NIMS) project has become imperative, urging Nigerians to support and key into this project.

He invited all eligible Nigerians and applicants to get enrolled, pointing out that by creating a unique National database and means of identity verification and authentication will provide a platform for verifying people’s identity; which will in turn boost the national security and economic development.

“The collaboration between the two institutions is necessary and must be emulated by other organisations, as it abides by the Federal Government policy of recognising and keeping citizens identity records," he said.

Omeri also was quoted as commending the Director General/CEO of NIMC, Barrister Chris ‘E Onyemenam and staff for their hard work and diligence and restated his commitment to work in partnership with NIMC.

Equally speaking, NIMC director-general, Barrister Onyemenam expressed his gratitude to God and also thanked Mr. Omeri for his support and cooperation towards making the NIMC Mandate a reality.

He reiterated the importance of having an Identity Database and noted that the security challenges in the country were enough reasons for everyone to ensure that the Commissions Mandate is met. 

He also thanked the President, Goodluck Jonathan for his support towards the implementation of the NIMS project.

The NIMC DG added that the full list of all NIMC Enrolment Centres could be accessed on the website, www.nimc.gov.ng and enjoined applicants to log onto the NIMC pre-enrolment portal www.ninenrol.gov.ng to pre-enrol and then proceed to any NIMC Enrolment Centre for biometrics data capture.

Emphasising that the NOA Enrolment Centre is open to all NOA staff, staff of parastatals and to the general public.

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Photo: NIMC director-general, Barrister Onyemenam