Is Content Really King, Asks Tenu Awoonor

Guest Commentary@ITRealms: 

Recently I was thinking of the increase in adoption Over-The-Top (OTT) players have gained and the consequent dilemma it’s wrapping around operators who now have to grapple with the concern of who owns and influences the consumer. 

This also got me thinking about something else we tend to hear a lot, that term “Content is king” which has become a catchphrase in telecom parlors. It therefore begs the question of who owns/controls the (mobile) content consumers voraciously consume on a daily basis? 

Certainly not the operators but rather the likes of Youtube, Instagram, Snapchat for user generated content, to Iroko, Apple, Showmax for your movies and TV shows to mention a few.

After all, operators simply provide the pipe much like a highway with a tollbooth giving one access to a destination. Consumers invariably will cease to care which pipes are feeding the content, and would rather, as they should be only interested in making decisions about which show, news or user generated clips they seek. In almost all markets in Africa there are several alternatives available for consumers to pick from and not just with the major operators but also new 4G entrants that are still small, and independent ISPs, all providing access-ways to content.

Is it therefore better to own and manage access to the pipe or control of the content? I believe that ultimately whoever controls the content will own and influence the consumer to pick whichever pipe they want to use as an access point. AT&T by acquiring Time Warner (if approved) will have control of the content and the pipe thereby giving them a stake in both arenas. It is already offering access to premium cable channels for free with certain mobile packages to tie in consumers. Other MNO’s are realizing the shifting consumer behavior and are appointing Digital Officers who will primarily be responsible for developing their content ecosystem.

Now why is mobile content relevant for Africa? If you think about it, most individual’s primary source of entertainment in Africa is their mobile device. Very few have access to flat screen TVs, which is still a luxury by the way, to watch movies and shows. However pretty much everyone has a mobile phone of some sort that is used for listening to music, news, sports, movies etc. As a result, mobile content is fast becoming the channel of choice for consumers that like to access their shows on-demand and not be subjected to TV schedules.

For instance, my son and his friends consume most of the content they like on smartphones. Their smartphones have eclipsed television as the entertainment tool of choice where they can share clips, movies, music and chat amongst themselves through various apps. This group hardly ever uses voice; their preferred mode of communication is chat and video calling. They really do not care which network their friend is on it is irrelevant. For this group it is what content they can consume, access, or share amongst themselves and the service (OTT) that allows them to do it that matters most.

Some operators are beginning to look beyond infrastructure and experiment with digital models, however many are still yet to adapt to the shifting landscape.  Whoever is able to figure it out first and lock in providers and consumers, will leave the rest playing catch-up. Content (in the broader sense), therefore really is king…or is it not?

*Tenu Awoonor is an international business executive with experience in both the private and public sectors. He has proven himself to be a telecommunication and turn-around specialist, specifically in mobile and financial services arena. On twitter, his handle is @TAwoonor and LinkedIn .

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Orange brand in Liberia, continues strong presence in West Africa

ITRealms:

In line with its Essentials2020 strategic plan, Orange has launched its brand in Liberia with Cellcom Liberia becoming Orange Liberia, reports ITRealms.

Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the Orange Group and Chairman and CEO of Orange Middle East and Africa, Bruno Mettling, said that following the rebranding of Cellcom, Orange Liberia has joined one of the world’s most powerful brands and stands to benefit from being part of a large international group.

ITRealms gathered that Orange would provide its marketing expertise and world-class technical capability to further strengthen the operator’s established network and enhance customer service in Liberia.

ITRealms reports that with over 1.6 million customers at the end of February 2017, Orange Liberia is the leading mobile operator in Liberia in terms of customers.

Founded in 2004, the mobile operator has been a driving force in democratizing access to telecommunication services across the country, despite difficult market conditions. It has always been a precursor in terms of network deployment and in 2012 was the first operator in Liberia to launch 3G (HSPA+) services following by 4G-LTE services in 2016. Orange will pursue this strategy and will continue to invest in the development of its network where the company is already a market leader.

With a population of 4.6 million people and relatively low mobile penetration rate (70% of the population) the country has a high growth potential for Orange. To support this development, the Group will work to reinforce the quality of access in several areas:

Chuks Egbune/GEE 

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FG integrates entrepreneurship studies in tertiary institutions

ITRealms:

The Federal Government of Nigeria has integrated Entrepreneurship Studies in most of the nation’s tertiary institutions, reports ITRealms.

According to the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Federal and State Governments have established hundreds of specialized Vocational and Technical Secondary Schools.

In addition, Nigeria, the Ministry said, has scores of Polytechnics and Monotechnics with the curricula geared towards training students in various trades and vocations.

Director of Information at the Ministry of Finance, Mr. Salisu Na’Inna Dambatta disclosed to ITRealms in a press statement that the recently launched Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP) by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, contains a section on the training and equipping youth with vocational and entrepreneurship skills.

The Federal Ministry of Finance, he further said, through its YouWinConnect programme has launched Enterprise Education outreach in newspapers which it plans to take to the Internet, radio and television stations for wider reach.

The outreach, Dambatta told ITRealms, is aimed at imparting basic business management skills for running existing and start-ups enterprises profitably and narrating the experiences of successful entrepreneurs to inspire enterprising youth in the country.

Meanwhile Nigeria is among the participants at the maiden Islamic Development Bank Youth Summit (IsDBY) held on the sidelines of the 42^nd Annual Meeting of the Bank in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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DMO: Mobilising grassroots for national development

Commentary@ITRealms:

Financial literacy is abysmally low in Nigeria, and I am sure, as well as other African countries. It can never be taken for granted that an average Nigerian with some extra cash knows what to do beyond buying stuff or just throwing it in some bank accounts. The average Nigerian hardly knows how to invest in the financial market.

That is why I am impressed with what the Debt Management Office, DMO, is doing with the Federal Government Savings Bond, FGSB.  The Savings Bond is an Investment Product issued by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the DMO. It is an addition to the FGN Securities Market and is a retail savings product accessible to all income group.

 The purpose of the bond is to encourage national savings culture and create an avenue for investors to benefit from the favourable returns available in the capital market. The minimum subscription amount is N5000, with additional subscriptions in multiples of N1, 000.00, subject to a maximum of N50, 000,000.00.

Like all FGN Bonds, the Savings Bond is backed by the full faith and credit of the Federal Government of Nigeria. Investors are to subscribe through Dealing Member Firms of the Nigeria Stock Exchange (NSE) who have been duly accredited by the DMO to act as Distribution Agents. And there are up to one hundred of them.

Interest on investment, which is announced by the DMO every month, will be paid directly into investors’ bank accounts every quarter.

Since it was first rolled out in March, the scheme has created such buzz in the investment community that it has been successfully embraced by the target groups, especially those on the low income level. At its first listing on March 13, N2, 067,961,000 was raised from the retail market at 13.01 percent coupon. About 2.067 billion units were allotted to 2,575 people, and 75 percent of these are ordinary Nigerians.

A major reason more Nigerians are embracing the Savings Bond is the passion with which the DMO under Dr Abraham Nwankwo has carried on its advocacy. Before the roll out in March, Dr Nwankwo never spared any air time to talk about it on television and radio. He also talked and has been talking to the press on the uniqueness of this product and why Nigerians must embrace.

Recently, the DMO and Nwankwo have embarked on nationwide tours to sensitise Nigerians, especially those at the grassroots about this new produce, which seeks inclusiveness of our national economic growth. The DMO has been traveling to all the corners of the country, organising workshops and town hall meetings to sell the idea of the FGSB.

While in Ibadan a few days ago on a one-day advocacy and sensitisation workshop on the Bond to talk to representatives of major interest groups, including market association, labour unions and many cooperatives in Nigeria, Nwankwo noted: “We are here in Ibadan to enlighten the public about the Federal Government of Nigeria Savings Bond. 

The government of Muhammadu Buhari has an economic philosophy of making sure that the economic process is inclusive. As Nigeria recovers from recession and grows, nobody should be left behind. Which means every Nigerian, no matter their income level will have an opportunity to participate in the process of re-activating the economy, and also benefit from the progress that is being made.“

At a similar gathering in Onitsha, where the DMO met leaders of market unions and middle income earning organisation, Nwankwo said the FGSB was designed purposely to favour the poor and give them a stake in government.

Before now, bond issuance, like the monthly locally auctioned FGN Bond and the just concluded $1 billion Eurobond, were restricted to institutional investors and high net-worth individuals. The Savings Bond is expected to help develop and introduce new debt instruments into the fixed income securities’ market to accommodate low income individuals and groups.

Financial market operators have also hailed the bond as innovative. Many believe the product will stimulate savings, especially because of the high returns on it, and give the government the opportunity to fund critical projects with cheaper funds. It is cheaper for government, especially at this period of recession, to borrow cheap funds domestically since it will pay in Naira. Domestic debts do not react to exchange rates.

While there are fears that the interest paid on the Savings Bond (as announced by DMO monthly) could divert savings away from banks which pay a meagre 5 percent, such possibilities are remote. The volume and value of the Savings Bond is not large enough to threaten the banking sector. The DMO is not unaware of this fear, and appeared to have doused it. That perhaps explains why financial institutions in the country are lining up behind the DMO.

The savings bond will no doubt help the government get access to funds available for investment in the economy, thereby facilitating gross capital formation and economic growth. It equally enables the individual investors enjoy those benefits which accrue to big investors in the capital market.

The Savings Bonds are protected because they are secured by the government, and tax on the interest is usually waived while the principal and earned interest is registered with the DMO.

Nwankwo, who has lauded the Federal Executive Council’s approval of the Debt Management Strategy (2016 – 2019), is positive that the strategy would be implemented in such a way as to guide against unsustainable foreign exchange exposure. This is why the Savings Bond is an innovative product from the stable of the DMO.

Nigeria’s low debt to GDP ratio has cleared the road for the country to borrow more to fund its budget, infrastructure and other essential projects that will stimulate the economy and create jobs for the citizenry.

As Nwankwo said during a recent interview: “Sovereign borrowing from the domestic debt market encourages the development of a functional bond market, with the scope to introduce different instruments, which will encourage the habit of domestic saving, intermediation and investment. Such a functional domestic bond market will be tapped by the private sector to raise long-term funds for investment in the real sector and infrastructure projects. Nigeria has developed a deep and liquid domestic bond market where funds of up to 20 years tenor can be raised.”

While investment in the FGN Saving Bond gives personal benefits, it also mobilises the people for national development. This, to me, is why the DMO is mobilising all Nigerians to join and participate in this administration’s philosophy of shared prosperity that the FGN Savings Bond symbolises.

*Isaac Olutaya contributed this from Ibadan

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Osinbajo applauds DFID’s J4a Programme, says 'its well thought out'

ITRealms:

The Nigeria’s Acting President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo has applauded the United Kingdom Government for sustaining its support to the country, saying that the implementation of the Justice For All (J4A) programme, has shaped the Justice Sector reforms of the country, reports ITRealms.

Osinbajo, who stated this while delivering a Keynote speech at a Close-out and Valedictory Programme of the Justice For All, held in Abuja Thursday, also described the programme as well thought-out and impactful.

The Acting President who spoke through his Chief of Staff, Ade Ipaye, urged the United Kingdom government’s Department for International Development (DFID) not to relent in its support to good governance and justice sector reforms in Nigeria.

“The J4a programme is well-thought out. Its effects are being felt. What we are working on now is to ensure that the initiatives of the programme are institutionalized in our systems. The J4a model is what we are following in our Police reforms today. The Case Management and Information Communication Technology (ICT) in use today in the Justice sector is a J4a initiative. We need to ensure that it is adopted in every part of the country. J4a supported the Police Complaint Response Unit and today, they are achieving results.”

Speaking on sustainability, the Vice President stressed: “I hope the closure of the J4a will not be the end of support to the laudable initiatives.”

He commended the J4a team, led by Dr. Bob Arnot for what he described as their outstanding performance, urging them not to relent in their service to the nation.

Adding his voice, Executive Secretary, Presidential Advisory Committee against Corruption (PACAC), Professor Bolaji Owasanoye was full of praises for the J4A programme, describing it as exemplary.

“It supported a whole range of measures in the area of economic justice, notably the improvement of service delivery in commercial courts. Starting with a baseline survey on the progress of cases in commercial courts, needs assessment of those courts, capacity building for judges who preside over the courts, infrastructure support to improve service delivery such as the furnishing of the Fast Track Court Registry and the monthly progress monitoring, Lagos Judiciary improved incrementally from one level to another.”

“To ensure this worked seamlessly and is sustainable, the judiciary created a separate registry for fast track cases with the encouragement and financial support of J4A.”

Continuing, he gave credit of the early achievements recorded by the PACAC Committee to the support it got from the J4a Project.

“J4A recognized the importance of co-ordination and co-operation amongst justice sector institutions. It thus supported the creation of a platform through which regular engagement and interaction could talk place. This initiative in my view is a major legacy. I can say this now because PACAC borrowed from this model by recommending to government a high level inter agency platform for conversation on the anti-corruption issue. J4A, without doubt, has been of immense benefit to Nigeria in all of the thematic areas of focus.”

In his presentation on: J4a: The Journey, Achievements, Experiences, Lessons and Legacy, Portfolio Lead for Justice Security and Conflict in Sub Saharan Africa for the British Council, Dr. Bob Arnot explained that the programme was organized around four components: Policing and Security; Justice, Anti-Corruption and Cross-Sector Coordination.

Speaking on the scope and methodology of the project, Arnot explained: “the programme worked at federal level plus five focal states (Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Enugu, Jigawa) & FCT. Models based upon best practice were to be replicated, disseminated and sustained; working in the formal and informal sectors.”

He further explained that the ultimate aim of the programme was to create: “a more capable, accountable, responsive and integrated justice sector that is fair, equitable and accessible with sustainable reform momentum creating growing user confidence and respect amongst Nigerians.”

On successes recorded by the Policing component, Arnot, a former National Programme Manager of the J4a, enumerated them to include: “Work in 7 states affected 44.8 million people by introducing Community-based Policing (CBP) in Model Police Stations (MPS); introduced 12 modern police stations with 177 interventions and 645 replications; engaged with more than 100 police divisions and trained over 5000 Police officers.”

“J4A states citizen’s satisfaction with police up from 40% in 2011 to 59% in 2012; a total of 776 VPS leaders trained in leadership skills and over 1000 operatives have been trained in conflict management skills”

In the Justice component, Arnot explains: J4A worked with 26 pilot Magistrates, Sharia and Customary Courts in 3 states (disposal time reduced by 30%) equal to saving over 900,000 days in court. Since 2012, nearly 1,400 Traditional Rulers in two states have been trained on human rights, dispute resolution and record keeping. It is estimated that over 400,000 citizens will have benefited from the traditional rulers’ enhanced skills.”

Speaking on achievements by the anti-corruption component, he says: “The EFCC, ICPC and CCB now have strategic plans being implemented to direct their longer term work; J4A supported the EFCC and ICPC to investigate, prosecute and recover the assets of corrupt persons. By March 2016, assets worth over 210 Billion Naira had been recovered. Over 700 anti-corruption agency operatives have been trained in investigative and prosecutorial skills. J4A training modules now delivered by anti-corruption agencies (ACA) Trainers and key anti-corruption legislation developed.”

Continuing, he stressed that: “Reformed Anti-Corruption Transparency Units (ACTUs) are now in 427 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs); Inter-agency cooperation and exchange of intelligence have been improved. Civil society groups and coalitions have been supported to increase oversight of the anti-corruption agencies and the government’s work on anti-corruption, as well as increased advocacy on stalled high profile corruption cases by Media/Civil Society actors through the Reporting Until Something Happens (RUSH) initiative.

Also speaking, J4a National Programme Manager, Danladi Plang outlined the programme’s achievements in providing justice for victims of sexual violence in the country.

“What we have tried to do is to provide justice for victims of sexual violence and their families. We did three major things in this regard. One is to provide facilities where victims can go and be treated; either by providing medication or counselling. The treatment is free of charge. Second, we increased the level of awareness of people on sexual violence. Next is in the area of training and capacity development for all stakeholders.”

The Programme’s anti-corruption Manager, Emmanuel Uche also expressed satisfaction with the achievements of the programme, describing them as remarkable.

“I am happy that the programme is a huge success. We have made the anti-corruption agencies more responsive and capable. Their level of engagement is back to the early days of their existence. We have supported government by strengthening institutional mechanisms of the anti-corruption agencies. We also strengthened the voice of the citizens. The J4a approach is holistic and has left a mark in the sands of history.”

The J4a Close-out event was attended by stakeholders from public institutions, Civil Society organisations and the media.  

*Walter Duru/GEE

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Etisalat Career Counselling Building Tomorrow’s Leaders - Ikenna Ikeme

@ITRealms:

Etisalat Nigeria, emphasized its commitment to education and youth development by organizing a career counselling session for Lagos schools. Etisalat brought in renowned Youth global education advocate and film maker, Zuriel Oduwole, to inspire hundreds of secondary school students across Lagos State.

Oduwole while encouraging the students drawn from 11 secondary schools across Lagos State to dream big and pursue their dreams, went further to show them the documentary of her girl-child education advocacy, for which she has met 24 heads of state and other world leaders.

Speaking about the significance of the career counseling initiative on Thursday, Director, Regulatory and Corporate Social Responsibility, Ikenna Ikeme said “it highlights the company’s commitment to partnering with relevant authorities and organisations to drive the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goal on quality education. Etisalat believes in enabling young people achieve their full potential either in education, creativity or entrepreneurship.”

Ikenna said, “At Etisalat, we take Corporate Social Responsibility seriously, and education is one aspect we are very passionate about. We also have big interventions in health and environment but we believe that education is the pillar of national development and we are happy to partner with the Lagos State Government to equip the students with the right knowledge they need to choose future careers.”

“We thank Lagos State Government for being a supporter of Etisalat Nigeria. Over the last eight years, we have consistently done things differently, which is what we are known for. Knowledge is power. It helps one make the right decisions. Today, we are empowering these students to make informed decisions about their future career paths, and also give them some ideas about the different and emerging career paths that exist”, he added.

The Etisalat Career Counselling Programme is a Corporate Social Responsibility initiative of the company, and it is part of the Etisalat Employee Volunteering Scheme. This programme is designed to guide students of secondary schools in junior and senior levels towards making sound, positive and fulfilling career decisions which will provide long-term benefits for them, their families, organisations, and ultimately the nation.

The career counselling sessions, which held at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Lagos State Government Secretariat, Alausa, Ikeja, afforded the students the opportunity to receive inspiration from 14-year-old Zuriel Oduwole and staff of Etisalat Nigeria on career opportunities and how to make the right career choice thereby fulfilling their goals in life.

After Zuriel’s session, three employees of Etisalat Nigeria including Head, Commercial and Corporate Services, Legal, Kenneth Uzim; Manager, IT Demand and Business Relationship Management, Nkechi Obigho; and Manager, Products & Products Information, Olaniyi Adefabi, took turns to educate and motivate the students. Uzim took the students through what lawyers do; Obigho gave an expose on what it entails to build a career in Information Technology, while Adefabi taught on digital media and entrepreneurship.

The event also featured debates, spelling and quiz competitions which saw Sodiq Ayansina, a student of Babs Fafunwa Millennium Senior Grammar School, win a Cliqlite Tab. The Etisalat Career Counselling Programme is a continuous programme designed to equip Nigerian youth with the tools and information needed to become the best they can be in life.

Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Education, Mr. Adesina Odeyemi, thanked Etisalat Nigeria for its interventions in the state’s education sector and said the state government was always glad to collaborate with Etisalat.

“I want to thank Etisalat for what they are doing with us in Lagos State. They are collaborating with us and supporting education with lot of interventions. As we appreciate Etisalat, we believe that they will do more towards the development of education in Lagos State. I hope the students will take advantage of this opportunity of receiving great career counselling, which will help them succeed in life”, he said.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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NITDA counsels MDAs, others on Ransomware attacks

ITRealms:

The leadership of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has counselled Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in the country, on the recent cyber-attack that is affecting computers across the world known as ransomeware attack, reports ITRealms.

Director-General/CEO, National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA), Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, in a press statement personally signed in Abuja and made available to ITRealms, said this attack, known as “WannaCry” or “WannaCrypt”, spreads by itself between computers and does not require human interaction.

“It restricts access to the affected system as well as demanding for the payment of ransom. This attack, according to reports, has so far affected over 99 countries and 100,000 machines,” he said.

The ransomware attack, Pantami explained, exploits vulnerabilities in the Microsoft Windows Operating System, especially those not currently supported such as Windows XP, Windows 8 and Windows Server 2003. Microsoft released a patch for the vulnerability in March and machines that were updated with the patch would have been automatically protected.

Further, he said, should your system be infected by ransomware, isolate the system from your network to prevent the threat from further spreading.

In addition, he outlined some actions that could be taken immediately to include removing the system from Network; do not use flash/pen drive, external drives on the System to copy files to other systems; Format the System completely and get fresh OS copy installed; and Contact NITDA Computer Emergency Readiness and Response Team (CERRT) for assistance. They can be reached via telephone on +2348023275039 or e-mail: support@cerrt.ng.

He pointed out that as a general precautionary measure and as the security of systems is a collective responsibility, NITDA would like to recommend that individuals and organisations in the country, should regularly update their operating systems with the latest patches; regularly update their software applications with latest patches; avoid downloading and opening unsolicited files and attachments; adjust security software to scan compressed or archived files; and  avoid indiscriminate use wireless connections, such as Bluetooth or infrared ports.

Uboshe Uboshe/GEE

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NCC flags off Year of Nigerian Telecom Consumer in Lagos

ITRealms:

The apex telecom regulator in country, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has flagged off the 2017 Year of Nigerian Telecom Consumer in Lagos, reports ITRealms.

The flag-off came as NCC unveiled two Nigerian Artistes, Helen Paul aka Tatafo and Ali Nuhu as the Telecom Consumer brand ambassadors.

Welcoming guest to the occasion, held at De Blue Roof at Agidingbi-Lagos, the Executive Commissioner Stakeholder Management at NCC, Mr. Sunday Dare, noted that the Abuja leg was unveiled on March 15 at the Commission’s headquarters, Abuja.

Describing the occasion as significant, Mr. Dare pointed out that this was because NCC singled out the consumer and dedicated a year of activities towards safeguarding the rights, protecting the interests and empowering the consumer to make informed decisions.

“It was for us at NCC a day of great significance, just as today is also,” he said.

Dare further said that the consumer is one of the key stakeholders in the stakeholder ladder of the NCC.

“With a base of over 154 million subscribers, the Nigerian consumers dominate the African telecommunications landscape,” he declared.

For the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, relaunching of NCC 2017 Year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer in Lagos, was to emphasise the position of Lagos State as the telecommunications hub of Nigeria.

He buttressed this by quoted  the Nigerian Bureau of Statistics in its first quarter telecommunications sector report for 2016 placed Lagos voice subscriber base at 19.04 million or 12.8 per cent of the country’s subscribers and 12.62 million internet subscription or 13.65 per cent.

“The state is home to many of the key players in the telecommunications sector so it is understandable that is has been selected as the flag off city after the major event in Abuja on March 15 2017,” he said.

The NCC 2017 Year of the Nigerian Telecom Consumer, he told ITRealms, is remarkable because it is center stage.

“We must also remember that these consumers together have made all the success stories we speak about possible in the telecom industry today,” he said.

Danbatta pointed out that the Year 2017 is dedicated to the Nigerian Telecom Consumer following a management decision that compels NCC to seek to amplify the year’s activities towards ensuring that the consumer enjoys a customer experience that is enhanced and consistent in time and quality.

In 2017, and even beyond, Danbatta assured that the Consumer will remain the focus of NCC, revealing that the Commission intends to inform and educate the consumer with the sole intent of protecting and empowering them to make the right decisions.   

The EVC later unveiled the 2017 Year of Telecom Consumer brand ambassadors, Helen Paul, aka Tatafo and Ali Nuhu, also known as the emir of Kannywood.

Both ambassadors promised to do their best in carrying the focus of the 2017 Year of Telecom Consumer, which will be delivered in multiple local languages across Nigeria.

Remmy Nweke/ED, Ops

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Pix: Telecom Consumer brand ambassadors, from left: Helen Paul and Ali Nuhu.

PFS attains CMMI-DEV rating, strengthens trust

ITRealms:

One of the nation’s leading software powerhouse, Precise Financial Systems (PFS) has scaled through the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) appraisal, reports ITRealms.

This, ITRealms reports would strengthen the information and communication technology [ICT] sector of the economy with achievement of CMMI level 3 by PFS.

General Manager, Nihilent West Africa, the company that performed the appraisal, Shohel Noor said, PFS invested efforts and tools in institutionalizing the Maturity Level 3 practices. Stressing the adoption of CMMI by PFS “is strengthening Nigerian ICT sector’s trust in the CMMI framework and in Nihilent as a partner”.

Also speaking, the Managing Consultant and CMMI Lead Appraiser, Nihilent Technologies Ltd., Pune, Deepak Manjareka, said that PFS is one of the fastest growing software companies in West Africa, hence the company demonstrated the best use of various software engineering tools for better security, delivery, and institutionalization of Maturity Level 3 practices.

“CMMI is applied to create a process improvement solution that is appropriate to the context of each unique organization. It provides a path for an organization to achieve its performance goals. A CMMI-driven improvement project delivers a framework to standardize processes, ensuring that a business’ best practices are captured, shared and adopted so that it can move staff around the organization and those who leave the organization would not take business critical information away with them,” he said.

Competition is driving significant interest in CMMI. Development companies, service provider, and acquisition/outsourcing organizations are adopting CMMI as a differentiator and enabler to enhance performance. Competing companies are leveraging CMMI for industry best practices, and have adopted the approach to meet customer demands and competition. The growing popularity of CMMI in the market is also a big reason of adoption of this practice by companies.

CMMI is a process improvement training and certification programme, marketed by Carnegie Mellon University. Government agencies and many organizations required CMMI for software development contracts. It has 25 different process areas that cater to comprehensive business process improvement and solution. Each CMMI process area has two goals, two practices, and many educational information to help management make the right strategies.

The certification applies to sub-contractors that provide custom software to companies or create solutions for the government. These companies must follow CMMI or be covered by their clients.  Parts of the software product delivered to the government must follow CMMI in the supply chain.

MD/CEO, PFS, Yele Okeremi said the CMMI appraisal has a global impact on the company since software firms are no longer competing locally, but globally. He added that Nigeria needs to conserve foreign exchange and one of the ways to do this is by developing world-class solution, “this is what the CMMI has helped PFS to achieve”.

Ayo Midele/GEE

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Facebook picks 60 finalists in Bots for Messenger Developer Challenge

ITRealms:

Facebook has selected 60 finalists from the hundreds of entries received from across the Middle East and Africa for its Bot Messenger Developer Challenge, reports ITRealms.

The Bots for Messenger Challenge, ITRealms gathered, is a contest to recognise and reward developers who create the most innovative new bots on Messenger.

ITRealms reports that developers, in teams of up to three people, were invited to create bots in three categories: gaming and entertainment; productivity and utility; and social good.

The 60 finalist teams, ITRealms reports which made up of 10 per category in Middle East/North Africa and sub-Saharan Africa; each won a Gear VR and mobile phone, one hour of Facebook mentorship, and tools and services from FbStart, a Facebook program designed to help early stage mobile start-ups build and grow their bots. All student teams who made it to the finals won an additional $2,000.

According to Facebook’s Head of Platform Partnerships for the Middle East and Africa, Emeka Afigbo, the finalists will be contact and connect them with a mentor.

“They will need to resubmit their bots before midnight (GMT) on June 2 to qualify to win. For each region, three runner-up teams (one from each category) will win $10,000 and three months of Facebook mentorship. For each region, three winning teams (one from each category) will win $20,000 and three months of Facebook mentorship,” he said.

Afigbo also said, Facebook grew out of a hacker culture and thrives by promoting innovation on new platforms. Stressing that's why they launched the Bots for Messenger Challenge, with the aim of rewarding entrepreneurs and developers for harnessing the power of bots to create amazing new services and apps.

“We were overwhelmed to receive more than 1,000 entries over two and a half months for the Bots for Messenger Challenge from developers and entrepreneurs across the Middle East and Africa—each one of them solving a problem in an inventive way or enriching the lives of its target user,” Afigbo said.

Nonye Dom/GEE 

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NCC frowns at elongated poor quality of service, says its ‘unacceptable”

ITRealms:

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has frowned over the long duration of poor quality of service in the country, reports ITRealms.

Expressing this concern in Lagos at a media interaction on Tuesday, was the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta.

According to him, the Commission has noticed an obvious deteriorating kind of quality of service and is working at encouraging the operators to change the situation for better.

As said by Danbatta, the deteriorating quality of service, is not acceptable to NCC under his watch.

“We have noticed deterioration of quality of service and it's not acceptable,” he declared.

Danbatta, a professor of telecommunications pointed out that the Commission is working in collaboration with the Mobile Network Operators in the country to correct this anomaly.

“There is a time line for this to be corrected,” he said, urging operators to brace up by raising their games in service delivery.

Prof. Danbatta has been the EVC of NCC since 2015.

Nonye Dom/GEE

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WannaCry: 5-way to protect your devices

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With the world reeling from the WannaCrypt attack –  an ongoing cyber-attack of the WannaCry ransomware computer worm targeting the Microsoft Windows operating system – fears are rife that the viral attack may soon spread to Nigeria, with dire implications for individuals and businesses whose devices are compromised.

Described as unprecedented in scale, the attack which started on Friday May 12 2017 has infected more than 230,000 computers in 150 countries, with the software demanding ransom payments in the cryptocurrency Bitcoin in 28 languages.

In this piece, the Research/Development Unit of Yudala – Nigeria’s fastest growing composite e-commerce outfit – shares five ways to stay ahead of the WannaCry attack which has been likened to a ‘pandemic’.

1.Update Windows as a matter of urgency: The world heaved a brief sigh of relief when the WannaCry ransomware was halted in its deadly tracks by a security analyst who discovered a kill switch in its code last week. Sadly, the ransomware has been updated without the kill switch, allowing it to spread. Apart from businesses, institutions and governments; individuals are equally at risk of this viral attack as WannaCry targets a Windows operating system flaw in older versions that have not been patched. If your system runs on one of the newer versions of Windows and you have kept up with automatic updates, you can protect yourself by updating your computer immediately with the software patch released in March 2017.

2.Invest in a ransomware blocker: The WannaCry attack is indeed an eye-opener to the growing global scourge of Ransomware – described in an earlier research piece as an increasingly popular mode of attack where attackers encrypt data taken from the victim and in return for decrypting the data, they ask for an acceptable amount from the victim as ransom. These victims include individuals, small or medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and large corporates.

Most anti-virus software hardly offers any protection against ransomware, especially if you are using the outdated version of the anti-virus. In view of the increasing prevalence of these attacks and if your checks reveal you are not protected, perhaps now is the time to consider investing in a dedicated ransomware blocker. Before purchasing one, please check out the features and cost. There are also a few free options you can download and install at no cost.

3.Turn Windows Update on if currently disabled

Most users can be forgiven for disabling Microsoft Windows’ automatic updates. This is especially considering the annoying tendency for earlier versions to auto-install even when one is in the middle of a pressing work schedule or tight deadline. Thankfully, Microsoft has, to a large extent, fixed that issue with the current version of Windows 10. So, if you currently have automatic updates disabled, please go back to your Control Panel to turn them back on and leave them on.

4. Stay alert for new strains/mutations

According to research from Heimdal Security, new strains or mutations of the WannaCry ransomware have popped up, with some bearing the name Uiwix. Also, the virulence of the ransomware can be seen from the way it rebounded from the initial attempt to deploy its kill switch. This clearly shows the need to remain on the alert for new strains or mutations. Suspicious links in emails and on websites should be regarded with caution to avoid becoming a victim.

5.Consider cloud storage and file back-ups

In view of the likelihood of falling prey, there seems no better time to consider cloud storage and other forms of back-ups for your sensitive files and other information. Cloud storage is particularly useful because in the event of an attack, you may be able to recover your affected files by accessing earlier versions of them. Some effective cloud-storage services keep snapshots of all changes made to files in the past 30 days. 

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