NIRA elects new president, changes to Registry Administrators

ITRealms

Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) has elected Mr. Sunday Folayan as its 3^rd Executive President at the 7th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the association, as it adopts a change of status from an Internet Registration Association to Internet Registry Administrators, ITRealms reports.   

Folayan, who was handed over the mantle of leadership by consensus of NIRA registrars and financial members, ran for the office unopposed, with three other members, Muhammed Rudman, Sunday Olutayo and Segun Akano, elected into the board.

Highlighting most of her achievements, out-going

president, Mrs. Mary Uduma, said the association has fared well under her leadership. “Most importantly”, she said, “is the purchase and renovation of 

the NIRA Office Complex, where most Committee and Executive Board of Directors meetings are now been held.”  

Mrs. Uduma also noted that her regime recorded a growth in registered domain names. She said, “Newly registered domain names in the year stood at 18,870, with a marginal growth from 16,911 in 2013”.

The New President is also the Chief Executive Officer of General Data Engineering Services, SKANNET. In his acceptance speech, he promised to use his wealth of experience in the industry to ginger effective participation of entrepreneurs and registered businesses in Nigerian.

“We would first create the need and the demand, we would ensure that people have their own personal domains, either in the name space or .ng space; and also ensure we work with appropriate authorities to empower more businesses to be able to run their own domain names.”  He said.

Similarly, the association in line with its mission to be the administrator for the Nigeria Country Code Top Level Domain (.ng ccTLD), unanimously adopted a proposal to change its status as Nigeria Internet Registration Association to the Nigeria Internet Registry Administrators.

The reason for the change, according to the association, is central to the understanding of the word ‘association’, which to them reflects an entity without a long life span. Stating that an association is an organization that can be here today and be born elsewhere tomorrow.

ITRealms learnt that the newly elected President is the immediate past Vice President, Executive Board of Directors, and the Chairman of the Africa Network Information Centre (AfriNIC), also a member of the Board National Information Technology development Agency (NITDA) and Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN).

Nsolibe Daniel/Ed, Ops.

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U-Report targets one million members in 2015

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UNICEF and partners at the launch of the U-Report, an innovative SMS-based platform that empowers Nigerians by enabling them to participate and engage in

policy-making, governance and access real time information on key social issues said, they are expecting over a million members by the end of 2015, ITRealms reports.

“Today more than ever before community journalism through communication technology can help engender good governance, accountability, social change and improve health standards,’’ said Jean Gough, UNICEF Representative in Nigeria. ‘U-Report platform provides a thrilling opportunity to contribute to positive social change in the Nigeria,’ she noted.

Director-General National Youths Service Corps (NYSC), Brig-Gen. J.B Olawumi, represented by a Director in the Service, Thursday in Lagos, ITRealms gathered stated that “NYSC has continued to serve as a tool for the promotion of national integration and utilization of the energies and skills of Nigerian graduate youths for national development.

Olawumi,  at Federal Palace Hotel, venue of the launch, elaborated more by saying that it is not surprising that Unisef has found a strong ally in NYSC in the realization of the objectives of the U-report Initiative stating that the NYSC contributed greatly 

to the ‘My World Survey, a preparatory activity for the post-MDGs Global 

Development Agenda in 2013. During the first phase of the survey, the Scheme won a UN award as the most outstanding contributor at the 2013 Partners’ Recognition Award in New York, adding that in 2014, over 1-2 million votes were uploaded making NYSC and Nigeria one of the organizations and countries with the highest number of votes for the survey,” Olawumi stated. He assured that the Scheme on its part will mobilize 1million U-Reporters by the end of June.

ITRealms gathered that U-Report enables those who voluntarily register – known as U-reporters - to speak-out on what is happening in their communities, provides a forum to amplify their voices through local and national media, sends alerts to key stakeholders about the issues their constituents are facing, and feeds back useful information to the U-Reporters, so they are empowered to work for positive change and improvements in their localities. The platform provides decision makers a forum to listen to millions of voices through simple messaging.

In the last one year with support from Airtel, MTN, GLO and Etisalat, ITRealms learnt, the number of U-reporters has rapidly grown to about 200,000 with thousands joining every month from all parts of the country. It is expected to top a million by the end of 2015. It has also attracted strategic partnerships with civil society organizations, UN agencies and Government ministries, who contribute by selecting poll questions and promoting the platform to Nigerian citizens, as a tool for civic engagement and community empowerment

About 15 million text messages were sent out through the U-Report platform while the country battled Ebola. The awareness messages and real time responses via sms and on the U-report Social media platforms sent out during the Ebola outbreak were able to address mythical cures like bathing with hot water and salt, taking bitter kola to cure the disease . U-Reporters were informed on how to identify the disease, and how to keep safe, ITRealms learnt.

Cyraicus Nnaji/ ED,OPs 

  

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$500million investment in ICT can create multibillionaire Nigerians --Zinox Boss

ITRealms

The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Zinox Computers, Mr. Stan Leo Ekeh, Thursday in Lagos, stated that the Information and Communications Technology sub sector can create four multibillionaire Nigerians if the Federal Government can invest $500million about N99.5billion in 2000 Nigerians in four years, ITRealms reports.

Mr. Stan, who is also NITRA Patron, while speaking during the inaugural Quarterly Seminar Series of the Nigerian Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), stated that through ICT, “people are buying and selling phones; people are in incubators designing applications, we have army of engineers; this sector can create four multibillionaire Nigerians if the Federal Government can invest 500million dollars in 2000 Nigerians in four years”.

Speaking to ITRealms, Mr. Ekeh  also stated that the NCC has performed more than any other government agency in the country, adding that if those in the Power and Energy  sub sector can do as much as NCC, the country will not be in a constrained situation as it found  itself at present.

Dr. Eugene Juwah, the Executive Vice Chairman of Nigerian Communications Communication (NCC) represented by a commissioner, Dr. Mike Onyia, stated that the theme of the seminar “Engendering Local Innovation in the Nigerian Telecom Sector” is as thought provoking as is also exciting, stating that whatever comes out of the seminar would be basis for the regulator to appraise her performance in imbibing the culture of innovation through regulatory processes and tools.  He further stated that the outcome will also provide a basis for the regulator to measure potentials and prospects of achieving remarkable innovation in the industry, ITRealms report.

Mr. Emma Okonji, NITRA  president, in his welcome remark, stated that the Telecom industry must engender local content in the sector just as being done in the oil and gas industry, adding that the Nigerian Communications Commission has done a lot for the industry as a regulator.

The Nigerian Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) is the umbrella body of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) journalists, affiliated to the Nigeria Union of Journalists.

Cyriacus Nnaji/ ED,Ops.

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GEJ Conceded Defeat: a quest for peace in Nigeria

ITRealms

The aftermath of the 2015 general elections in Nigeria is taking another dimension as the outgoing President of the country President Goodluck Jonathan, queries the outcome of the March 28 presidential election, reports ITRealms.

According to Mr. President in a speech yesterday, he said he only conceded defeat and congratulated the president elect Gen. Muhammadu Buhari earlier before the announcement of the final result just for peace to reign in the country. “Yes, I did not consult anybody before I made that phone call but I made that phone call on behalf of all you and on behalf of the PDP.”  He said

The president emphasized that the People’s Democratic Party continue to remain a dominant political party. President Jonathan, who was speaking at the submission of the report of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation (PPCO) at the new banquet hall of the presidential villa, attributed the low number of votes for PDP to infighting ITRealms gathered.

He said looking at the results, the difference between both parties is just over two million votes. And that he least expected PDP to have low votes in those areas that were recorded low such as Kogi and Benue. It is below the party’s expectation despite all efforts made during the campaign process.

With the outcome of the election, he said that the country is his priority, and he would always ensure that the country is always at peace. He added that the fact that Nigeria is at peace during and after the elections is worth celebrating. President Jonathan said, confirming a report that some western countries have plans to evacuate their citizens from the country in preparation for a post-election crisis in Nigeria.

President Goodluck Jonathan said Nigeria as a country known to be the Giant of Africa is a great country that must be managed with care. He added that PDP remains the most organized party whose affairs are not in anybody’s hand. He consoled the party that the major thing about election is for the country to move forward it is not about who wins and who lost. The downfall of a man is never the end of the road, urging them to overlook the loss of the 2015 elections and bounce back in 2019.

AbdulKareem Mueenah / ED Ops

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